Reviews

Chloe Plus Olivia: An Anthology of Lesbian Literature from the Seventeenth Century to the Present by Lillian Faderman

magnetgrrl's review against another edition

4.0

This anthology is thorough, though not always entertaining. Academically it's an excellent collection; the contents are in chronological order and split into sections named by the general type of representation in literature predominate for lesbians in each period covered. You can really see the spectrum and evolution of how lesbians and queer characters were viewed in different eras of literature.

But as far as merely wanting to read more early lesbian themed literature... there's certainly a lot of it in this book, and if you're reading it merely for informative purposes or historical context, this is perfect. However, if you're looking for romance, happy endings, positive or at least neural images of queer characters and women in relationships with other women... I would honestly suggest trying a more modern anthology instead. From reading this anthology, it seems early queer literature was more about demonizing, diagnosing, or in some other way attempting to 'explain' lesbians and bisexuals rather than really representing them. (And that includes some things written by lesbians and bisexuals themselves.) It's only positive if in reading it you can hold onto the thought that, well, at least we've come a long way.

queerandweird's review against another edition

3.0

Still continuing the anthology. Eventually, it's pages, once read, will live on as art. Not all of the work is all-star material, but I'm grateful for this book's existence in the world and it is surely a worthy exploration.

vasha's review

My journal entry

selenite's review against another edition

4.0

I usually liked the author bios more than the actual literature, funnily enough. I was sometimes mystified at certain author's selected works, but overall it was very interesting.

radclyffe_uhaul's review

5.0

Some favorites so far:
-Michael Fields' poems
-Helen Rose Hull's The Fire
-[a:Constance Fenimore Woolson|182611|Constance Fenimore Woolson|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1383608610p2/182611.jpg]'s Felipa
-The excerpt from [a:Colette|51575|Colette|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1206665516p2/51575.jpg]'s [b:The Pure and the Impure|89848|The Pure and the Impure|Colette|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1413307828s/89848.jpg|2727605]
-[a:Willa Cather|881203|Willa Cather|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1443393955p2/881203.jpg]'s Tommy the Unsentimental
-[a:Henry Handel Richardson|235275|Henry Handel Richardson|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1243801295p2/235275.jpg]'s Two Hanged Women
-The excerpt from [a:Vita Sackville-West|3904620|Vita Sackville-West|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1417920269p2/3904620.jpg]'s journals
-[a:Rose O'Neill|1398738|Rose O'Neill|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s poems
-The except from [a:Jewelle Gomez|14237622|Jewelle Gomez|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_50x66-6a03a5c12233c941481992b82eea8d23.png]' [b:The Gilda Stories: Expanded 25th Anniversary Edition|26196033|The Gilda Stories Expanded 25th Anniversary Edition|Jewelle Gomez|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1455765198s/26196033.jpg|46170776]