The Pisces

Lucy, a PhD student struggling with her dissertation on Sappho, leaves Phoenix for Venice Beach after a difficult breakup. She moves into her sister's house to dog-sit and attend therapy groups for love addiction. During long nights at the beach, she pursues casual dating and hookups through dating apps. Her isolation and obsessive patterns continue until she encounters an enigmatic swimmer who appears mysteriously at night near the Venice Beach pier. Their intense relationship develops against the backdrop of Lucy's ongoing therapy sessions and her attempts to reconnect with her academic work. The narrative moves between stark realism and elements of magical realism, particularly in scenes near the ocean. The novel explores addiction, desire, and the blurred lines between self-destruction and transformation through its mix of contemporary dating culture and mythological elements. It confronts questions about the nature of love and whether intense passion necessarily leads to obliteration.

Readers describe The Pisces as a raw, explicit exploration of addiction, depression, and obsessive love. The novel provokes strong reactions, with most readers either loving or hating it. Positive reviews highlight: - Dark humor and sharp observations about relationships - Honest portrayal of mental health struggles - Bold, unflinching writing style - Original blend of realism and mythology Common criticisms: - Graphic sexual content feels gratuitous - Main character is deeply unlikeable - Animal abuse scene disturbs many readers - Plot becomes repetitive Ratings: Goodreads: 3.6/5 (37,000+ ratings) Amazon: 3.7/5 (500+ ratings) "Like watching a train wreck in slow motion" appears in multiple reviews. Readers call it "uncomfortable but compelling" and "unlike anything else." Several note they had to put the book down multiple times but felt compelled to finish. The explicit content and protagonist's destructive behavior are frequent dealbreakers for those giving low ratings.

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🌊 Author Melissa Broder first gained fame through her Twitter account @sosadtoday, which now has over 800,000 followers and explores themes of anxiety and depression with dark humor. 🐟 The mythological figure of the merman in The Pisces was partly inspired by the author's real-life fascination with mer-people, which began after watching the film Splash as a child. 📖 The novel's Venice Beach setting reflects Broder's own experience of moving from New York to Los Angeles, and her complex relationship with the Pacific Ocean. 💫 The book explores themes of love addiction and relationship obsession, drawing from Broder's personal struggles, which she previously documented in her essay collection So Sad Today. 🌊 While writing The Pisces, Broder conducted extensive research on Greek mythology, particularly focusing on stories about humans falling in love with gods and mythological creatures.