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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
'The evolution of Calpurnia Tate' for new age lesbians.
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed this. Molly is not a particularly nice person but her perspective is so interesting. Reading about the way Molly thought about the homophobic/sexist/racist commentary of most other people she knew was so fascinating. Whilst this book is fairly dated, I think it is a very worthy read as it is so indicitive of the time it was written in.
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
definitely of its time. wanted to enjoy it more but it was made difficult by the sexual assault themes that the author treats as an inherent part of the lesbian experience. representative of the white lesbian experience of the 1950s-60s with multiple lesbians of color that serve only to develop the main character. the ending redeemed some of the flaws of this book for me.
At first this book seemed so comedic I couldn’t take it seriously, only to turn out being one of few books to ever make me cry. I wish the ending was different, but I’m okay with it.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don't know how this book ended up on my to-read shelf, but I don't regret reading it in the slightest.
Though I know many of those who identify as LGBTQ, I find it helpful to learn about struggles that come along with it (along with every other demographic to which I do not identify). I want to be aware because that is how you develop progressive thought and become, you know, a better person. Instead, we align being a decent human being with a political party and KABOOM - there's a line in the sand and half the country is glaring at you from the other side. It's 2018. Let's be more than we are.
I recently read [b:Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind|23692271|Sapiens A Brief History of Humankind|Yuval Noah Harari|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1420585954s/23692271.jpg|18962767], and it pointed out something that I found amusing, only because it throws a wrecking ball into close-minded belief systems: A certain holy book, which was written by a man, deemed homosexuality "unnatural." But if it's physically and psychologically possible to be homosexual and act upon those impulses, it is, by definition, natural. Just like heterosexuality.
My favorite saying from Sapiens: "Biology enables. Culture forbids." This is how we became less than the sum of our parts.
But in the confines of Rubyfruit Jungle, which is a great title, the story strayed from its path at times focusing on Molly's struggle to make something of herself while playing pranks on people and burning bridges whenever possible. I'm sure when the book was first published, this was groundbreaking stuff.
Though I know many of those who identify as LGBTQ, I find it helpful to learn about struggles that come along with it (along with every other demographic to which I do not identify). I want to be aware because that is how you develop progressive thought and become, you know, a better person. Instead, we align being a decent human being with a political party and KABOOM - there's a line in the sand and half the country is glaring at you from the other side. It's 2018. Let's be more than we are.
I recently read [b:Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind|23692271|Sapiens A Brief History of Humankind|Yuval Noah Harari|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1420585954s/23692271.jpg|18962767], and it pointed out something that I found amusing, only because it throws a wrecking ball into close-minded belief systems: A certain holy book, which was written by a man, deemed homosexuality "unnatural." But if it's physically and psychologically possible to be homosexual and act upon those impulses, it is, by definition, natural. Just like heterosexuality.
My favorite saying from Sapiens: "Biology enables. Culture forbids." This is how we became less than the sum of our parts.
But in the confines of Rubyfruit Jungle, which is a great title, the story strayed from its path at times focusing on Molly's struggle to make something of herself while playing pranks on people and burning bridges whenever possible. I'm sure when the book was first published, this was groundbreaking stuff.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
An important compendium of cliches from lesbian pulp throughout the mid-20th C. The novel makes for a quick introduction to lesbian fiction. Importantly, however, WHITE lesbian fiction. It's filled with apologetic, understanding black folks, whose challenges are overshadowed by the class struggles of the protagonist. This isn't to say class struggles aren't important -- after all, the earliest lesbian fiction ignores class entirely. So this novel is a step in the right direction, but I'm still looking for my lesbian bible.