great range of characters
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I liked the range of characters in 'Second Skin' and the way the author makes us sympathize with all of them. I've read other Perriam novels and found the same compassion for people, even if they're bad or mad. Actually Catherine is basically a good person, but she's torn between doing her duty and having a good time. She has to decide who she is and what she really wants. She knows she should have done that in her teens but, like many other people, she's sort of muddled along without striking a blow for herself. I thought the mother/daughter relationship was interesting - the way it changes throughout the book, as Catherine realizes that she's becoming more like her daughter - rebellious and independent, yet also more insecure.
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This book is so real!
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What I liked about 'Second Skin' was the way Catherine, in her forties, has to start again from scratch. When she goes on her first date after 25 years of marriage, she feels as nervous as an adolescent. It all goes horribly wrong, and the sex scene is farcical and sad by turns. Catherine is unable to relax, especially when her lover produces a condom (she's only ever seen them in packets at the chemist's!) and even when they do get going, she loses her nerve again. She is certainly naïve, but for me it made a welcome change from the tough superwomen in women's magazines.
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This book changed my life
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I've just read 'Second Skin' and I totally identified with Catherine. So many of us are stuck in a rut or feel we've been living the wrong life. The book had a terrific influence on my own life. It not only made me think, it made me act.
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Explodes the notion of "having it all"
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One of the myths exploded in 'Second Skin' is the notion of 'having it all'. The characters Laura and Nicky both have high-powered jobs in advertising , but Nicky calls it slavery of the mind. Even in bed with a man, she finds she's still trying to think up catchy slogans. The pressure is still worse for Laura, who's just back from maternity leave and feels she's on a treadmill, trying to achieve at work, as well as being a good wife and mother. I found this the most interesting aspect of the book. Why should we accept society's values regardless of whether they bring us happiness or fulfilment? There's a parallel here with another Perriam novel, 'Devils, for a Change', in which the main character is a nun who runs away from the convent after 22 years living in spartan conditions without money, mirrors, TV, radio, or any mod cons. But she has to decide whether the material world has any more to offer, or whether its pressures and demands are just another form of tyranny. I like the way Wendy Perriam compels her characters to rethink their values. It works for readers too.
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