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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
Another book in the current micro-trend of (often queer) literary-history books, or books that combine real historical record and people with literary fiction writing. “A hybrid of imaginaries and intimate non-fictions, of speculative biographies and ‘suggestions for short pieces’” as the author describes it. Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments and The Age of Phillis fall into this category too, and maybe even My Government Means to Kill Me (as well as Lesbian Love Story, although it does it much less successfully).
This one I think is pretty successful, and name-drops a lot of both influential and lesser known historic queer femme figures.
The first thing we did was change our names. We were going to be Sappho. Who was Sappho? No one knew, but she had an island. She was garlanded with girls. She could sit down to dine and look straight at the woman she loved, however unhappily. When she sang, everyone said, it was like evening on a riverbank, sinking down into the moss with the sky pouring over you. All of her poems were songs.
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Lesbophobia
I think this would be perfect for a literature course and could see myself reading it in my past M.A. program. It’s a collection of the lives of women in the late 1800s - mid 1900s and though some of the stories are created, it is based on real women and real events. It’s beautifully connected, overlapping and woven, and gave me more books to read and women to research. The vignettes are interesting and break genre like many of the women in the piece, but I didn’t absolutely love it.
challenging
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
NYT Notable Books 2023: 41/100
While I'm not a huge fan of books that blur the line between reality and fiction, this book had some interesting parts, especially those based in reality. I appreciated how Schwartz used Sappho to tie all the vignettes together, but at times they felt kind of muddled. There were a lot of people to follow and sometimes I found myself having to flip back to figure out who someone was if they hadn't been mentioned in a while. Schwartz is a strong writer and I'm interested in reading more form her.
While I'm not a huge fan of books that blur the line between reality and fiction, this book had some interesting parts, especially those based in reality. I appreciated how Schwartz used Sappho to tie all the vignettes together, but at times they felt kind of muddled. There were a lot of people to follow and sometimes I found myself having to flip back to figure out who someone was if they hadn't been mentioned in a while. Schwartz is a strong writer and I'm interested in reading more form her.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia
I love the idea and the premis but found the writing poorly organised and the stream of consciousness / jumping around just doesn't land in this novel, its to sporadic and frequent to effectively work.
Thanks to Netgalley and W.W Norton and Company for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
In all honesty, I think I would have preferred this book if it was a short story. Like I adore the conceit of it, the speculative non-fiction about lesbians in the early 1900s and what that meant for their lives. I adored how meticulously researched it was! And I found the intertwined viniette structure, while something of a gimmick, to be one that fit the purpose of the work.
And yet, despite all these positive qualities, the book felt like such an absolute slog to get through. I think the viniette structure would have worked better in a shorter piece, but also I understand the need for it to be longer.
Really, I just wish this had managed to hold my interest and attention more, because while it is so deeply compelling on an intellectual and craft level, it felt like trying to tread mud to read through at certain point.
In all honesty, I think I would have preferred this book if it was a short story. Like I adore the conceit of it, the speculative non-fiction about lesbians in the early 1900s and what that meant for their lives. I adored how meticulously researched it was! And I found the intertwined viniette structure, while something of a gimmick, to be one that fit the purpose of the work.
And yet, despite all these positive qualities, the book felt like such an absolute slog to get through. I think the viniette structure would have worked better in a shorter piece, but also I understand the need for it to be longer.
Really, I just wish this had managed to hold my interest and attention more, because while it is so deeply compelling on an intellectual and craft level, it felt like trying to tread mud to read through at certain point.
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Really fantastic read for anyone even tangentially interested in feminist or LGBTQ history. It was deeply moving, and the prose was absolutely gorgeous (appropriate for a book that is woven from the lives of poets and their work). In the second half of the book so many characters were introduced that it got a little difficult to remember who was who without having to give it some thought or consult earlier chapters, but other than that it really was a phenomenal reading experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism
Moderate: Homophobia, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Xenophobia, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, War
Minor: Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Dysphoria
challenging
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I loved learning about the lives of different women. The book had great vibes but not much else. However, overall I liked the unusual structure/style.
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character