About the book
A bewitching collage of fiction, memoir, and mythography from the author unique in her “ability to evoke the hidden life, the life unseen, the life we don’t even know we are living.” (Parul Sehgal, New York Times Magazine)
Mary Gaitskill is unique among American novelists in “her ability to evoke the hidden life, the life unseen, the life we don’t even know we are living.”* In this searching biography of the writer’s imagination, Gaitskill excavates her own novels, revealing their origins and obsessions, the personal and societal pressures that formed them, and the life story hidden between their pages. Using the techniques of collage, The Devil's Treasure splices fiction together with commentary and personal history, and with the fairy tale that gives the book its title, about a little girl who ventures into Hell through a suburban cellar door.
The result is an answer to Gaitskill’s critics and, simultaneously, the best book we have about contemporary fiction, the forces ranged against it, and the forces that bring it into being.
“Even among other artists attracted to weakness as a theme, [Gaitskill] is rare in being able to look at it on its own terms. She doesn’t treat it like a curiosity, like Diane Arbus, or a chink in the armor that might let in faith, like Flannery O’Connor. She isn’t afraid of it, like Muriel Spark; nor does she insist its depictions rouse us to action, like Sontag. She looks—just looks—and sees everything.” —Parul Seghal, New York Times Magazine*
Editions of Devil's Treasure
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781946022820
- EBook
- ISBN 9781946022837
Read an Excerpt
A bewitching collage of fiction, memoir, and mythography from the author unique in her “ability to evoke the hidden life, the life unseen, the life we don’t even know we are living.” (Parul Sehgal, New York Times Magazine)
Mary Gaitskill is unique among American novelists in “her ability to evoke the hidden life, the life unseen, the life we don’t even know we are living.”* In this searching biography of the writer’s imagination, Gaitskill excavates her own novels, revealing their origins and obsessions, the personal and societal pressures that formed them, and the life story hidden between their pages. Using the techniques of collage, The Devil's Treasure splices fiction together with commentary and personal history, and with the fairy tale that gives the book its title, about a little girl who ventures into Hell through a suburban cellar door.
The result is an answer to Gaitskill’s critics and, simultaneously, the best book we have about contemporary fiction, the forces ranged against it, and the forces that bring it into being.
“Even among other artists attracted to weakness as a theme, [Gaitskill] is rare in being able to look at it on its own terms. She doesn’t treat it like a curiosity, like Diane Arbus, or a chink in the armor that might let in faith, like Flannery O’Connor. She isn’t afraid of it, like Muriel Spark; nor does she insist its depictions rouse us to action, like Sontag. She looks—just looks—and sees everything.” —Parul Seghal, New York Times Magazine*
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Devil's Treasure about?
A bewitching collage of fiction, memoir, and mythography from the author unique in her “ability to evoke the hidden life, the life unseen, the life we don’t even know we are living.” (Parul Sehgal, New York Times Magazine)
Mary Gaitskill is unique among American novelists in “her ability to evoke the hidden life, the life unseen, the life we don’t even know we are living.”* In this searching biography of the writer’s imagination, Gaitskill excavates her own novels, revealing their origins and obsessions, the personal and societal pressures that formed them, and the life story hidden between their pages. Using the techniques of collage, The Devil's Treasure splices fiction together with commentary and personal history, and with the fairy tale that gives the book its title, about a little girl who ventures into Hell through a suburban cellar door.
The result is an answer to Gaitskill’s critics and, simultaneously, the best book we have about contemporary fiction, the forces ranged against it, and the forces that bring it into being.
“Even among other artists attracted to weakness as a theme, [Gaitskill] is rare in being able to look at it on its own terms. She doesn’t treat it like a curiosity, like Diane Arbus, or a chink in the armor that might let in faith, like Flannery O’Connor. She isn’t afraid of it, like Muriel Spark; nor does she insist its depictions rouse us to action, like Sontag. She looks—just looks—and sees everything.” —Parul Seghal, New York Times Magazine*
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Devil's Treasure?
Fiction > Fiction: literary and general non-genre
Where can I read a sample of Devil's Treasure?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781946022820
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Devil's Treasure?
Mary Gaitskill
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Devil's Treasure is available as paperback(ISBN 9781946022820) and ebook(ISBN 9781946022837)
Where can I buy Devil's Treasure online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Devil's Treasure from below
Where can I buy Devil's Treasure?