Stephanie LaCava's novel 'I Fear My Pain Interests You' reviewed in ArtReview

Stephanie LaCava's novel 'I Fear My Pain Interests You' follows Margot, a young woman in her early twenties who suffers from congenital analgesia, a condition preventing her from feeling physical pain. The story begins with Margot self-exiled from Manhattan to Montana, where she experiences a bicycle accident that leaves her bleeding but unnoticed due to her condition. At a cemetery, she meets a tall stranger who uses his shirt as a tourniquet and later becomes her romantic interest, known as Graves, a former neurosurgeon specializing in congenital analgesia. Margot is the economically privileged daughter of famous musicians and granddaughter of a controlling matriarch and record-producing grandfather, whose name appears on an Ivy League university auditorium she attends before being expelled. The narrative explores her attraction to older men who disregard her emotional needs, with the writing's artificiality highlighting the emotional pain she endures. Published by Verso in softcover for £9.99, the book is reviewed in ArtReview, noting its retrograde storyline and reliance on therapeutic language about bad relationships. LaCava, a contributor to art magazines, previously set a novel in the artworld, adding context to her work. The plot involves wooden dialogue and exposition, with elements like 'the throb of prying eyes' offering intriguing observations but ultimately presenting a conventional narrative.