Ms. Hen reviews The Mare

The Mare

Mary Gaitskill

Vintage Books

2015

Ms. Hen bought this novel at a charming used bookstore called Yes Books in Portland, Maine when she was there last month. She used to be a fan of Ms. Gaitskill until she saw her at Bennington at one of the residencies, and Ms. Hen heard her read and lecture, and she was not impressed. She remembered learning about this novel when it came out, and it was supposed to be decent so she picked it up.

The Mare is about a young Dominican girl who participates in the Fresh Air Fund, an organization that helps bring inner city children to rural areas, so they can experience nature, and go swimming, hiking, and get away from the dirtiness and danger of urban life. Velvet stays with Ginger and Paul in their house, which Velvet does not think is a rich person’s house at first. Velvet takes horseback riding lessons at a place next door, and she begins to love the horses and the lessons, especially one horse named Fugly Girl. Ginger takes care of Velvet, but Velvet’s mother, Silvia, does not like that a white woman is trying to be a mother to her daughter. Ginger and Velvet have a complex relationship, and they try to fill needs each other has.

One of the aspects of this novel that Ms. Hen did not like was the fact that Ginger, a forty-something white woman, is a sniveling idiot, and pines for a child. Ms. Hen does not think that every woman that doesn’t have a child is heartbroken.  Ginger is a clichéd character, as many characters are in this book. Ms. Hen would like to read about a character who is a forty-something woman who is happy she does not have a child. Ms. Hen believes that some women think that life is better without children, and they only mess up everything. They can be too much work, and if a person has a difficult time taking care of herself, a child can be a burden.

Velvet and her mother and brother are also clichés. Ms. Hen found it somewhat offensive that a white author is writing about a culture that she does not know personally in such a stereotypical way, like the descriptions of the people in the neighborhood and the things they say and do. Velvet’s mother is a rough woman, who beats her child, and cannot read or write. The way Ginger treats Velvet’s family is racist, and the whole program could be considered racist of bring young people from the inner city to the country to see how the other half lives, and it could make them become depressed about their own situations.

Some things about this novel are positive, however. Ms. Hen liked the way it was written: there are very short chapters told from a first person point of view, from the eyes of the different characters. Most of the book is told through Velvet and Ginger’s perspective, but there are also chapters from Paul and Silvia. Even though Ms. Hen liked the way it was written the voices were not consistent throughout the novel, especially Velvet’s. She is a child, and she makes remarks that a child would not make with her education and life experience. Ms. Hen also liked the descriptions of the horse, and how the horse and Velvet were similar; both needed to find a friend and be rescued.

Though there are some good things about this novel, Ms. Hen thought it was mostly a waste of time. She thought this novel was offensive on many different levels. This novel is over 500 pages, but even so, it zips through, since the chapters are short, which made Ms. Hen happy that it was over fast.