Sharp Objects

This is one of those books that feels like a guilty pleasure to me because it is, let's face it, a bit trashy. Everything is so sordid, twisted, and over the top. But it sure is entertaining. Each secret that was revealed surprised me.

I love the fact that Flynn is not afraid to write unlikable female characters. By which I mean, they do bad things and there is no excuse or apology for it. I feel like time after time I pick up books from a female character's point of view and that character is a victim we're supposed to feel sorry for or a female character that is SO perfect (brilliant, beautiful, strong, NEVER wrong). We want equality for women in literature, some women are going to have to be complex and even bad.

I hope Flynn never loses her nerve and continues to deliver the reader female characters that break out of the object/victim/Mary Sue/ mold.

One of the major themes in Sharp Objects is women doing terrible things to each other. Mothers to daughters, sisters to sisters, friends to friends, and in Camille's case to herself. The men in this book are mainly passive and ineffectual. If I'm a good little feminist, am I supposed to say, well these women are only behaving this way because they've been oppressed by men? I think Flynn is saying the opposite of that. Women need to take responsibility for their own behavior and how they treat each other. Part of being equal is already thinking that you are.

There are a lot of other interesting ideas in Sharp Objects that I could go on about but my main impression is that, while this does seem on the surface like a trashy, sensational story, there are so many complex issues, themes, and ideas that it brings to mind.