The Portrait of a Mirror

I was drawn in by the concept of this debut: it follows two young, well-off couples in New York City and Philadelphia over the course of a summer, reimagining the myth of Narcissus as a modern novel of manners. None of the characters are particularly likable or sympathetic, but they're interesting, and I found their jobs in the worlds of art and finance equally so. We watch the action unfold through the eyes and ears of each of the four main characters, as well as through text threads, email exchanges, Wikipedia pages, and even a New York Times wedding announcement as it all builds to a fitting ending. I enjoyed tracking the numerous references to Greek mythology, and how Joukovsky explores love and desire, narcissism and self-delusion, recursion and image management.