Look at Me by Jennifer Egan

Look at Me

Jennifer Egan

How much about us is determined by how we look? Charlotte, a model, finds her appearance completely altered after an appalling accident. As a result her life, and her views of that life, change dramatically. Plenty of mystery here in this enjoyable and thought provoking novel - in places shocking but never predictable.

Extract
At an odd snapping noise, I opened my eyes. Ellis was pulling a pair of latex gloves over his gnarled hands. He crouched beside me, tore open a packet and removed a razor blade. My confusion amassed only gradually, so deep was my sense of control, my faith that my own lunar commands were moving everyone else. I watched Ellis, expecting him to snip a loose thread from my dress. Instead he touched my face, exploring the skin gently with his latex-covered fingertips. The razor blade, in the other hand, hovered near me. 'Hold it,' I said, fighting my way to a standing position in the copious dress. 'What's going on?'
Startled, Ellis turned to Spiro. 'He's going to cut you,' Spiro said , as if this were self evident. 'Cut me where?' 'your face'.
Parallels
  • The Story of my Face by Kathy Page
  • The Memory Game by Nicci French
Borrow this book
Violence
Explicit sexual content