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2.98k reviews for:
Stone Butch Blues: 20th Anniversary Author Edition
Leslie Feinberg, Leslie Feinberg
4.67 AVERAGE
2.98k reviews for:
Stone Butch Blues: 20th Anniversary Author Edition
Leslie Feinberg, Leslie Feinberg
4.67 AVERAGE
3.75
probably one of the most important and impactful works of queer literature out there, but not the strongest writing.
probably one of the most important and impactful works of queer literature out there, but not the strongest writing.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
Oh, oh, oh, I’m in love with this book. Especially in the 10th anniversary end notes, it feels like Feinberg wrote parts of this to me, and that I couldn’t have appreciated those words until this very moment.
I won’t argue that this is a perfect book, but I adored it. It’s been a hot minute since I read Richard Wright’s “Native Son,” but some of this book’s structure and theme reminded me of Wright’s work. Jess is continually unpacking layers of oppression and assumption. I’m glad that I read this side by side with Minnie Bruce Pratt’s “S/He.”
It’s interesting to me that Feinberg, who identified as trans/gender nonconforming, calls Jess trans, because I don’t know that I would agree. The whole discussion of the rigid butch/femme dynamic is so interesting, and goes against my understanding of liberation from gender constraints, which gets discussed a lot in the book. “Pregnant Butch,” which was published 21 years after SBB, features a pretty problematic assessment of transmasculinity as a ‘replacement’ for butch identity. It was weird to read that TERF-y take on gender identity, and while SBB obviously takes a very different approach to the topic, the language Feinberg uses is very different from the terminology that I’m used to in 2025. Today, we might describe Jess as nonbinary, though that word is never used, but even in thinking about this I realize that I’m trying to fit the character into a label, rather than decentralizing the importance of such labels.
I could, apparently, write a whole dissertation on this book, but I’ll wrap it up and say that I appreciated the level of intersectional analysis that Feinberg included. Reading this book in the current political moment is depressing because, while I’m not assuming anything re: how much of this book is drawn from the author’s personal experience, the political landscape of the 60s and 70s, when this book is primarily set, is drawn from reality. And dang, how many decades are we going to spend clutching our pearls over which room certain folks can take a piss in while simultaneously making excuses for cis male rapists? JFC.
Tl;dr good book, would recommend. Wish that it was being taught in high school classes for discussion and analysis.
I won’t argue that this is a perfect book, but I adored it. It’s been a hot minute since I read Richard Wright’s “Native Son,” but some of this book’s structure and theme reminded me of Wright’s work. Jess is continually unpacking layers of oppression and assumption. I’m glad that I read this side by side with Minnie Bruce Pratt’s “S/He.”
It’s interesting to me that Feinberg, who identified as trans/gender nonconforming, calls Jess trans, because I don’t know that I would agree. The whole discussion of the rigid butch/femme dynamic is so interesting, and goes against my understanding of liberation from gender constraints, which gets discussed a lot in the book. “Pregnant Butch,” which was published 21 years after SBB, features a pretty problematic assessment of transmasculinity as a ‘replacement’ for butch identity. It was weird to read that TERF-y take on gender identity, and while SBB obviously takes a very different approach to the topic, the language Feinberg uses is very different from the terminology that I’m used to in 2025. Today, we might describe Jess as nonbinary, though that word is never used, but even in thinking about this I realize that I’m trying to fit the character into a label, rather than decentralizing the importance of such labels.
I could, apparently, write a whole dissertation on this book, but I’ll wrap it up and say that I appreciated the level of intersectional analysis that Feinberg included. Reading this book in the current political moment is depressing because, while I’m not assuming anything re: how much of this book is drawn from the author’s personal experience, the political landscape of the 60s and 70s, when this book is primarily set, is drawn from reality. And dang, how many decades are we going to spend clutching our pearls over which room certain folks can take a piss in while simultaneously making excuses for cis male rapists? JFC.
Tl;dr good book, would recommend. Wish that it was being taught in high school classes for discussion and analysis.
this was effing insane and i can’t believe i waited FIVE YEARS to read this…things would’ve been so different if i had read this in high school
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
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
This is one of the best books I’ve ever read
i think this book has and will have impacted me a lot
so real and tragic and beautiful
i need to read it again several times throughout my life i think
so real and tragic and beautiful
i need to read it again several times throughout my life i think
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
Such an important book. It should be an educational text in schools/universities if it is not already. My heart was sore for Jess, she endured so much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, Transphobia, Violence, Police brutality
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
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:
No
This was an incredible book. Difficult to read but so insightful and addictive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence