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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
Good Reclaiming Witch that I am, I wanted to l-o-v-e this book. But it has issues.
*It honors and accepts every credal system except atheism, which is portrayed as antiquated and unenlightened.
*It denigrates monofidelity and monosexuality (homo as well as hetero). EDIT 10/21/16: I want to clarify that I applaud Starhawk's elevation of bi- and pansexuality and polyamory. However, there was no need to do it while making monofidelity and monosexuality seem less sophisticated, spiritual, enlightened, and, it sometimes seemed, less moral than the others
*Secondary and tertiary characters often seem less people than tickmarks on Starhawk's gender/class/ethnicity/sexuality matrix.
*Ultimately, it embraces the either/or, us/them duality it claims to reject.
*Though the main characters are supposed to be spiritual leaders, they have very childish relationships with their religions and deities--striking bargains, complaining about how hard everything is.
*Until the last pages, there's a strange "there's Califorinia, and there's Europe, and what rest of the world?" cultural blindness going on.
In the end, what I found more disappointing than any of this was the klunky heavy-handedness of the prose. I've long admired the poetic lyricism of Starhawk's nonfiction, and I expected The Fifth Sacred Thing to have even more of that. Instead it has stilted dialogue, page after page of monologuing infodumps and as-you-know-Bobs, and descriptive passages dense to the point of impenetrability.
I more or less agree with most of the sociopolitical commentary Starhawk makes in this book. I just regret that her vehicle for making that commentary is such a clumsy one.
*It honors and accepts every credal system except atheism, which is portrayed as antiquated and unenlightened.
*It denigrates monofidelity and monosexuality (homo as well as hetero). EDIT 10/21/16: I want to clarify that I applaud Starhawk's elevation of bi- and pansexuality and polyamory. However, there was no need to do it while making monofidelity and monosexuality seem less sophisticated, spiritual, enlightened, and, it sometimes seemed, less moral than the others
*Secondary and tertiary characters often seem less people than tickmarks on Starhawk's gender/class/ethnicity/sexuality matrix.
*Ultimately, it embraces the either/or, us/them duality it claims to reject.
*Though the main characters are supposed to be spiritual leaders, they have very childish relationships with their religions and deities--striking bargains, complaining about how hard everything is.
*Until the last pages, there's a strange "there's Califorinia, and there's Europe, and what rest of the world?" cultural blindness going on.
In the end, what I found more disappointing than any of this was the klunky heavy-handedness of the prose. I've long admired the poetic lyricism of Starhawk's nonfiction, and I expected The Fifth Sacred Thing to have even more of that. Instead it has stilted dialogue, page after page of monologuing infodumps and as-you-know-Bobs, and descriptive passages dense to the point of impenetrability.
I more or less agree with most of the sociopolitical commentary Starhawk makes in this book. I just regret that her vehicle for making that commentary is such a clumsy one.
I've read this several times, but I picked it up again this week when I was at home not feeling well and didn't feel up to starting something new.
Update: I love this book. Every time I read it I get a bit teary-eyed. Have some minor quibbles, but whatever. Great book.
Update: I love this book. Every time I read it I get a bit teary-eyed. Have some minor quibbles, but whatever. Great book.
Epic and intense! I loved all the details about how they were helping the environment recover little by little (and I could definitely read entire books just about that). The characters were interesting and compelling, and the conflicts felt very real. I definitely felt the need for something fluffy and happy afterwards.
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
An ecological feminist philosophical dystopian, what more can be said?
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Torture, War
Moderate: Addiction, Gun violence
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death
I originally reviewed this book on Everything2.com waaaaaay back in March 2002, I'm guessing not long after I finished this book. My attempt to copy and paste that review here turned out a mess, probably because my puny mobile device was no match for its might—I mean, extreme lengthiness. Anyway. Some other time maybe.
Wanted to love this book, since I love a good dystopia and I wholeheartedly agree with many of the author's ideas on subjects like cooperative societies, respect for a diversity of religion and culture, sustainable use of resources, and so on. Conversation around what kind of new world could be possible lights a fire in me!
Unfortunately, I found Starhawk's translation of her ideals into fiction rather heavy handed and, after a while, even a little irksome. The frequent talk about molding chi and the pithy banter with dead loved ones and all that got pretty tiresome for me. Overall, I'm ambivalent.
Unfortunately, I found Starhawk's translation of her ideals into fiction rather heavy handed and, after a while, even a little irksome. The frequent talk about molding chi and the pithy banter with dead loved ones and all that got pretty tiresome for me. Overall, I'm ambivalent.
The utopia (very pagan/wiccan)is threatened by an almost foreseeable dystopia in which human values are gone and corporations are the new dictatorship. Freaked me out, as each year more and more aspects of the dystopia seem possible.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Epic, indeed. Wow. Reading this book was a journey of itself. I admire the way Starhawk weaves messages of hope and magickal lessons into narrative.