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gentle_garbage_baby's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Lou needs some help omg. The content sure is questionable but it’s really well written. Would I recommend it to a friend? Probably not. If they’re a weirdo? Maybe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Sexual content
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcohol, Abortion, and Blood
toffishay's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Lou is a woman looking to understand herself, to find direction and meaning in life. Her job on Cary's Island and her connection with the bear allows her to find a connection with herself, with the world around her, and her place in it. It's absolutely a controversial book and will not be for everyone. I don't even really know if it's for me! But I connected with Lou's journey for self-discovery and I found myself at the end feeling contented, like there is something in this book that I can come away with too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Blood, Misogyny, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Abortion, Excrement, Colonisation, Alcohol, Vomit, Infidelity, Classism, and Racism
simply_fran's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Sexual content
Moderate: Colonisation, Excrement, Alcohol, Racism, Sexual assault, and Infidelity
Minor: Pregnancy, Blood, Misogyny, and Abortion
onion's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Excrement, Sexual content, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Self harm and Sexual assault
Minor: Fatphobia, Alcohol, Blood, Body shaming, Misogyny, Death, and Suicidal thoughts
thebacklistborrower's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
2022 UPDATE: Universally misunderstood, Bear is a second wave feminist fable that is worthy of a deep, thoughtful read. My first review literally said “I think I’ll need to read this again to really get it” and since then, I feel like I could write a book on it, but this space will have to do (for now).
Bear is the story of Lou, a bibliographer in Toronto, who is sent to a Northern Ontario property bequeathed to “the Institute” for whom she works. There, completely alone, she catalogs the contents of the house, and develops a relationship with the previous owner’s pet bear. Initially innocent, the relationship develops into a sexual one before the end of summer.
This is why the book is usually stripped down to “a WOMAN has SEX with a BEAR!”. But context is important: even in Toronto, Lou is lonely, feeling very unwanted by men. Her only intimate contact is an unsatisfying routine with the Director of the Institute. And, without giving too much away, she experiences both pleasure and frustration with bear. But the crux of the story is away from human society Lou feels welcome to explore her sexuality and identity. Bear can’t judge if she asks for what she wants, even if she doesn’t get it. The walls can’t talk about what she gets up to. The only guilt she feels is from the blame and shame she applies to herself, and for once, she has the space and freedom to explore and deconstruct that guilt. Through the summer, she plays, lounges, reads, relaxes, explores, and literally identifies herself in a more and more positive light as time goes on -- physically, mentally, and sexually.
Bear is a fable: a book meant to reveal a journey and a lesson and not necessarily be taken literally. After finishing Bear, I read a part of The Heroine with 1001 Faces that talks about interactions between beasts and women in fairy tales (beauty and the beast, anyone?) -- it isn’t new. Just the context, and explicitness was, in 1976. Everybody should read this book for a beautiful story of self-exploration and self-love.
****************
2016: I needed to read the Afterword to really get this novel and its literary significance, but even without I enjoyed the novel. A bit bizarre, but there was a peaceful pace to the lead character's self-exploration, offset by her experiences with Bear. I probably need to read this novel again to really get it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Misogyny and Abortion
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