Look at Me
A Novel
Summary
Look at Me by Jennifer Egan is a critically acclaimed literary thriller. Weaving together multiple narratives, this 2001 novel explores themes of identity, image obsession, and the impact of technology on society.
Plot
Jennifer Egan's Look at Me centers on Charlotte Swenson, a fashion model whose face is reconstructed after a severe car accident in her Illinois hometown. Returning to New York, Charlotte finds herself unrecognizable and struggling to reintegrate into her former life. The accident leaves her feeling like a stranger in her own world, despite retaining her beauty.
The novel expands beyond Charlotte to include several interconnected storylines. One follows a seemingly ordinary teenage girl who becomes involved in a dangerous covert lifestyle. Another thread involves an alcoholic private investigator, while yet another focuses on a mysterious individual who frequently changes identities as they plan a catastrophic attack on American society.
As the novel progresses, these disparate narratives begin to converge, creating a complex tapestry that explores themes of identity, appearance, and societal obsession with image. The characters' lives intertwine in unexpected ways, building tension and intrigue as the story unfolds towards its climactic resolution.
Themes
• Identity and self-perception
• Impact of physical appearance on society
• Media and image obsession
• Transformation and reinvention
• Technology and its influence on personal relationships
• Alienation and isolation in modern society
• Convergence of seemingly unrelated lives
Setting
Set primarily in the early 2000s, Look at Me unfolds against the backdrop of a rapidly changing America at the dawn of the new millennium. The novel captures the zeitgeist of an era marked by increasing obsession with image, celebrity culture, and the burgeoning influence of the internet on society.
The story alternates between two main geographical settings. Much of the action takes place in the bustling metropolis of New York City, where the fashion model protagonist Charlotte Swenson attempts to rebuild her life and career. In stark contrast, significant portions of the narrative unfold in Charlotte's unnamed hometown in Illinois, a quintessential Midwestern setting that represents small-town America.
Within these broader locations, Jennifer Egan crafts vivid scenes in specific places that reflect the characters' worlds. From high-end fashion shoots and exclusive Manhattan parties to gritty Midwestern bars and abandoned industrial sites, the author paints a complex portrait of turn-of-the-millennium America, highlighting the stark contrasts and unexpected connections between urban glamour and rural decay.
Characters
• Charlotte Swenson: A fashion model whose face is shattered in a car accident. She struggles with her identity and place in the world after reconstructive surgery.
• Charlotte Hauser: A teenage girl in Charlotte Swenson's hometown who embarks on a dangerous secret life. She's described as “deceptively plain."
• Moose Metcalf: Charlotte Hauser's uncle, a high school math teacher obsessed with the industrial history of their town.
• Anthony Halladay: An alcoholic private investigator hired to look into Charlotte Swenson's accident.
• Z: An enigmatic stranger who changes names and accents, planning some sort of attack on American society.
• Irene Maitlock: Charlotte Swenson's former best friend and roommate in New York.
• Ellen: Charlotte Swenson's agent who struggles to revive her career post-accident.
• Thomas Keene: A journalist who becomes involved with Charlotte Swenson and her story.
Quick facts
• Look at Me was published in 2001, just before the 9/11 attacks, but eerily foreshadowed themes of terrorism and identity in a post-9/11 world.
• It was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2001.
The book's protagonist, Charlotte Swenson, requires 80 titanium screws to reconstruct her face after a car accident.
Jennifer Egan spent nearly five years writing and researching the novel.
Look at Me explores themes of identity, image obsession, and the impact of technology on society.
• Egan was inspired to write the novel after seeing an ad for a website where people could broadcast their lives 24/7.
• The novel features multiple interconnected narratives and perspectives.
• Look at Me was Egan's second novel, following her debut, The Invisible Circus.
• The novel's style has been compared to the surreal filmmaking of David Lynch.
About the author
Jennifer Egan
Jennifer Egan, born in Chicago in 1962, is an acclaimed American novelist and short-story writer. Her diverse background, including studies at the University of Pennsylvania and St. John's College, Cambridge, has significantly influenced her literary works. Egan's early travels across Europe and Asia laid the foundation for her debut novel, The Invisible Circus, and her short story collection, Emerald City.
Egan's literary career has been marked by critical acclaim and numerous accolades. Her novel A Visit from the Goon Squad won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award. Other notable works include Look at Me, a National Book Award finalist; Manhattan Beach, a recipient of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction; and The Candy House, which was named one of The New York Times's 10 Best Books of 2022.
Beyond her fiction, Egan is an established journalist. Covering topics from fashion to social issues, her articles have appeared in prestigious publications such as The New Yorker and The New York Times Magazine. Her journalistic work has earned her several awards, including the Carroll Kowal Journalism Award and an Outstanding Media Award from the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Egan served as the president of PEN America from 2018 to 2020, advocating for writers' rights and freedom of expression. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her family.