Paper from the UK: I'M A FAN by Sheena Patel

 Paper from the UK: I'M A FAN by Sheena Patel, 2022, 9781644452455.

Punk bank The Lovely Eggs from the UK created  book discussion group on Facebook. I joined. Someone recommended this.

Narrator lives with a boyfriend in London. She meets Famous Author and starts an affair. Famous Author is a awful person and very manipulative. He juggles several girlfriends across America and Europe professes love for his wife. Narrator is South Asian and desperate for Famous Author. She becomes a bit obsessed about one of the other mistresses and develops a para-social relationship that is stalkery. 

At one point the Narrator borrows a dog to arrange a "chance meeting" with the Other Mistress's half-sister living in London. Narrator is desperate for Famous Author. Narrator never has sex with Live-In Boyfriend and eventually leaves him. Narrator is also desperate for wealth and fame. 

Narrator is South Asian heritage and succinctly points out built-it racism. Built-in sexism. Built-in misogyny. Built-in nepotism. Built-in classism. Her parents generation that do their best to get ahead by pleasing the whites in charge. Narrator just rages and wants to get ahead while feeling invisible and powerless.

An interesting read. Famous author is always referred to as "the man I want to be with". 

Comments:

1. Misogyny is difficult to spell.