Was She Pretty?

Leanne Shapton

May 2013 · Penguin UK

About this ebook

Was She Pretty? is a beautiful exploration of modern love, relationships and jealousy from Leanne Shapton, the author of Swimming Studies and Important Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion, and Jewelry.

'A dreamy exploration of relationships and jealousy ... pithy and deadpan ... it's no self-help book' Salon

In this singular exploration of modern love and all its demons, we learn how Martin still takes calls from his ex into another room; Lucy's ex only dated actresses; Steve's got him into S&M; and Alec's ex-girlfriend had a thing for father figures.

Through Leanne Shapton's beautifully illustrated snapshots of paranoia, jealousy and anxiety, Was She Pretty? explores the dangers of knowing about a lover's former lover, the discomfiting truths the exes can reveal about ourselves, and the secret hatred and admiration we can feel for those almost-strangers.

Leanne Shapton is an artist, illustrator, and writer who was born in Toronto and lives in New York. She is the author of Important Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion, and Jewelry. Her latest book, Swimming Studies, is published July 2012.

Ratings and reviews

I must have misunderstood what I'd heard as I was expecting a novel. I found it a very forgettable read but would like to read a novel about some of the characters!

About the author

Leanne Shapton is an artist, illustrator, and writer who was born in Toronto and lives in New York. She is the author of several books, including Swimming Studies, The Native Trees of Canada, Women in Clothes (with Sheila Heti and Heidi Julavits) andImportant Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion, and Jewelry. She has contributed to The New York Times, Harper's and The New Yorker among other publications, and teaches creative writing at Columbia University. She is one of the founders of J&L Books, a non-profit imprint specializing in photography.