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A review by hannahbailey
After Sappho by Selby Wynn Schwartz
Did not finish book. Stopped at 45%.
dnf @ 45%.
Usually I catch myself a lot earlier persisting with a text I’m not enjoying, but the short vignettes kept me hopeful that the pace would pick up. This was an idea that should’ve been captivating, but sadly it was tedious and clunky to read. Exploring female artists throughout history and connecting them in fiction sounds like a great idea, but when they’re mostly aristocratic white women spouting Ancient Greek there’s a lot less for me to empathise with.
This may appeal to classicists and European historians who understand all the Ancient Greek references — unfortunately my IQ isn’t high enough for this one.
Usually I catch myself a lot earlier persisting with a text I’m not enjoying, but the short vignettes kept me hopeful that the pace would pick up. This was an idea that should’ve been captivating, but sadly it was tedious and clunky to read. Exploring female artists throughout history and connecting them in fiction sounds like a great idea, but when they’re mostly aristocratic white women spouting Ancient Greek there’s a lot less for me to empathise with.
This may appeal to classicists and European historians who understand all the Ancient Greek references — unfortunately my IQ isn’t high enough for this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Homophobia, and Violence