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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
This is the first novel I've read by Angela Carter (I'm gradually reading all her short stories on the side) and it was fantastic! Although a short book just under 200 pages it took us on a long journey.
The book is a parody of many American social and cultural ideas and events going on in the late 70s and early 80s. Some of this parodying is funny and some of it is thought provoking. Carter overall criticizes the concepts of gender that were prevalent at the time: The first is, obviously, patriarchy embodied by the desert brute Zero and Evelyn in which women are nothing more than objects for men's fantasies and projections for all their prejudices of them. This is shown with how Evelyn mystifies Leilah. The second is gynocentrism and matriarchy, embodied by Mother and her Amazon-like followers. These ideas were prevalent during second-wave feminism and were born from the renewed interest in ancient goddess worship and many feminists' separatist response to men. Carter shows neither of these as liberating for women (or men even). Both essentialize men and women into unequal roles and statuses based on rather basic and outdated reasons.
Carter was certainly ahead of her time. The novel discusses how gender is a performance based on language and learning long before Judith Butler ever got on stage (and is more fun to read than Butler).
I also enjoyed Carter's usage of Biblical and other religious imagery and language to and how she employed them to undo traditional patriarchal conceptions of women and reproduction.
The book is a parody of many American social and cultural ideas and events going on in the late 70s and early 80s. Some of this parodying is funny and some of it is thought provoking. Carter overall criticizes the concepts of gender that were prevalent at the time: The first is, obviously, patriarchy embodied by the desert brute Zero and Evelyn in which women are nothing more than objects for men's fantasies and projections for all their prejudices of them. This is shown with how Evelyn mystifies Leilah. The second is gynocentrism and matriarchy, embodied by Mother and her Amazon-like followers. These ideas were prevalent during second-wave feminism and were born from the renewed interest in ancient goddess worship and many feminists' separatist response to men. Carter shows neither of these as liberating for women (or men even). Both essentialize men and women into unequal roles and statuses based on rather basic and outdated reasons.
Carter was certainly ahead of her time. The novel discusses how gender is a performance based on language and learning long before Judith Butler ever got on stage (and is more fun to read than Butler).
I also enjoyed Carter's usage of Biblical and other religious imagery and language to and how she employed them to undo traditional patriarchal conceptions of women and reproduction.
slow-paced
Yes this book is (pardon my language) a mindfuck. Yes, this book is not for the faint of heart. And yes, Angela Carter probably had some issues. That being said, this book is wonderful. I was required to read it for my 20th century British Literature class. That professor LOVES Angela Carter (as well as Rushdie and Winterson). I can see why. We have similar tastes in books. I love to be challenged and I love for my head to be messed with. I love those "wtf" moments in books. I think the thing that people are disliking about this book is the fact that they don't understand Carter as a writer nor do they understand satire.
This book is very difficult, but if you're willing to sit down and think, I don't think you'll be disappointed. What's disappointing is reading some of these reviews from people who haven't bothered to research the author. Author intention is rarely important in literature; however, knowing a little bit of background info about the author can help you understand a little bit better about where this is coming from. I would not recommend this to the "casual" reader. If you don't like it, fine, but it's creative, fun, painful, and excellently written. Just give it a shot.
If you aren't a fan of Carter's longer works, her short stories are much more tame and worth reading. Just throwing that out there as well.
This book is very difficult, but if you're willing to sit down and think, I don't think you'll be disappointed. What's disappointing is reading some of these reviews from people who haven't bothered to research the author. Author intention is rarely important in literature; however, knowing a little bit of background info about the author can help you understand a little bit better about where this is coming from. I would not recommend this to the "casual" reader. If you don't like it, fine, but it's creative, fun, painful, and excellently written. Just give it a shot.
If you aren't a fan of Carter's longer works, her short stories are much more tame and worth reading. Just throwing that out there as well.
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Carter’s an amazing writer but I found this dark. Maybe just my mood. Funny and nightmarish but weirdly hard to get through.
I have no idea how to collect my thoughts on this or what to rate it. Feeling a three and a half right now I think? I somehow both feel like I have so much to say and am also speechless? What I will say: this book is very much second wave but it is also second wave satirical. I would argue that gender identity and transition is used in a much broader sense to talk about more base concepts like our roles and obligations under the patriarchy or the male gaze. As much as I initially fear that the wrong person could take this book and either: twist it to an anti-trans agenda or view the text as transphobic, I also feel like this book is so absurd and allegorical that you would have a hard time taking its entirety as fact or statement of the author’s opinion. I would say though, that gender identity seems very much a state of mentality more than anything else- we have quotes very purposefully echoing Beauvoir (especially her “one is not born a woman but rather becomes one”) who then of course went on to inspire the more societally common Butler-esque perception of gender which only really rooted itself into western culture into niche queer spaces in the 90s, and is only beginning to be accepted in a broader sense today. I would have loved to have read this book in my degree but also completely understand why it would be so difficult to teach. Any moments where our protagonist’s hormones disrupt their mentality seem to have a very intentional point to make. This book could not be written today as we are much more aware of trans-ness than the feminist movement was in the seventies. Note how Rocky Horror’s use of the word “transvestite” is now outdated but not in that context- it was an all consuming term that meant a spectrum of things as there was no such broadness of gender identification language. The representation it was offering was more than had existed; trans-ness in film before happening only in shadows. A Rocky Horror in the 2020s would have much different points to make and wouldn’t use the same devices, just in the same way as Angela Carter probably wouldn’t use gender in this way. I’m glad I read this but it takes both a real critical eye to do and a suspension of intelligence at points for the crazy, wild and downright disgusting. Not sure exactly who I would go about recommending this to. Definitely has piqued my interest and I will be reading even more Carter and any critical material about this I can get my hands on.
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
craziest writing ever so damn good, obviously a very funny/satirical feminist rewriting of Jung’s female-archetypal beliefs, but also viscerally uncomfortable to read which is just perfect
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Pregnancy, War
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-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
Not as good as Nights at the Circus. Maybe as good as Magic Toyshop?