Scan barcode
A review by nicole_schmid
Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I find this book hard to rate. I appreciated the future it depicted. I liked the commentary on mental institutions, sexism. I found it fascinating how environmentalism was already around in the seventies and it alongside gender-nonconformity were discussed enough to appear in a book. I also really liked the future person's reaction to our time.
I find this book lacking in terms of emotional impact. Mostly, it felt like a factual retelling. There's descriptions of the main character crying or getting angry, but I never really felt alongside her. Now, could be that that's just the writing style that was popular in the seventies (I haven't read enough books from that time period to judge), but from a modern POV, it felt lacking. The sequences of the future also seemed unnecessarily drawn-out, more like bits of worldbuilding than actual events with great personal impact. It also felt like Connie's reactions weren't really realistic. I'd immediately be asking who this idealistic future is going to war with; I'd be horrified with the other future and not just go "Well, same as in my time".
I feel like it might be a bit problematic that a white writer tackle such a loaded topic as racism etc., from the perspective of an American-Mexican woman nonetheless, but as I don't really have any insights into the author's background nor do I belong to a minority group, so I don't think I can really coment on that aspect.
While I don't quite regret reading this book, I also wouldn't really recommend it.
I find this book lacking in terms of emotional impact. Mostly, it felt like a factual retelling. There's descriptions of the main character crying or getting angry, but I never really felt alongside her. Now, could be that that's just the writing style that was popular in the seventies (I haven't read enough books from that time period to judge), but from a modern POV, it felt lacking. The sequences of the future also seemed unnecessarily drawn-out, more like bits of worldbuilding than actual events with great personal impact. It also felt like Connie's reactions weren't really realistic. I'd immediately be asking who this idealistic future is going to war with; I'd be horrified with the other future and not just go "Well, same as in my time".
I feel like it might be a bit problematic that a white writer tackle such a loaded topic as racism etc., from the perspective of an American-Mexican woman nonetheless, but as I don't really have any insights into the author's background nor do I belong to a minority group, so I don't think I can really coment on that aspect.
While I don't quite regret reading this book, I also wouldn't really recommend it.