Note: The book reviewed depicts the killing of animals.
Plot:
This horror novel is an absurdist, nightmarish, magical-realistic take on fine arts higher education. And some other stuff.
The reader immediately sympathizes with Samantha, a second-year MFA student at elite—ahem—Warren University somewhere in New England. She remains an outsider in her Workshop program. The four other students, all from affluent backgrounds, form a seemingly impenetrable clique, praising each other’s work and offering malicious/politie critiques of Samantha’s. They group hug and call each other “Bunny.” Samantha has private nicknames for each of them: Vignette, Creepy Doll, the Duchess, and Cupcake.
Ava, who is not a student, is Samantha’s only friend. They met one day when Samantha was sitting watching a swan swim at a park and pretending to write.
Everything changes when Samantha receives an invitation in her mailbox in the form of an origami swan, asking her to join the Bunnies for the “Smut Salon.”
Samantha agonizes about it, but goes. Ava tells her she doesn’t care, though she hates the Bunnies.
And Samantha finds herself in. They braid her hair, and even call her “Bunny.” The writing bunch takes the old writer’s dictum of “kill your darlings” to its logical extreme.
Thoughts:
I enjoyed this book. I am not now nor have I ever been—nor ever been in danger of becoming—an MFA student. They want money for that sort of stuff. But the cliquishness of higher education and the absurdity of writing feedback, I think, are universal experiences. The book exaggerates these aspects to cartoonish proportions, perhaps, but leaves a ring of truth.
At times, it’s difficult to know whether the narrative is dealing in dreams or nightmares or reality. That was actually less important than one might imagine, however.
One plot line I wish had been a little more developed involved Samantha’s thesis advisor, whom she referred to as Lion for his looks. In her first year, they seemed to have flirted a bit. She rode in his car once and went to his house. They didn’t sleep together.
Now, he barely speaks to her. Why? This is never resolved.
The ending indulges in a little revenge fantasy, but it’s hard to begrudge Samantha that after all. She comes to grips with the potential for beauty and horror a writer can create.
As with so many dark, absurdist things, not everyone will enjoy this book. As I was describing some of the plot to my dearly beloved, I told him, “It gets weird here.”
“Oh, now it gets weird?” he asked.
Hmmm… point.
Bio: Mona Awad (b. 1978) is originally from Montreal. Bunny is her second novel. Her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Vogue, McSweeney’s, TIME magazine, Ploughshares, The Walrus, Maisonneuve and elsewhere. Her most recent novel, We Love You, Bunny, is a New York Times bestseller.
Title: Bunny
Author: Mona Awad
First published: 2019
Length: novel
Reviews of Old and New Stories. Mostly Old 
Seems like a bit strange of a novel but you certainly made me curious
It is strange. But a great read.
I’ve seen this cover before, but never paid attention to it. It sounds interesting. I don’t have an MFA and will never have one. Not only does it cost money, but it takes time, and comes with deadlines, which I’m so over.
LOL. Was it Douglas Adams who said he loves the sound of deadlines as they WHOOSH by? It is an interesting read, even for those of us on the outside, but it is weird. The writing is solid, but it’s hard to recommend, not knowing how it will strike everyone. I liked it, though.
I ordered this book on my free audible book app through my library. I have to wait a few months, but I’m looking forward to it.
I hope you enjoy it.