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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
Wow. I know I joke about how amazing of a writer Roxane Gay is, but this collection of short stories is just the tip of the iceberg. Roxane has deep control and knowledge of her characters. She makes her characters people you wanna take care of and be best friends with. She also KNOWS how dangerous men can be. I need to give a special shot out to the first short story in this collection titled “I Will Follow You”. The concept that only one other person really knows you and it’s not a romantic relationship is something not explored a lot. That said it was beautiful and tragic and makes me think a little too much. Anyways thanks for scaring me in the best possible way Roxane!
Each of these stories will make you think/feel for a long time..
CW: this book contains explicit recounts of sexual violence and rape.
Roxane Gay is a talented author and I have no doubt that a lot of thought went into this book.
I've had a hard time reconciling my experience of reading this book. For the most part, I hated reading it. I hated the stories she wrote. I think it's hard not to. And I guess that's part of the value of this book, it tells the difficult stories that are so often kept quiet. And for that I appreciate Gay.
What I didn't appreciate was the way it seems this book was intended to shock - and it was a little over the top. Nowhere in reviews, the blurb, any marketing did I find ANY content warnings that prepared me as a reader for the explicit and graphic illustration of sexual violence that is prevalent throughout these stories.
This is an exhausting read. Take it in chunks. Don't expect any constructive lessons. Just let the unfortunate realities of being a woman sink in and build your empathy.
Roxane Gay is a talented author and I have no doubt that a lot of thought went into this book.
I've had a hard time reconciling my experience of reading this book. For the most part, I hated reading it. I hated the stories she wrote. I think it's hard not to. And I guess that's part of the value of this book, it tells the difficult stories that are so often kept quiet. And for that I appreciate Gay.
What I didn't appreciate was the way it seems this book was intended to shock - and it was a little over the top. Nowhere in reviews, the blurb, any marketing did I find ANY content warnings that prepared me as a reader for the explicit and graphic illustration of sexual violence that is prevalent throughout these stories.
This is an exhausting read. Take it in chunks. Don't expect any constructive lessons. Just let the unfortunate realities of being a woman sink in and build your empathy.
Roxane gay's writing (although topics are difficult, shocking, brutal and sometimes vulgar) is utterly addictive!
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment
I really, truly wanted to like this book. I have great admiration for her, I love her non-fiction- so I'm not really sure why this didn't move me much.
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
This is the first book that I've read from Roxanne Gay. There's definitely no question that she has a way with words, with painting images in one's mind and of crafting the perfect string of words together in a sentence. However, I find it difficult to rate her collection of short stories because there's some works here that I found more enjoyable than others. Furthermore, the stories collectively seemed a little uneven, as I struggled sometimes to see how one story should follow the other. My rating therefore reflects more of my enjoyment of the story rather than her ability to craft stories.
Difficult Women packs a punch in terms of emotional weight, as there are a lot of stories here about how terribly women can be treated by others: by those that claim to love, those that claim to hate and those that are simply indifferent. Cheating and violence against women (both in terms of emotional and physical) were also a huge part of the book and I found it pretty disturbing after a while. Also, I found some of the stories to be unrelentingly violent and really upsetting, such as La Negra Blanca which tells the story of a half-black, half-white college student who has turned to stripping to pay for her college. The ending of the story was absolutely awful and I feel like there was totally no justice at the end of it, as it seems like the violence and racism that was demonstrated in the story would simply continue to perpetuate itself. There were stories that were more hopeful, that I enjoyed more such as I Will Follow You, which follows two sisters who share a close bond and how one of them has since married, changing their dynamic and yet, preserving their bond. I Will Follow You was great because it one of the rare instances in the book that showed women supporting other women. I wished that there were more stories like the latter in this collection, but I understand that this is an authorial decision that Roxanne Gay has made - this makes the book more difficult to read, but maybe this is the kind of story that we need in these times.
Difficult Women packs a punch in terms of emotional weight, as there are a lot of stories here about how terribly women can be treated by others: by those that claim to love, those that claim to hate and those that are simply indifferent. Cheating and violence against women (both in terms of emotional and physical) were also a huge part of the book and I found it pretty disturbing after a while. Also, I found some of the stories to be unrelentingly violent and really upsetting, such as La Negra Blanca which tells the story of a half-black, half-white college student who has turned to stripping to pay for her college. The ending of the story was absolutely awful and I feel like there was totally no justice at the end of it, as it seems like the violence and racism that was demonstrated in the story would simply continue to perpetuate itself. There were stories that were more hopeful, that I enjoyed more such as I Will Follow You, which follows two sisters who share a close bond and how one of them has since married, changing their dynamic and yet, preserving their bond. I Will Follow You was great because it one of the rare instances in the book that showed women supporting other women. I wished that there were more stories like the latter in this collection, but I understand that this is an authorial decision that Roxanne Gay has made - this makes the book more difficult to read, but maybe this is the kind of story that we need in these times.
I love this book so much + read it too fast. Want to read it again in the future. Each story manages to heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time. Roxane Gay at her finest.