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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
Loved the energy and the characters in this book. The story revolves around 12 women, all related by blood, by place, and/or by circumstances. I loved how each story refers back onto the others, and the stories go back and forth across generations, and continents. Great read.
this book is like peeking into windows at night and glimpsing into different lives
certainly an imperfect book but beautiful and interesting and surprising
certainly an imperfect book but beautiful and interesting and surprising
Hilarious. Self aware. Fleshes out what it means to be an intersectional feminist and covers the embarrassment for us so we don’t make the mistakes IRL.
Lyrical & sweeping. Each character was fully formed and realistic, likeable and unlikeable in turn
emotional
inspiring
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i expected this to be overhyped but it was really good. would have loved a bit more deconstruction of the gender binary though
3.0
September book club (finished a little late). While I love the message behind this novel the format and writing style was not for me. It was, at times, very hard to follow or understand why I should spend time investing in characters. Often I felt like by the time I realized a character’s connection to the story and became attached the chapter, their chapter would end and the story would move on to someone else. While the plot twist was moving, it was difficult to understand how the all characters were connected without a family tree.
September book club (finished a little late). While I love the message behind this novel the format and writing style was not for me. It was, at times, very hard to follow or understand why I should spend time investing in characters. Often I felt like by the time I realized a character’s connection to the story and became attached the chapter, their chapter would end and the story would move on to someone else. While the plot twist was moving, it was difficult to understand how the all characters were connected without a family tree.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
really enjoyed it loved the web weaves of everyone just wish the ending was as good as the rest.
I absolutely loved this book. I enjoyed the start of this book, but then I was living in this book and was surrounded by this book. I just watched in interview of Bernardine Evaristo in a Guardian Live Event because of her new book, "Manifesto". "Girl, Woman, Other" was mentioned several times during the interview. I would say, of course. "Manifesto" is autobiographical, but there are autobiographical elements to "Girl, Woman, Other". Someone in the audience asked Evaristo which character in her books would she play and why, if book was a play. She said, "Amma". Again, I say, "of course".
What was fascinating to hear was how Evaristo's love of poetry and theater lead to her writing her books. The act of getting to know the characters in her many theater monologues is how she learned how to write her characters. I felt like that was an explain of how I just slid into her book and was with her characters.
I know I am rambling so go get a really nice review from Cecily at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2957054278. It includes a link to a review with spoilers, which you may only read after you have read the book!.
I am in awe of how the characters are woven into each others lives. First you hear the stories of three different women: Amma, Yazz, and Dominique. It is obvious they are connected. Then you move on to meet a fourth woman (Carole) who is not related to these three, but then you meet the fifth woman (Bummi), and the sixth woman (LaTisha), and there are contact points. These three are connected in different ways. Suddenly you see a pattern with the, in total, four groups of three women.
What emerges is how varied and different these women are and how much alike they are. Even more fascinating is how I can relate to them when I am different from all them, and yet have many touchpoints with all of them.
Evaristo is an activist who works hard to lift others as she journeys from one success to another. She does a lot of work to make invisible voices visible, meaning the Black community of women in Britain. Her writing is also doing that work of making invisible voices visible. I, for one, rejoice. I had a beautiful experience reading this book. I am not sure I have called reading a book "an experience" before. Maybe it is the theater part of Evaristo that simply brought everyone to life for me almost in front of my eyes. I could see this made into a movie, but I would want all aspects included and that would make an awfully long movie! I would support a female director of said movie, but all I could think of was Steve McQueen due to one character talking about Lovers Rock music. Lovers Rock is the name of one episode in the Small Axe mini-series by Steve McQueen, which was just amazing. Thinking of that show enhanced the visuals in my mind for that character.
Historical elements are mentioned throughout the book as a way of marking time: now we are in the 60s, 70s, or early 1900s. This adds perspective to the attitudes you encounter as you meet all these women.
I think this book definitely deserved a literary prize, but why did it have to be shared. I have not read the Atwood novel that was given half of this Booker prize. Was the committee afraid to give a whole prize to one woman who was black? I was rather shocked, but sadly not surprised, that 2019 was the first year that the prize was awarded to a Black woman.
From the interview I saw tonight, I learned there is nice back catalogue of Evaristo books I can explore. Like I need more books on my to-be-read list! Still, several of her other books do sound quite intriguing...
What was fascinating to hear was how Evaristo's love of poetry and theater lead to her writing her books. The act of getting to know the characters in her many theater monologues is how she learned how to write her characters. I felt like that was an explain of how I just slid into her book and was with her characters.
I know I am rambling so go get a really nice review from Cecily at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2957054278. It includes a link to a review with spoilers, which you may only read after you have read the book!.
I am in awe of how the characters are woven into each others lives. First you hear the stories of three different women: Amma, Yazz, and Dominique. It is obvious they are connected. Then you move on to meet a fourth woman (Carole) who is not related to these three, but then you meet the fifth woman (Bummi), and the sixth woman (LaTisha), and there are contact points. These three are connected in different ways. Suddenly you see a pattern with the, in total, four groups of three women.
What emerges is how varied and different these women are and how much alike they are. Even more fascinating is how I can relate to them when I am different from all them, and yet have many touchpoints with all of them.
Evaristo is an activist who works hard to lift others as she journeys from one success to another. She does a lot of work to make invisible voices visible, meaning the Black community of women in Britain. Her writing is also doing that work of making invisible voices visible. I, for one, rejoice. I had a beautiful experience reading this book. I am not sure I have called reading a book "an experience" before. Maybe it is the theater part of Evaristo that simply brought everyone to life for me almost in front of my eyes. I could see this made into a movie, but I would want all aspects included and that would make an awfully long movie! I would support a female director of said movie, but all I could think of was Steve McQueen due to one character talking about Lovers Rock music. Lovers Rock is the name of one episode in the Small Axe mini-series by Steve McQueen, which was just amazing. Thinking of that show enhanced the visuals in my mind for that character.
Historical elements are mentioned throughout the book as a way of marking time: now we are in the 60s, 70s, or early 1900s. This adds perspective to the attitudes you encounter as you meet all these women.
I think this book definitely deserved a literary prize, but why did it have to be shared. I have not read the Atwood novel that was given half of this Booker prize. Was the committee afraid to give a whole prize to one woman who was black? I was rather shocked, but sadly not surprised, that 2019 was the first year that the prize was awarded to a Black woman.
From the interview I saw tonight, I learned there is nice back catalogue of Evaristo books I can explore. Like I need more books on my to-be-read list! Still, several of her other books do sound quite intriguing...
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
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:
Complicated