Reviews

Wspomnienia bitniczki by Diane di Prima

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casspro's review against another edition

4.0

I was floored when I first read di Prima's words. She seemed so beautiful in her simplicity and yet very complicated at the same time. I read this on the beach and felt very sophisticated for my choice of vacation reads. One day I'll pick this up again and I'm sure I'll find new things to be moved by.

starxili's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

heidi_downing's review against another edition

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reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

di Prima's memoir is a thrilling insight into the bohemian lifestyles of 20th century New York. She writes beautifully with poetic flare to describe the rollercoaster of emotions and adventures tucked into the book and consequentially her lifetime. One of the most delicately evocative sections of prose in this book is the way she describes the variations of kissing in the first chapter, even generously leaving blank space for readers to expand their own ideas and fill in any gaps. The memoir is heavily erotic in theme and tone, with over 60% of the content describing scenes in incredibly graphic detail. It is an interesting plea to sexuality and highlights using sexual freedom as a gateway for gender empowerment and self-fulfilment. The memoir does not capture her entire life, it ends with her getting pregnant with her first child. This begs a really interesting question for readers and admirers of di Prima's work - does she lose her identity as a 'beatnik' when she gains the identity of motherhood?

Content Warnings

hannairene3's review against another edition

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3.0

I don't know, maybe it's just my love for di Prima shining through, but I liked it. di Prima discusses in the afterward included many years later that her editor would not stop encouraging more and more sex. It seemed that no matter what she submitted, it was not what her audience was asking for. Of course, you can read this one of two ways: either Diane di Prima was a product of second-wave feminism, encouraged to write a book which is 90% detailed descriptions of sexual acts to prove that yes Allen Ginsberg, women can be dirty too, OR this is a perfect example of society continuing to use women as a vessel for their fantasies. Similar to the way women today struggle to reclaim their sexuality while unfortunately continuing to fall victim to the male gaze, di Prima was an artist, and her art was viewed as pornography for the masses.
Now, is this far too graphic for my normal taste in literature? Oh, definitely. But do I see the literary merit in analyzing the difference between each sexual interaction in order to discern the implied importance of consent? You wouldn't believe the number of post-it notes I used on this book if I told you.
This certainly isn't everyone's cup of tea, and I wouldn't recommend you read it on your lunch break, but if you care to learn about sexual freedom in the beat generation or feminism in the late 1960s, you might actually learn a thing or two about your grandmother and her priorities.

clrfrw's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

mybrilliantbasset's review against another edition

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2.0

a book about beatnik life from a “feminist perspective” that’s unintentionally and utterly #tradlife. i was so stoked to read 1950s sex scenes, descriptions of jazz cats, and the like, and am a very patient reader, but this was uniquely written to annoy me?

this has none of the detail or actual world-building of, say, minor characters, and none of the titillation of, like, any book with far less graphic sex scenes. it’s a woman with pretty traditional values getting fucked and cooking for men, but because it’s set in new york and she eats canned food and journals she’s a beat. booooo!