This Is Pleasure by Mary Gaitskill Review

Quin is a hotshot New York editor working at a major publishing house - who is then accused of inappropriate behaviour by a growing number of women. An older, wealthy man in a position of power preying on young women? Surely not! How far did Quin go and what will be his fate? He and his friend Margot look back on his past dalliances and wonder as they head towards the answer…

Mary Gaitskill’s novella This is Pleasure is an interestingly subversive look at the #MeToo movement, from the perspectives of someone who’s been accused and someone who may have known about their behaviour, and what that says about the people involved in the movement as well as the nuances of some of the less egregious cases.

It’s not really a spoiler but it’s definitely worth mentioning that Quin’s behaviour was nothing on the level of Cosby or Weinstein’s. He definitely crosses the line - early in their friendship, he literally tries to grab Margot’s crotch (a nod to a certain president), then tries to put his thumb in another woman’s mouth in a different scene; it wouldn’t have been ok in any era, but especially not this. But the worst he actually does is touch a colleague’s nipple after she invites him into a dressing stall with her. He’s not sleeping with anyone. And I think it’s that intentional on Gaitskill’s part that she doesn’t make Quin too extreme an example, because she wants us to like him - and in that she succeeds.

Besides those off-putting and frankly strange moments above, he’s a stand-up guy. He’s a better friend than most, attentive and caring with a genuine interest in anyone and everyone’s hopes and dreams, and helps them attain them. He’s more than happy to advance people in their careers and uses his power for good, promoting books he believes have artistic, rather than commercial, merit. And he generally comes across as an interesting and vibrant personality, someone who’s not joylessly slogging through the days but genuinely engaged with and enjoying everything life has to offer.

I actually liked Quin, despite his actions. This isn’t an excuse, but someone in his position could’ve done a lot worse. He comes across as harmless, even daffy. A flirt addict at worst? And this is where we get to the subversive part.

Gaitskill hints at some grey areas within MeToo. Once the worst offenders have been justifiably imprisoned, etc. do we treat the lesser beasts like Quin with the same severity? Has the righteousness of the movement made society too parochial in how we view people who behave outside the accepted norm? Should women have more agency when confronted by objectionable behaviour - when he reaches for her, Margot simply pushes Quin away and says NO firmly, and he stops. Is that a better way than to go along with things and then later change your mind about how you viewed an interaction, especially as going along with things led to improved career outlooks for women in Quin’s orbit?

You could even say that the accused is the victim in this instance rather than the accusers - a sort of reverse scarlet letter. That might be a bit much - he did most of the things he was accused of - but what he did was very mild, considering some of the accusations being thrown around in the heyday of MeToo. For indulging his flirtatiousness, these women got further in their careers thanks to Quin’s help, while Quin’s career and reputation was torn apart, his marriage on the rocks, and who knows what his daughter will think of him when she gets older?

It’s a compelling story that asks some intriguing questions cleverly. I just felt that in the end it was a bit too slight and subtle - there wasn’t anything that memorable about anything that happened in the story. And, without giving away the outcome, the tale overall feels kinda pointless too.

This is Pleasure is an intelligent look at the nuances within the MeToo movement but I found it lacked a single standout, dramatic moment, or said anything of import to leave much of an impression. Which is why this line towards the end struck me as a succinct summary of the novella: “The best story is one that reveals a truth, like something you see and understand in a dream but forget as soon as you wake up.” I found This is Pleasure worth reading and Gaitskill is undoubtedly a talented writer, but ultimately it’s also quite forgettable.