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A review by readerette
Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I deeply enjoyed the first half of the book, and then it just started to get unfocused, with these long interludes of thinking about food.
I appreciated the exploration of the minutiae of human life with this vampire in the role of "average young woman" (meaning she could never be average, and yet would always look it to the casual observer). It is delightfully tongue in cheek that Lyd is a starving artist. I enjoyed a fresh take on vampires as well.
However, at some point her obsession with food stopped being an interesting examination of the human (or female) relationship to food, and just a sign of her lack of responsibility and creativity. Given that food was the major focus of the main character's life, the fact that her thoughts about it ended up so repetitive and unproductive just created a sense of plodding.
The painting was far too obvious an allegory for her self-perception.
I'm also still trying to decipher the last few scenes, not because they were intellectually challenging, but because I want them to mean something and I'm not sure they mean much of anything.
It's a decent book, just not the literary treat I was hoping for.
I appreciated the exploration of the minutiae of human life with this vampire in the role of "average young woman" (meaning she could never be average, and yet would always look it to the casual observer). It is delightfully tongue in cheek that Lyd is a starving artist. I enjoyed a fresh take on vampires as well.
However, at some point her obsession with food stopped being an interesting examination of the human (or female) relationship to food, and just a sign of her lack of responsibility and creativity. Given that food was the major focus of the main character's life, the fact that her thoughts about it ended up so repetitive and unproductive just created a sense of plodding.
The painting was far too obvious an allegory for her self-perception.
I'm also still trying to decipher the last few scenes, not because they were intellectually challenging, but because I want them to mean something and I'm not sure they mean much of anything.
It's a decent book, just not the literary treat I was hoping for.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Blood
Minor: Body shaming and Sexual content