Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - Stone Butch Blues

didn’t like this as much as I thought I would but I do still like it quite a bit. I wasn’t a big fan of the writing style and I found that the timeline tended to jump forward months or years without warning. It is very clearly a labour of love however, and it is a very interesting and important read. If you are interested in queer history and like historical fiction you would probably like it. It does have a lot of heavy content but I didn’t find it to be gratuitous, it was real and unfortunately necessary to tell an accurate story, (though of course you should check warnings if needed).

Content Warnings

breaklikeafish's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

2.75

Leslie Feinberg's Stone Butch Blues, as she describes it, is not a masterpiece of "high" art but a call to action, much like a working-class organizer's leaflet. While the book succeeds in being an inspiring and nuanced exploration of gender identity and expression, coupled with an interesting historical perspective, I can't help but acknowledge its flaws that made the journey a bit of a struggle.

Following the life of gender-nonconforming butch lesbian Jess Goldberg, Stone Butch Blues presents a journey of self-discovery through numerous hardships and relationships. One commendable aspect is witnessing Jess grow over the years, but the narrative often suffers from disjointed scenes and sudden shifts in the supporting cast, making it challenging to track time and characters. This hindered my ability to connect with anyone beyond Jess, impacting the emotional depth of her relationships. The book eventually rectifies this issue in the latter half, reintroducing old characters and enhancing the overall reading experience.

A significant drawback lies in the overwhelming adversity faced by Jess at the beginning. While I understand the intention to portray the harsh realities of some individuals, it proved to be a bit much, almost causing me to disengage from the narrative. The early intensity seemed to desensitize me, making subsequent hardships less impactful than they might have been with a more gradual build-up.

Completing Stone Butch Blues left me with mixed feelings. I am grateful for the educational journey it provided, shedding light on the everyday struggles of trans, lesbian, and gender-nonconforming individuals in the 1940s–1970s USA. The insights into working-class life were valuable, contributing to my understanding of a topic I was largely unfamiliar with. However, the initial challenges in the narrative structure and the overwhelming hardships faced by the protagonist detracted from the overall impact. While I can appreciate its educational value, I can't wholeheartedly say that I'm glad I read it, as the experience was more of a mixed bag than a resounding success.

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beepmbop's review against another edition

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challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

i cannot say enough about this book. i felt seen in a way i haven’t since i read Jane Eyre for the first time. Like i was reading my own history. I have spent so much of my time being queer feeling out of touch and disconnected from the community, but this felt like coming home - warts and all. I found myself wishing Leslie Feinberg will still alive so i could thank her, over and over and over.

the ending is especially gut wrenching if you read the 2004 edition. I finished this in the first few days of 2024 and thinking about the change that has taken place in the 20 years since her death- it really is astounding.

dark at points and deeply upsetting, but vital to understanding the history of afab gender non conforming people in the US as well as our vital place in the labor rights movement

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