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_luminess_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
The characters were amazingly written! I really felt for Connie the whole way through, and even the background characters were all carefully detailed and felt human. This was what pushed this book from simply a good essay into a good story as well. I'm a huge fan of Ursula K Le Guin, and the same emotional depth and tenderness of her writing can be found here in Piercy's work.
One star taken off because a huge amount of the worldbuilding was delivered plainly through characters' mouths— I got used to it, and I'm not sure if there would have been a better way to include it all, but it did somewhat cheapen the writing of an otherwise masterfully penned work.
One star taken off because a huge amount of the worldbuilding was delivered plainly through characters' mouths— I got used to it, and I'm not sure if there would have been a better way to include it all, but it did somewhat cheapen the writing of an otherwise masterfully penned work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: War and Sexual content
Minor: Child abuse and Incest
abmochapman's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Gloria Steinem says about this book that “whether you are reading … again or for the first time, it will remind you that we are creating the future with every choice we make”. And the future that Marge Piercy offers within these pages is incredibly rich and imaginative.
Consuelo Ramos is a Mexican American woman who was unjustly committed to a mental institution in 1970s New York. While she faces institutional ableism and abuse, she finds herself making contact with the year 2137. A time of radical equality, horizontal decision-making, and environmental sustainability, it stands in stark contrast to the present. But it is not guaranteed. The fate of the future rests on the struggle of people like Consuelo.
Woman on the Edge of Time is not a perfect work. Another review named Charlotte Kersten on Goodreads points out some of the more problematic aspects of the book’s discussions of sex work and relationships. Yet, within the novel, I found so much meaning. To me, both utopianism and organizing are about dreaming of something better. And I really felt like Piercy’s dreams for the future reflected this. 2137 seems like a time where I and so many others could thrive.
I fully anticipate returning to (and lending out) this novel again and again. I hope you’ll consider adding it to your list!
Consuelo Ramos is a Mexican American woman who was unjustly committed to a mental institution in 1970s New York. While she faces institutional ableism and abuse, she finds herself making contact with the year 2137. A time of radical equality, horizontal decision-making, and environmental sustainability, it stands in stark contrast to the present. But it is not guaranteed. The fate of the future rests on the struggle of people like Consuelo.
Woman on the Edge of Time is not a perfect work. Another review named Charlotte Kersten on Goodreads points out some of the more problematic aspects of the book’s discussions of sex work and relationships. Yet, within the novel, I found so much meaning. To me, both utopianism and organizing are about dreaming of something better. And I really felt like Piercy’s dreams for the future reflected this. 2137 seems like a time where I and so many others could thrive.
I fully anticipate returning to (and lending out) this novel again and again. I hope you’ll consider adding it to your list!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Suicide, Ableism, Death, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Child abuse, Police brutality, Homophobia, Incest, and Sexual violence
Minor: Abortion and Addiction
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