Reviews with content warning for Lesbophobia - Rubyfruit Jungle

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would!

No spoilers here, but it's more than just a coming-of-age story. I loved so many of the characters, but I hurt with them too. I laughed with them and I almost cried.

Highly recommend for all those who are curious and for all my southern allies/country-folk allies, LGBTQIA+, or otherwise.

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hubes's review

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fast-paced

4.0

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citrine's review against another edition

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This book is...fine. I guess. I read it and discussed it for class, and there were some parts that I felt were funny and compelling, but I found it overall just droll and off-kilter. Style is always a matter of taste, bur I really didnt mesh with the narrative style of the book as a whole. My professor (Lesbian Literatures at W&M) said something along the lines of this book being "confused" and I think that hits on it well. RMB is frustratingly inconsistent - decrying societal norms in one breath ( there is are constant references to a "do what you want" kind of attitude), and undermining that ethos in the next. I think there is a decent honesty in the book, and a narrator to whose emotions we have less access than common. Im not an expert in the demographics of NYC queer street life in the period, but the absence of even a passing mention of trans people felt odd to me - the protagonist of the story lives on the streets of the city at one point (an experience RMB had herself) and it strikes me as odd that she wouldnt have encountered any trans swers or anything strikes me as odd. Almost an erasure - but I will need to do more research to say for sure. Lastly, the main character commits what can only be described as sexual assault twice in this book. While the sexual politics and dynamics of conset (especially queer consent, with the often repressed desires of individuals intermingling with contradictory ways of showing interes) have changed a lot, it just feels weird!

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kerrence30's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted reflective fast-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

4.0

Bold and honest account of the life of a woman’s journey from childhood as she discovers her sexuality and how others react to her revelation in 20th century USA. Interesting to feel so immersed in the life of the main character, and understand her thoughts and feelings, feel her losses and betrayals. Not always the most likeable main characters, which I enjoyed. A truly honest account.

I can understand why this was perceived as shocking at the time of first publishing, not because of the theme of lesbianism, but the tone and word choice is often harsh, blunt and direct. There are some explicit scenes which are not written akin to a modern day romance novel. The main character is rightly unapologetic in how she lives her life, with a hint of aiming to intentionally shock.

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