Susan Minot's Lust

I just finished reading Susan Minot's Lust. It's a beautiful story. It captures the feelings of a fragile young girl through her sexual explorations. It strikes me as a type of confession. Not a confession of a sin, but a confession of a secret, the type of confession you would find in a teenage girl's diary. On another level it's a list of boys, and these boys are defined by the sexual encounters she shares with them. I really love this character. I love her innocence, fragility and sadness. Though her confessions are those of a deviant, her intentions are not. She is merely looking for love and meaning, but just happens to be looking in the wrong spots. She is an excellent character and it is so easy for the reader to understand her pain and empathize with her. We feel sorry for her and hope she finds happiness. We know who she is by her thoughts and actions, yet the story doesn't need to spell it out for us. We can clearly see her young mind struggling with the complex relationships adults face. Susan Minot definitely created a strong character.