The Body Artist is a short book. At 126 pages it took me two days to read, but it is a book I will reccomend. It is less a story and more of a look into the inner workings of the mind of Lauren, a body artist who has lost her husband and finds a mentally handicapped man in her home, who imitates the interactions of her and her late husband.

Do not underestimate this book due to this size. The Body Artist is a book that will stay with you.

“She took a bite of cereal and forgot to taste it. She lost the taste somwhere between the time she put the food in her mouth and the regretful second she swallowed it.” (page 21)

This was one of the rare books that I could not bring myself to finish. I followed my usual practice to of reading half-way through, then the last chapter. This is a short book, so it’s notable that I found it so ‘long.’

The book revolves around character development and setting a scene more than building any intricate plot. Lauren, a body artist, is widowed when her husband Rey commits suicide. After his funeral, she retreats to the summer home they once shared and encounters a haunting young man – seemingly mentally retarded – who seems to embody Rey and Lauren’s relationship. The young drifter recalls conversations Lauren and Rey once had and his presence evokes feelings of wonder and pain.

I disliked this book. It had a surreal, nightmarish mood and I found the use of language slippery and monotonous. Although I don’t doubt that Don DeLillo is an extremely talented author (and I am not disputing the quality of the writing), this book just wasn’t my ‘cup of tea.’