A review by anusha_reads
I'm a Fan by Sheena Patel

challenging dark emotional reflective fast-paced

5.0

I’M A FAN, SHEENA PATEL, Longlisted for the 2023 Women's Prize for Fiction, Shortlisted for the2023Dylan Thomas Prize

“I STALK A WOMAN ON THE INTERNET WHO IS SLEEPING WITH THE SAME MAN AS I AM.”- OPENING LINES OF THE BOOK

This is a book with hardly any names. The protagonist (not named),  who is also the narrator, loves ‘the man I want to be with’ although he is married and also promiscuous. She herself has a boyfriend, who is kind and loving.

“EVEN THOUGH HE IS CHEATING ON HIS WIFE AND I AM CHEATING ON MY BOYFRIEND AND THAT MEANS NEITHER OF US IS TRUSTWORTHY, HE IS ALREADY IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE OUTSIDE OF THIS EQUILIBRIUM OF ENTANGLEMENTS AND FEELS NO LOYALTY TO ME, WHICH THEN ALSO REVEALS I EXPECT SPECIAL TREATMENT FROM HIM OF SOME KIND, A SELFLESSNESS NO ONE IN THIS WEB IS GIVING ANYONE ELSE. “

She is awed, jealous, and envious of ‘the woman I am obsessed with’, an influencer. She doesn’t follow her but she constantly visits her Instagram page, to know everything about her, she insta-stalks, it is like an obsession. It felt rather creepy. Does social media cause such an effect on everybody? Would you call it transgression?What makes her feel so low? Would people like such a person or hate her? I’m ambivalent.    

The author brilliantly portrays helplessness, feeling out of place, inferiority complex, discrimination, feeling- of- being- overwhelmed- by social media, gender bias, confusion, racism, status, wealth inequality, obsolescence and more.

Every chapter is short and its titles are very unique and funny. It is like reading about a person's rage with the whole world! It is a ruthless, powerful, explosive narrative about toxic relationships, well fitted into a small book.

“WE TAKE ON OUR PARENTS' STRUGGLE AS IF IT WERE OUR OWN WHILE DISMISSIVELY EXPLOITING THE PRIVILEGE OF SELF-ACTUALISATION. WE ARE ABLE TO ASK, WHO AM I, A QUESTION OUR PARENTS WERE NEVER ABLE TO ASK THEMSELVES - BUT HAVE WE EVER STOPPED TO ASK, WHAT EXACTLY IS IT WE WANT TO GAIN ACCESS TO?”

She talks about so many topics which are not only relevant in the current world but most of them are worth pondering!

Fast-paced, easy, unputdownable, simply intense read! If you haven't read it, I recommend you should and if you have read it, tell me ur views about the book!