” Ten people, three men and seven women, a glass of wine and a book: The Gym by Verena Keßler, recently published by Doma Editions. This is how the first meeting of “The Bookmarks” began, in the secret mezzanine above the Olympos Naoussa restaurant. From up there, we could watch people dining below, without them being able to see us.
A few words about the book, from the back cover:
The unnamed narrator takes a job at a modern gym, having told a small lie that she believes she can keep hidden, much like she can hide her body beneath the right pair of leggings. Surrounded by sweaty bodies, mirrors and people constantly watching one another, she finds an opportunity to reinvent herself. With humour that can suddenly turn chilling, Keßler writes about our obsession with performance, self-discipline and the way we see ourselves.
Three members of the group had recently attended Keßler’s conversation with psychologist and poet Eleni Sambani. We had all read the book quickly and easily. Three of us, however, did not like it at all. And that made the discussion better.
Some described it as body horror. Vivi said this aspect unsettled her, while Ilias found echoes of American Psycho. Lina, the psychoanalyst in the group, spoke about the protagonist’s psychopathology and narcissistic traits, but also said she felt sorry for her. Petrini, a lawyer, wondered what her criminal liability might be. Dimitris, the writer, was certain: “This book was made with an agent in mind, and it will become a Netflix hit.”
We stayed for quite a while afterwards. Christina, our second writer, was particularly troubled by the ending: Did it really have to end this way? Was there any way for the protagonist to be saved? And what exactly were we looking at on the cover: a steak or a mountain that has to be climbed?
Katerina, who read the book on a train, had underlined one sentence: “You are successful when you don’t need to say it.” From there, we moved on to the pressure to constantly become better versions of ourselves. Petrini remembered how, when the protagonist turned up for her first day at work heavier and unkempt, she pretended that she had just become a mother—as though that were the only circumstance in which a woman might somehow be allowed to have “let herself go”, and even then, only briefly. Lina laughed at the bitter precision of the observation. Dina admired the protagonist for her ability to endure, and felt compassion for her.
Towards the end, Kostas, who is also a nutritionist, brought orthorexia and the obsession with protein into the conversation. We also found ourselves wondering which German word had been translated as “moustache”.
We decided to recommend the book discreetly, almost as a warning, to all our friends who spend their days and nights at the gym.
For a first meeting, “The Bookmarks” certainly did not stop at introductions. A book that divided the group gave us plenty of reasons to meet again. Next stop: the Greek novel Epi Skopo Ploutismou by Elisabeth Chronopoulou—a Greek book that was read and much enjoyed.”
Written by Ismini Tornivouka
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