You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine

You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine follows an unnamed female narrator who lives with her roommate B and dates a man called C. The protagonist spends her days watching TV commercials, eating processed foods, and observing B's increasingly strange behavior. The narrative takes place in a slightly warped version of contemporary America, where consumer culture and body image obsession reach surreal extremes. Through TV shows, advertisements, and mysterious products, the characters navigate a world where identity and consumption become inseparable. A powerful meditation on gender, consumption, and modern isolation plays out as the protagonist's relationship with both B and C grows more complex. The story moves between domestic spaces, supermarkets, and the set of a reality TV show about couples. The novel examines how media and marketing shape our understanding of ourselves, while exploring themes of identity, doubles, and the commodification of human bodies and relationships.

Readers describe this book as a surreal commentary on consumerism, body image, and identity. Many found it reminiscent of Don DeLillo and George Saunders. Readers appreciated: - The sharp observations about advertising and food culture - The unsettling, dreamlike atmosphere - The experimental writing style - The dark humor throughout Common criticisms: - Plot becomes confusing and hard to follow - Characters feel intentionally flat and detached - The metaphors can be heavy-handed - Repetitive descriptions and scenes Ratings averages: Goodreads: 3.5/5 (6,800+ ratings) Amazon: 3.7/5 (120+ ratings) Sample reader comments: "Like a fever dream about consumer culture" - Goodreads reviewer "Brilliant but exhausting" - Amazon reviewer "The narrative style is disorienting in both good and bad ways" - LibraryThing review "Makes important points but gets lost in its own weirdness" - Goodreads reviewer

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🔹 The novel earned Alexandra Kleeman the 2016 Bard Fiction Prize, which includes a $30,000 cash award and appointment as writer-in-residence at Bard College. 🔹 Before becoming a novelist, Kleeman worked as a copywriter for advertising agencies, giving her unique insight into the consumer culture she critiques in the book. 🔹 The book's exploration of eating disorders and body image was partly inspired by Kleeman's own experiences with disordered eating during her college years. 🔹 The character's obsession with a fictional TV show called "That's My Partner!" mirrors real-life dating shows like "The Bachelor," highlighting society's commercialization of relationships. 🔹 The ghostly white makeup worn by characters in the book was influenced by Japanese Butoh dance theater, where performers traditionally paint themselves in white chalk.