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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
reflective
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
What a strange and beautiful little story. The structure is very odd, with the first section having chapters but none of the others, and the author uses an mdash wherever I'd expect an ellipsis or some other indication of a midsentence pause for thought, which is a little weird to read. But, the core of the story is really sweet, and I liked it a lot.
sad
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
A snapshot into a past San Francisco, where the characters survive in a society that is hostile to them. The subject is ugly, but the characters and the language is beautiful, and a sprinkle of magic adds a glow to the story.
I don't like stories where the main source of conflict is homophobia, racism and / or sexism - the characters face obstacles only because the world is unjust, and there's no chance for them to overcome it. Stories like these have their place, I just don't personally vibe with them. In this book, the main characters were faced with certain jail, indirectly due to homophobia, and the only way for them to escape, and to get their happily ever after, was to use magic. Had they not had access to the secret magic recipe, this story would have had a tragic ending. The magic gives hope, but what hope is there for those who don't have magic?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this story worked well for me for some reason. it was beautifully written, well-paced, and there was foreshadowing since the very first page of the book on how things come full circle in the end. it seems to be mismarketed slightly, seeing as i would classify this as historical, romance and magical realism instead of sci-fi.
keep in mind this is a historical book which means there's subjects like homophobia and transphobia discussed, but they are more so used to display the outlook society had especially during that time.
this is not a book of much plot, we are there to be shown a brink of these characters and their every day lives but mostly haskel, who is ironically the main character of the story.
it has lgbtq+ representation but also slightly shows a picture of how these women protect each other in a different way rather than the typical "physically strong" protagonist role. if you're looking for action, you won't get it here and you also won't get something too dark or deep.
so if you like beautiful writing, a quick read to breeze through, interesting characters to keep you engaged without going into too much character work, lgbtq+ representation (specifically lesbian romance), a whimsical element that makes the story have a slight touch of magic despite being in the real world, then you will probably like this book.
keep in mind this is a historical book which means there's subjects like homophobia and transphobia discussed, but they are more so used to display the outlook society had especially during that time.
this is not a book of much plot, we are there to be shown a brink of these characters and their every day lives but mostly haskel, who is ironically the main character of the story.
it has lgbtq+ representation but also slightly shows a picture of how these women protect each other in a different way rather than the typical "physically strong" protagonist role. if you're looking for action, you won't get it here and you also won't get something too dark or deep.
so if you like beautiful writing, a quick read to breeze through, interesting characters to keep you engaged without going into too much character work, lgbtq+ representation (specifically lesbian romance), a whimsical element that makes the story have a slight touch of magic despite being in the real world, then you will probably like this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexism, Transphobia, Xenophobia
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse
Six women find their lives as tangled with each other’s as they are with the city they call home. They discover love and danger on the borders where mystery, science, and art intersect.
I am mixed on this book, I liked it well enough and thought it was very well written but I just didn’t like it as much as I wanted to. The opening of the book was so atmospheric and mysterious and evocative and sucked me in right away, the rest of the story was…not that. Until the end, that feeling came back in the very end. There was nothing wrong with the rest of the story, with most of the story. It was well written and strong, I felt attached and invested in the characters almost right away, I guess it just felt too grounded, too real, compared to the opening chapter and what I was expecting.
So overall, well written just not what I was wanting from this book.
I am mixed on this book, I liked it well enough and thought it was very well written but I just didn’t like it as much as I wanted to. The opening of the book was so atmospheric and mysterious and evocative and sucked me in right away, the rest of the story was…not that. Until the end, that feeling came back in the very end. There was nothing wrong with the rest of the story, with most of the story. It was well written and strong, I felt attached and invested in the characters almost right away, I guess it just felt too grounded, too real, compared to the opening chapter and what I was expecting.
So overall, well written just not what I was wanting from this book.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a diamond in the rough. It's a novella, and overall pretty short. It makes for a pleasing trifecta of magical realism, historical, and queer fiction, set in San Francisco during the 40's (?). Ultimately a love story with a straightforward but unique plot set with a lush backdrop of details you can just sink and sink into- it's clear every person, every place, every thing in the book has its own rich life that you could dig into and have your own story about- it just isn't this one. I'd definitely want more with some of the characters introduced here, as well as the world that was built up in general. Overall, a very enjoyable lunchtime read.
I just finished this novella. It's beautifully written piece of SF Bay Area historical fiction and a mystery with a plot I have never read before. A very neat plot twist greets the reader, and I've been very impressed since reading the ending.
Let's start with the characters. Most of them are lesbians during WWII San Francisco, trying to hide their lives except in the few bars where they can get away with being "freaks". Each of them is distinctively interesting, in particular Haskel and Helen were fascinating to read. I would have liked to have seen more of Polly, Frannie and Babs, and I definitely think there is room for a sequel that focuses on just those three. It introduces magic at the beginning of the story. Frannie is a bit of a witch, but we don't really get a great deal of her magic, what her limits are, what makes it possible. And she doesn't seem to have anyone to turn to, her magic is exploration much in the same way the rest of the cast are exploring the new gay underworld that was just in its infant stages in SF at that time. Polly is exploring America as a country, and Haskel and Emily are exploring a serious romantic relationship for the first time, or the first time in a long time in Haskel's case.
I will say that I thought the subplot with Len could have used a little more fleshing out. I would have liked to have seen him when he wasn't drunk to see that he has another side, the side that Haskel initially fell in love with. It would have been interesting to get more about what life had been like for him since seeing Haskel five years before or have any information about why he suddenly snapped (though we as readers can assume that wartime trauma could easily contribute to that mental state).
The clothing, style, places that don't exist anymore (namely the World's Fair), and setting are beautifully drawn. They really, together, make a great story in how San Francisco was stepping boldly into the future in more than one way, setting itself apart even then as a bastion for the unique.
On a whole, I can really recommend "Passing Strange", but I would have liked to have known a lot more about Frannie's magic. The premise of how exactly her magic works, transportation spells that shift someone through a trick of spacetime that might have an explanation (Babs represents the side that for anything that resembles magic to us, can and will be explained by science eventually) with nothing more than origami or maps and a pencil to create "shortcuts" is fun and brilliant.
As for the end, there is a certain magic in not telling us everything. That's a tricky thing for an author to get away with. The question burning with us is, did Haskel and Emily live happily ever after? Well, we aren't given all the answers but neither is it entirely kept from us, either. You just are left to think about all that has already occurred and have faith in their ability to create the world they wanted. I emphasize, leaving it up to a reader to have that kind of faith is NOT something every author can pull off, but it works here. It could easily have gone the route of coming across as a cop out in the writing, but it's carefully built. What we are left with is the idea that every work of art is a world unto itself, and that's a really cool comment on genre art especially.
I hope to see more of this world expanded by the author.
Let's start with the characters. Most of them are lesbians during WWII San Francisco, trying to hide their lives except in the few bars where they can get away with being "freaks". Each of them is distinctively interesting, in particular Haskel and Helen were fascinating to read. I would have liked to have seen more of Polly, Frannie and Babs, and I definitely think there is room for a sequel that focuses on just those three. It introduces magic at the beginning of the story. Frannie is a bit of a witch, but we don't really get a great deal of her magic, what her limits are, what makes it possible. And she doesn't seem to have anyone to turn to, her magic is exploration much in the same way the rest of the cast are exploring the new gay underworld that was just in its infant stages in SF at that time. Polly is exploring America as a country, and Haskel and Emily are exploring a serious romantic relationship for the first time, or the first time in a long time in Haskel's case.
I will say that I thought the subplot with Len could have used a little more fleshing out. I would have liked to have seen him when he wasn't drunk to see that he has another side, the side that Haskel initially fell in love with. It would have been interesting to get more about what life had been like for him since seeing Haskel five years before or have any information about why he suddenly snapped (though we as readers can assume that wartime trauma could easily contribute to that mental state).
The clothing, style, places that don't exist anymore (namely the World's Fair), and setting are beautifully drawn. They really, together, make a great story in how San Francisco was stepping boldly into the future in more than one way, setting itself apart even then as a bastion for the unique.
On a whole, I can really recommend "Passing Strange", but I would have liked to have known a lot more about Frannie's magic. The premise of how exactly her magic works, transportation spells that shift someone through a trick of spacetime that might have an explanation (Babs represents the side that for anything that resembles magic to us, can and will be explained by science eventually) with nothing more than origami or maps and a pencil to create "shortcuts" is fun and brilliant.
As for the end, there is a certain magic in not telling us everything. That's a tricky thing for an author to get away with. The question burning with us is, did Haskel and Emily live happily ever after? Well, we aren't given all the answers but neither is it entirely kept from us, either. You just are left to think about all that has already occurred and have faith in their ability to create the world they wanted. I emphasize, leaving it up to a reader to have that kind of faith is NOT something every author can pull off, but it works here. It could easily have gone the route of coming across as a cop out in the writing, but it's carefully built. What we are left with is the idea that every work of art is a world unto itself, and that's a really cool comment on genre art especially.
I hope to see more of this world expanded by the author.
Another good novella from Ellen Klages! History & (subtle) magic in San Francisco.
Gauzy nostalgic novella of magical lesbians in WW2 San Fransisco. A lot of the plot here is submerged under loving description of the city.