The Pisces
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In honor of the 10 year anniversary of this book blog, I’ve asked a few VIP book lovers to write guest reviews. This review is by Emily Via, a sharp, funny ride-or-die who reads books just as quickly as she slings vodka sodas at the bar we used to work at together. Here’s her review of The Pisces:
The Pisces was originally a book I was drawn to when perusing The Strand in my mid-twenties, but for some reason I never surrendered $18 for the paperback. It wasn’t until winter 2022 when the front desk of McNally Jackson implored me to read it since I was purchasing Melissa Broder’s other book, Milkfed, that I finally came to my senses.
If I could read only read one book before death, it would be The Pisces. Melissa Broder romances the void in such a way that truly blows my mind. The story centers on Lucy, a very stuck graduate student who has been working on her dissertation of Sappho for the last nine years. After her boyfriend breaks up with her, she finds herself dogsitting for her sister in Venice Beach, where she ends up falling in love with a very attractive merman. If you didn’t think you’d ever simp hard for a merman, think again! I absolutely loved how Broder explores the timeless topics of love, lust, and the meaning of life by putting Lucy in unique situations that challenge her own conceptions of “pure love” versus “fantasy love”. Cinematic, erotic, and absolutely explosive, this book had me drowning in my feelings, like any good Pisces would.
As someone who knows all too well the horrors of modern day dating, as well as staying in a situation far past its’ expiration date, I felt like Melissa Broder really nails just how nuanced and layered these seasons of life are. I also loved the exploration of the characters Lucy meets in her group therapy for women with depression/sex and love issues. She pulls it off effortlessly with such grace and humility, that results in a work equal parts heartbreaking and hilarious.
This page turner remains one of the most original work of fiction I’ve ever consumed, and I found myself wanting to take it slow both times I read it because I didn’t want it to ever end. I need it to be made into a movie immediately, and I envy anyone who gets to experience this masterpiece for the first time. Prepare to feel everything. I give The Pisces 5 out of 5 flames which should come as a shock to absolutely no one. You’re welcome.
