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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
After reading more about this book including reader reviews I decided this is not the best Jeanette Winterson for me to start with. Concerned about the content warnings including anti-trans.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thought-provoking!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Sexual content
Moderate: Mental illness, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization
Minor: Body horror, Deadnaming, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, Classism
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
I have read nearly every Jeanette Winterson book with relish. The way she writes is just beautiful and moving. And I started off really loving this one. The exploration of Mary Shelly’s life was exactly what I expected. And I was intrigued by the weaving of modern day and past. I was excited to see how she was exploring gender. But then i was soured. She started including “he/she” when talking about a trans man character. And then that character was sexually assaulted for literally no reason that impacted the story at all. All I could do was hit the brakes and try to explore what the hell was going on - I searched to see if there were any interviews with her in which she may have explained any of this (I didn’t find any). I feel blindsided and sick by this TERF-y comprehension of trans people and trans bodies. Totally ruined.
i feel conflicted by this book ! at points i absolutely loved it . at points it was the most wonderful thing in the world . it simultaneously let me down in other ways; ry's perspective felt like it was written by someone who doesn't truly understand what it feels like to be trans, and that feeling was so strong it left a nasty taste in my mouth. i also found some of the writing style confusing, or not as eloquent as i found winterson's previous writing. but i also did thoroughly enjoy the connections, the themes, the silliness at points. you should still read this, absolutely
Im not really sure how I feel about this book. There are lots of talking points and it's well written, but it left me with a empty feeling.
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated