Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.06 AVERAGE
3.06 AVERAGE
I read this for a special topics class during my undergrad, and it was, well, a bit indescribable. It's confusing, funny, incredibly clever, and read fairly quickly. After awhile, though, the last section of the book just turned into nonsense. Maybe that was the point? I haven't really figured out what to do with it, but I still remember it two years later and don't dislike it, but I'm don't particularly like it, either. It's not really a like it sort of book, more of an appreciate the skill and cleverness in the text and its occasional satirical moments that are carried off very well. Don't read it if you don't want something to mess with your head. That much I can tell you.
This book was a struggle for me, both to read and to put down. The story of a Siamese twin, Nora, who may or may not be pursuing the decapitation of her sister, Blanche. Noir/Blanc--get it? The whole book is self-consciously clever like that, but so different in its plotting and structure that all is forgiven.
Okay, so this won the Tiptree award, which is usually a good indicator of something interesting.
And it is an interesting idea: that there are a lot more conjoined twins in the world (because of radioactivity or something), so they've become a vocal minority like gay people.
Except that this is pretty much the ONLY idea in the book, and sure it's fun to imagine all the many, many different aspects of gay culture that could apply to conjoined twins, but you can't write a symphony using just one note.
Also, she seems to be a victim of Look-At-Me-I'm-A-Writer! syndrome. For example:
"Once, I plunged my right hand wrist-deep in a red ant den. Blanche did not move or cry, though a sun boiled at the end of that arm. I was the one who yanked out the swollen pentapod, brushed off the myrmidons sleeving our forearm in fire."
Jeez, lady. Calm down.
And it is an interesting idea: that there are a lot more conjoined twins in the world (because of radioactivity or something), so they've become a vocal minority like gay people.
Except that this is pretty much the ONLY idea in the book, and sure it's fun to imagine all the many, many different aspects of gay culture that could apply to conjoined twins, but you can't write a symphony using just one note.
Also, she seems to be a victim of Look-At-Me-I'm-A-Writer! syndrome. For example:
"Once, I plunged my right hand wrist-deep in a red ant den. Blanche did not move or cry, though a sun boiled at the end of that arm. I was the one who yanked out the swollen pentapod, brushed off the myrmidons sleeving our forearm in fire."
Jeez, lady. Calm down.