Gossip is an intriguing novel. The reader will enjoy the novel if she likes a novel which moves slowly for the most part but which ends with a lot of tension and angst. Although the pacing of the novel is unpredictable, it is still a good read and well-worth the reader’s time.
Most women will be able to relate to the authenticity of Loviah Walker since many women are similar to her. She has universal fears, feelings, and emotions. She lives a fairly solitary life, except for her few girlhood friends. But Loviah is a strong willed woman who knows her path in life.
Gutcheon showcases the complexities of the different friendships and how they interact over the short-term and long-term. Together the friends go through a lot. They experience marriages, divorce, motherhood, betrayal, trust, and intimacy. What I love about the narrator is that she is so honest about her inner feelings. I felt drawn into the narrative’s psyche, and that really gave the story a real intimacy.
Another theme in the novel is how the two opposing friends, Dinah and Avis, endure many hardships to remain friends with Loviah. Some of the sacrifices might seem difficult to fathom, but it is great to see how friends stick with each other through thick and thin. That is great message for us today since our friendships tend to be very transitory and short-lived.
I like Gossip a lot. At first, I wanted to read the book because of its intriguing title. But as I kept reading the book, I realized that the novel was about so much more than gossip. There are some important messages contained within the pages of the story. Anyone who is interested in human relationships and what makes them tick should read this book.
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