Modern Liaisons

The digital age has birthed a venomous mutation of misogyny, incubated in chatrooms and social media foxholes. Emboldened by anonymity, self-described incels commiserate online, blaming women for denying them sex and romance. This cauldron of resentment inevitably bubbles over into the material world. But what, really, is the relationship between acidic hatred unleashed on keyboards and everyday acts of chauvinism?

This question drives Russell Smith’s Self Care. The story follows Gloria, a millennial eking out a living as a freelance writer in Toronto. In the opening pages, her quasi-boyfriend, Florian, chokes her during sex without consent. It’s not the first time. When she half-heartedly confronts him, their conversation devolves into a dance of manipulation: Gloria tries not to make him feel guilty, and Florian brushes off the assault as something benign.

Gloria’s experience is indicative of a broader noncommittal, dispiriting, and humiliating...