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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
5/5 - Wow.
Mädchen, Frau etc. erzählt die Geschichten von zwölf schwarzen Frauen und non-binären Personen in Großbritannien, deren Geschichten auf verschiedenste Weisen miteinander verwoben sind. In jedem Kapitel wird aus der Sicht einer dieser Frauen deren Lebensgeschichte erzählt. Dabei werden so viele wichtige Themen behandelt: Rassismus, Queerness, Gewalt, soziale Unterschiede, verschiedene Lebensentwürfe - um nur ein paar zu nennen.
Jeder Charakter und jede Geschichte unterschied sich deutlich von dem bzw. der anderen, was trotz der vielen Namen und Charaktere sehr beim Lesen half. Manche Charaktere waren mir sympathischer als die anderen, aber trotzdem war ich bei allen gleich gespannt darauf, deren Lebensumstände und Lebensgeschichten zu hören. Außerdem fand ich es richtig toll, wie sich ein roter Faden, der die Charaktere miteinander verband, durch das ganze Buch zog, ohne dass es sich konstruiert anfühlte.
Der Schreibstil ist außerdem ziemlich unkonventionell. Evaristo schreibt beinahe in Gedichtform (ohne Reimschema, keine Angst) - ohne Anführungszeichen und Punkte. Dadurch fühlte es sich nochmal mehr so an, als würden die einzelnen Charaktere ihre Geschichte einem persönlich erzählen. Ich habe das Buch auf Deutsch gelesen, hätte es aber aufgrund der Sprache und Erzählform gerne auch im englischen Original gelesen.
Mädchen, Frau etc. erzählt die Geschichten von zwölf schwarzen Frauen und non-binären Personen in Großbritannien, deren Geschichten auf verschiedenste Weisen miteinander verwoben sind. In jedem Kapitel wird aus der Sicht einer dieser Frauen deren Lebensgeschichte erzählt. Dabei werden so viele wichtige Themen behandelt: Rassismus, Queerness, Gewalt, soziale Unterschiede, verschiedene Lebensentwürfe - um nur ein paar zu nennen.
Jeder Charakter und jede Geschichte unterschied sich deutlich von dem bzw. der anderen, was trotz der vielen Namen und Charaktere sehr beim Lesen half. Manche Charaktere waren mir sympathischer als die anderen, aber trotzdem war ich bei allen gleich gespannt darauf, deren Lebensumstände und Lebensgeschichten zu hören. Außerdem fand ich es richtig toll, wie sich ein roter Faden, der die Charaktere miteinander verband, durch das ganze Buch zog, ohne dass es sich konstruiert anfühlte.
Der Schreibstil ist außerdem ziemlich unkonventionell. Evaristo schreibt beinahe in Gedichtform (ohne Reimschema, keine Angst) - ohne Anführungszeichen und Punkte. Dadurch fühlte es sich nochmal mehr so an, als würden die einzelnen Charaktere ihre Geschichte einem persönlich erzählen. Ich habe das Buch auf Deutsch gelesen, hätte es aber aufgrund der Sprache und Erzählform gerne auch im englischen Original gelesen.
I didn’t love the first third of this book. It had some terrible sexual violence, and seemed to be skewed toward portraying the negative and abusive aspects of the “girl, woman, other” experience. But as the book developed, with the unfolding of the interlocking narratives, a beautiful intricacy was revealed. The distinct, yet connected, chapters reminded me of Olive Kittridge, and the masterful storytelling won me over by the end.
The book's title is in fact "Girl, Woman, Other" - I'm still surprised that publishers don't enter their books into Goodreads, which must be the gold standard in book recommendation.
Anyway, a good book giving the reader (me, at least) a glimpse into a world I don't know much about - the world of women of colour. We meet an array of very different women at different times in their lives - and sometimes they meet. There's no story as such, but that isn't necessary, because we're gently led into these women's lives and the conditions they live or have lived under. It is not always pretty, it most certainly has not always been pretty. Evaristo writes fluently and shifts seamlessly between the language of a working class girl and a university professor and sometimes she's quite witty. She doesn't spare her characters when they behave stupidly.
Anyway, a good book giving the reader (me, at least) a glimpse into a world I don't know much about - the world of women of colour. We meet an array of very different women at different times in their lives - and sometimes they meet. There's no story as such, but that isn't necessary, because we're gently led into these women's lives and the conditions they live or have lived under. It is not always pretty, it most certainly has not always been pretty. Evaristo writes fluently and shifts seamlessly between the language of a working class girl and a university professor and sometimes she's quite witty. She doesn't spare her characters when they behave stupidly.
emotional
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved the way each character's voice sounds different, so the narrator is given life through the text. I also appreciated the diversity of the experiences - from modern career-driven women to a girl growing up in the 1900s.
However, being closest to Yazz's experiences, I did find her characterization more of a caricature of a Gen Z woman. She was presented as shallow and flighty, when she could have easily been treated as teenager exploring and discovering herself and her culture.
As I don't share backgrounds or experiences with the many other characters in this book, it makes me second-guess whether their stories are presented in a dramatic, exaggerated way as well.
However, being closest to Yazz's experiences, I did find her characterization more of a caricature of a Gen Z woman. She was presented as shallow and flighty, when she could have easily been treated as teenager exploring and discovering herself and her culture.
As I don't share backgrounds or experiences with the many other characters in this book, it makes me second-guess whether their stories are presented in a dramatic, exaggerated way as well.
emotional
medium-paced
An incredible mosaic of stories and perspectives of Black and African experiences in England. I loved the way the stories flowed into each other, side characters becoming the main focus; a readers perspective of folks changing from chapter to chapter. I felt a bit fatigued at point— some of the POVs a bit too long and the after-party chapter was less than satisfying.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated