Challenge Corner discussion

Marguerite, a beautiful woman, has disappeared from her small town in Upstate New York. But is foul play involved? Or did she merely take an opportunity to get away for fun, or finally make the decision to leave behind her claustrophobic life of limited opportunities?

Her younger sister Gigi wonders if the flimsy silk Dior dress, so casually abandoned on the floor, is a clue to Marguerite’s having seemingly vanished. The police examine the footprints made by her Ferragamo boots leaving the house, ending abruptly, and puzzle over how that can help lead to her. Gigi, not so pretty as her sister, slowly reveals her hatred for the perfect, much-loved, Marguerite.

Bit by bit, like ripping the petals off a flower blossom, revelations about both sisters are uncovered. Subtly, but with the unbearable suspense at which Joyce Carol Oates excels, clues mount up to bring to light the fate of the missing beauty.

started this book this afternoon. started off very interesting, we know by end of ch 10(view spoiler)[
Gigi is the younger sister, whom seems very jealous
sister has been committed mentally
but works at post office
she has picked up her dress and not hid it, but put it inconspicously
she is answering the phone as not a care in the world
only saw her"reflection"
she did not have a good relationship with her mother, but took her death bad enough for Marguerite to come home and work at the local college
M's car is at home
so her car is home, clothes she was wearing were on the floor, she is a vey responsible person that would never just not show up for her class
and she and her sister are heiresses

Quite a lot (hide spoiler)]

Through 30-(view spoiler)[ I just can’t figure out Gigi. She just really doesn’t care that her sister is missing! (hide spoiler)]

Through 41-(view spoiler)[Elke is way sketchy! How grotesque of an art exhibit and how horrible for those that new M. (hide spoiler)]

So weird how Gigi refers to herself in the third person!

Finished and OMG-(view spoiler)[ she didn’t reveal what happened to her????? That is not cool! I don’t want to guess, I want to know! I liked the book till the last page, lol! Had to be G though! (hide spoiler)]

yay! I hope the OMG means you liked it!! I'll get here soon!

Trisha wrote: "yay! I hope the OMG means you liked it!! I'll get here soon!"
Yes I did, hope you do too!

10 chapters

wow
(view spoiler)[
you got a lot from those 10 chapters

this one is oddly written and I'm definitely not loving it. The disjointed writing with all the (parenthesis) - I'm finding it distracting and it's hard to keep me on the same thought as the main character.

I'm curious about the sister though. she saw a reflection and hid that the dress was used. is this suicide? did her sister choose to leave/run away?
(hide spoiler)]

Through Part 1

(view spoiler)[

well, lol, she really is trying to sell that she killed her, right?
she gave us that scene with the shovel - where she killed. . .something.
And then the weird statement about beauty deserving violence - after her sister was attacked her junior year. That's scary.

and NOW the psychic is missing too? Is she actually killing these people? (hide spoiler)]

Carrie wrote: "So weird how Gigi refers to herself in the third person!"

right? I wonder if this is. . .a clue?

hmmm. . .

Through Part 2

(view spoiler)[
wow, that art exhibit. I was cringing when she had Elke in the house but WOW , for him to paint her as deceased. that was just awful

although - I really did think she'd torched the place. so if she says "i'll strangle" whoever often but never does, and she didn't torch the place - does this mean she didn't hurt her sister?

what's in the basement that this PI is going to find? (hide spoiler)]

done

and OMG (view spoiler)[ i agree! how do we not know?!?!?! (hide spoiler)]

Trisha wrote: "done

and OMG [spoilers removed]"

Yes (view spoiler)[ once I got used to and tried to ignore the disjointed writing, I was interested in the mystery and then to be left hanging with nothing solved, ugh (hide spoiler)]