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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
Turns out this was a book my brother selected from Google's book club list which explains the San Fran setting and touch of magic a la [b:Sourdough|33916024|Sourdough|Robin Sloan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1490804609s/33916024.jpg|51600167]. Quite enjoyable and socially/historically interesting.
[octobre 2023]
Je l'ai lu car ça se passe à San Francisco, que c'est une petite novella de SF et que les personnages étaient des femmes.
Rien de révolutionnaire mais super chouette! La construction du récit est très intéressante, l'introduction à la magie est aussi faite de manière très naturelle même si rien n'est vraiment expliqué.
J'ai adoré le fait que l'illustration (VO) soit une pièce centrale au récit. Ça rendait le tout vraiment super cohérent et bien pensé (aussi avec la façon dont est construit le récit).
Bref super chouette à lire :)
Je l'ai lu car ça se passe à San Francisco, que c'est une petite novella de SF et que les personnages étaient des femmes.
Rien de révolutionnaire mais super chouette! La construction du récit est très intéressante, l'introduction à la magie est aussi faite de manière très naturelle même si rien n'est vraiment expliqué.
J'ai adoré le fait que l'illustration (VO) soit une pièce centrale au récit. Ça rendait le tout vraiment super cohérent et bien pensé (aussi avec la façon dont est construit le récit).
Bref super chouette à lire :)
This was just so lovely… a storybook story set in the vivid world of 1940 San Francisco, featuring artists, the Forbidden City, the World’s Fair, pulp fiction, women in STEM, drag kings and queer night life… needless to say I wanted to be a part of this friend group very badly. The prose is quite direct, which may not be everyone’s cup of tea, and the magical realism may seem abrupt, but in the end it worked for me. There’s something special about this novella… I think the story (and certainly the cover art, which is integral to the story) will stay with me for some time.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia, Death, Homophobia, Racism, Blood, Lesbophobia, Alcohol
Minor: War
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
4/5 stars.
There's a reason that this novella got so many awards and nominations; the writing is absolutely beautiful. Klages effortlessly paints a picture of the simmering racist, sexist, and homophobic tension lurking under the surface of beautiful 1940s San Francisco. The characters are well-written and the scenery is gorgeous.
For something marketed as fantasy literature, I'm a little disappointed by the lack of speculative elements in the story. They only really appear in the first and last chapters and disappear for the majority of the text. Even one more scene with magic would have made the entire narrative more cohesive. Additionally, the story was character-driven and quite slow-paced, which may not be to everyone's liking.
Regardless, the beautiful prose alone made the story worth reading. I'm happy that I got the chance to check out this unique work!
There's a reason that this novella got so many awards and nominations; the writing is absolutely beautiful. Klages effortlessly paints a picture of the simmering racist, sexist, and homophobic tension lurking under the surface of beautiful 1940s San Francisco. The characters are well-written and the scenery is gorgeous.
For something marketed as fantasy literature, I'm a little disappointed by the lack of speculative elements in the story. They only really appear in the first and last chapters and disappear for the majority of the text. Even one more scene with magic would have made the entire narrative more cohesive. Additionally, the story was character-driven and quite slow-paced, which may not be to everyone's liking.
Regardless, the beautiful prose alone made the story worth reading. I'm happy that I got the chance to check out this unique work!
My real issue though was the complete non-engagement with the anti-asian racism depicted. Essentially every chapter had some instance of anti-asian hate from slurs to degradation to sexual exploitation but it was never anything more than set dressing which I hated. The main characters (white women) go to a club where asian performers are forced to make a joke of their racism and play into their harmful stereotypes just to make a living — yet all of this is framed as the most romantic night of the white women's life because they get to dance together while asian women parade naked on a stage to ‘yellow skin’ jokes. Incredibly distasteful.