You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
The quality of writing in this book is very high, let's start with that. I often found myself re-reading paragraphs just to be able to fully grasp the intended message/image, with that image being deliciously complex and evocative. However I have a few issues with this book, starting with Ry & the way his character is handled.
Ry is a trans man, yet is treated and presented as a type of transhuman intermediate that cannot be rationalized. He calls himself both a woman and man simultaneously, which is valid within itself but I don't think that self-categorization is compatible with being a trans man. He could be gender-fluid or non-binary, but Ry maintaining that he is a trans man whilst making these 'I am doubleness' statements read oddly to me. There is also the excessive fixation with Ry's clitoris, which is supposed to prove just how unrationalizable and atypical he is.
This brings me to my next, and most notable ick with this book: Victor and Ry. I understand that despite being advertised as a love story in the title, the romance was not intended to be conventional in the slightest. However Victor and Ry's relationship is, frankly, gross and upsetting. Their dynamic involves Victor fetishizing his partner and invalidating them constantly under the guise of infatuation. He even admits the reason he loves Ry so is because he cannot understand him and his 'doubleness'; who loves somebody solely based on their gender orientation? If I asked my partner why they loved me and they told me it's because of my gender identity, I'd run for the hills. Yet Ry, for some reason, opposes this odd objectification to a minimal extent. He brings it up once, and then their dynamic resumes seamlessly. Ry's characterization in general reads very spottily as well, with very little notable personality traits or likes/dislikes. Seeing as he's the main character (?), it's not really a great sign.
Something I did enjoy were the historical fiction chapters. I found myself hoping the next page was the beginning of Mary Shelley's point of view just to get the present over with. The references to real-life authors and poets were a treat to read and to research; I learned about a plethora of 19th century writers and the connections between them. The tragedy of Mary Shelly's and Shelly's relationship was my favorite part of the book, especially the progression from enamored couple to barely even married. The mental repercussions of several miscarriages on Mary is portrayed skillfully as well, the descriptions of the babies themselves haunting and expressive.
All in all, this book had all the components to be perfection but was mishandled terribly and honestly, was just blatantly transphobic.
Ry is a trans man, yet is treated and presented as a type of transhuman intermediate that cannot be rationalized. He calls himself both a woman and man simultaneously, which is valid within itself but I don't think that self-categorization is compatible with being a trans man. He could be gender-fluid or non-binary, but Ry maintaining that he is a trans man whilst making these 'I am doubleness' statements read oddly to me. There is also the excessive fixation with Ry's clitoris, which is supposed to prove just how unrationalizable and atypical he is.
This brings me to my next, and most notable ick with this book: Victor and Ry. I understand that despite being advertised as a love story in the title, the romance was not intended to be conventional in the slightest. However Victor and Ry's relationship is, frankly, gross and upsetting. Their dynamic involves Victor fetishizing his partner and invalidating them constantly under the guise of infatuation. He even admits the reason he loves Ry so is because he cannot understand him and his 'doubleness'; who loves somebody solely based on their gender orientation? If I asked my partner why they loved me and they told me it's because of my gender identity, I'd run for the hills. Yet Ry, for some reason, opposes this odd objectification to a minimal extent. He brings it up once, and then their dynamic resumes seamlessly. Ry's characterization in general reads very spottily as well, with very little notable personality traits or likes/dislikes. Seeing as he's the main character (?), it's not really a great sign.
Something I did enjoy were the historical fiction chapters. I found myself hoping the next page was the beginning of Mary Shelley's point of view just to get the present over with. The references to real-life authors and poets were a treat to read and to research; I learned about a plethora of 19th century writers and the connections between them. The tragedy of Mary Shelly's and Shelly's relationship was my favorite part of the book, especially the progression from enamored couple to barely even married. The mental repercussions of several miscarriages on Mary is portrayed skillfully as well, the descriptions of the babies themselves haunting and expressive.
All in all, this book had all the components to be perfection but was mishandled terribly and honestly, was just blatantly transphobic.
I think this is the first time I have given stars to a book rather than a story. The book exists in its own right containing much more than just a story.
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
jeanette winterston 4ever. identified all the themes that make frankenstein so beloved today and made me gaf SO HARD. lots of on the nose ruminations about ai, absurd and beautiful, improved on a classic in the most creative and fun way ever. so worth suffering through frankenstein because it is just SO GOOD. had to text F in the middle of it because i liked it so much, and can't stop recommending to everyone in the world
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Transphobia
TW for sexual assault and constant transphobia throughout the book
I was deeply in love with this at first, and I do think the Mary Shelley and Frankenstein parts are fantastic, and would be great on their own.
However the modern part is so intensely transphobic and offensive I cannot believe the accolades this is getting. From an absolutely random sexual assault that in no way furthers or even affects the rest of the narrative to the absolute obsession literally every other character has with Ry's genitals, the dead-naming, the gross disrespect by his own "feminist" partner (this whole thing is real TERFy, tbh), this is horrifying. I wanted to love Ry, who is gentle and interesting and fiercely intelligent, a perfect modern allegory for Mary Shelley as she's presented here (or reincarnation, or amalgamation of Mary and Shelley, or whatever he was supposed to be - same with others of the modern crew who are obviously supposed to be Claire, Byron, and Polidori right down to the names). Ry would have been an excellent character if written by an author who didn't seem to (wilfully?) misunderstand everything about his very existence. Very disappointing and upsetting.
I was deeply in love with this at first, and I do think the Mary Shelley and Frankenstein parts are fantastic, and would be great on their own.
However the modern part is so intensely transphobic and offensive I cannot believe the accolades this is getting. From an absolutely random sexual assault that in no way furthers or even affects the rest of the narrative to the absolute obsession literally every other character has with Ry's genitals, the dead-naming, the gross disrespect by his own "feminist" partner (this whole thing is real TERFy, tbh), this is horrifying. I wanted to love Ry, who is gentle and interesting and fiercely intelligent, a perfect modern allegory for Mary Shelley as she's presented here (or reincarnation, or amalgamation of Mary and Shelley, or whatever he was supposed to be - same with others of the modern crew who are obviously supposed to be Claire, Byron, and Polidori right down to the names). Ry would have been an excellent character if written by an author who didn't seem to (wilfully?) misunderstand everything about his very existence. Very disappointing and upsetting.
I can’t say how much I would have enjoyed this book if I hadn’t read Frankenstein, but as someone who has been teaching Frankenstein for a number of years and must have read it at least eight or nine times by now, I found Winterson’s alternate and updated version completely spellbinding. The overlapping story lines all present compelling contemplations of what it means to be human and to create other humans, to be a man or a woman, and what it means to live and to die. I appreciated the centering of a trans character and perspective and the way Winterson infused new life into historical figures like the Shelleys and Lord Byron. A quick and worthy read.
It took me a bit to get into this book, especially since the parts about writing Frankenstein were (suitably) creepy, but overall I enjoyed it an awful lot. There's so much going on that I'm sure it would benefit from a close reading and discussion.
I didn't realize until the end that I had read the author's memoir, and this was an excellent reminder to search out her other books.
I didn't realize until the end that I had read the author's memoir, and this was an excellent reminder to search out her other books.
*Received an ARC courtesy of Edelweiss Above the Treeline*
This reminded me so much of The Passion- lyrical, gorgeous prose, couldn't put it down.
The narrative switches back and forth between Mary Shelly, Lord Byron etc. in 1816 and Ry Shelly, a transgender doctor, Victor Stein, an A.I. expert and Ron Lord, a manufacturing of "sex bots" in the near future.
The contemporary portion of the story can be painfully realistic and satirical but surprisingly funny and clever in how the characters mirror their historical counterparts.
Trigger Warnings: rape, transphobia, death of a child
This reminded me so much of The Passion- lyrical, gorgeous prose, couldn't put it down.
The narrative switches back and forth between Mary Shelly, Lord Byron etc. in 1816 and Ry Shelly, a transgender doctor, Victor Stein, an A.I. expert and Ron Lord, a manufacturing of "sex bots" in the near future.
The contemporary portion of the story can be painfully realistic and satirical but surprisingly funny and clever in how the characters mirror their historical counterparts.
Trigger Warnings: rape, transphobia, death of a child