UNDER THE SKIN BY MICHEL FABER

Readers Notes for Michel Faber novel Under The Skin

Who wrote this piece?

Michel Faber was born in 1960 in Holland, and moved with his family to Australia in 1967. He began to plan his novel The Crimson Petal and the White  when he was 21, but it took 20 years to come to fruition. Michel Faber writes short stories, novellas and novels, which have won him many awards.  Under the Skin was shortlisted for the Whitbread First Novel Award in 2002.  He lives in a remote corner of northern Scotland.

Author photo: © Eva Youren

Read further biographical details, a bibliograqhy and a critical review of Michel Faber here.

What is it and what is it about?

This novel is nearly 300 pages long. It is set around the A9 road in Scotland where Isserley, a strangely scarred female, cruises along in her battered red Toyota car looking for well-built male hitchhikers. The story that unfolds, mostly through Isserley’s eyes, is a deeply unsettling one. It is hard to classify or describe the story without giving away any of the exciting twists and turns that draw us in and keep us both horrified and fascinated.

What kind of read is it?

Under the Skin is a page-turner that cuts across many genres. Within the first chapter we are taken through the possibilities of chick-lit, psychosexual drama, thriller, horror or science fiction. The novel begins: ‘Isserley always drove straight past a hitch-hiker when she first saw him, to give herself time to size him up. She was looking for big muscles, a hunk on legs. Puny, scrawny specimens were no use to her.’ We are given small details at first, like Isserley’s scarring, her large breasts, her thick glasses, her backache. One of her passengers describes her as ‘Half Baywatch babe, half little old lady’. We know that something is afoot, and as we gather increasingly bizarre clues we begin to piece together the whole picture. It turns out that Under the Skin is a fable that leaves us disturbed, horrified and challenged in equal measure.

When we’ve read it, how could we structure our discussion?

• Although the story is written in the third person, we see things mainly from Isserley’s viewpoint.  How did your feelings about Isserley change as the novel unfolded?
• Despite the grim subject matter, Michel Faber manages to bring humour into the novel. Did you feel that this was appropriate?
• Do you think that the Scottish setting is important for this story? Would it work as well in any other settings?
• Did you find the ending satisfactory? Does the story work as an allegory? Is it appropriate for writers to use extreme examples to make a point? 
• How well do you think that the mix of writing genres works? 

Reading group tip: You may find that some members of the group are more shocked and disturbed by this book than others. Try not to close down the differences in reaction or to reach a consensus too quickly. You could broaden out the discussion by thinking about whether a film on the subject would have had the same effect.

If we enjoyed this, what other writing might appeal to us?

Michel Faber’s other works are very different from Under the Skin. The Crimson Petal and the White (2002) is a large novel, set in Victorian times. The Courage Consort (2002) and The Hundred and Ninety-Nine Steps (2001) have some of the gothic elements of Under the Skin. All of his writing is compulsive. Faber has a talent to grab the reader early and keep us engaged. At times you need a strong stomach!

If you want to read other allegories, the most famous is probably Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift.

Under the Skin is so unusual that it’s hard to find other books like it.