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dickon_edwards 's review for:
Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?
by Jeanette Winterson
Interesting to compare this with Alison Bechdel's 'Are You My Mother?', published recently. Both are memoirs about mothers by established lesbian authors, but with questions in the title, and both referring in turn to earlier autobiographical works, ie 'Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit' and 'Fun Home'.
Just as we got to read Ms Bechdel's mother's response to 'Fun Home', here's the terrifying Mrs Winterson revealing that she had to order 'Oranges' from the library... using a fake name.
Winterson writes so clearly and honestly here, and despite the grimness of her childhood she manages to involve moments of laugh-aloud humour and even suspense (will she finally track down her birth mother? What will happen if she does? You find out!).
There's absolutely nothing in this book that feels unnecessary. Winterson is a lover of poetry, and it shows in her prose: words cut down to give the most power.
Just as we got to read Ms Bechdel's mother's response to 'Fun Home', here's the terrifying Mrs Winterson revealing that she had to order 'Oranges' from the library... using a fake name.
Winterson writes so clearly and honestly here, and despite the grimness of her childhood she manages to involve moments of laugh-aloud humour and even suspense (will she finally track down her birth mother? What will happen if she does? You find out!).
There's absolutely nothing in this book that feels unnecessary. Winterson is a lover of poetry, and it shows in her prose: words cut down to give the most power.