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A review by stellarian
Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear
5.0
As I’ve mentioned before, I mostly read audiobooks. Because of it, I sometimes miss the spelling of names, places and other noteworthy things I need when writing these things up. With this particular book, I may be making more mistakes than usual, and I apologize in advance. Karen Memory is told entirely from the perspective of its narrator, Karen Memery (like memory, but with an e), and her grammar isn’t all that good.
Karen is a “seamstress” in Rapid City (an amalgamate of a few late 19th century American cities, including what is now Seattle Underground). She does a bit of actual seamstressing, which is taxed heavily by the city, but her main occupation is the “seamstressing” that’s earned on her back and is the actual reason why Karen and her coworkers have to pay so much. Things are not horrible. Karen and the other girls at the Hôtel Mon Cherie are allowed to save a part of what they earn, they have their own rooms when they don’t entertain customers and Madame Damnable, who runs the place, offers them a certain security.
The setting of this book is Wild West Steampunk, which is a joy to read. There are a variety of steam-powered gadgets including a near heal-all surgeon’s tool, a variety of digging and building tools, a strap-in sewing machine and even a mechanical octopus. Naturally, there are steam-powered airships. The Wild West aspect is represented by sheriffs, gold diggers and dime novel heroes and villains.
The first person narrative makes everything direct and exciting. Karen is brave, but not unbelievably so. She falls in love, but certainly not with one of her customers and her emotions are written simply and honestly. The plot has to do with politics on both a local, direct level and in a larger setting, but the text never feels distant or boring, because Karen is always right there at the heart of things, making what happens personal and real.
A lot of the characters are non-white and/or don’t identify as heterosexual. This could have seemed contrived in a lesser book, but the author knows her business and makes them all real people, well fleshed-out. Bear is also very good at being matter-of-fact about some of the awful living conditions of these characters. It’s their lives and it’s the way things are.
Jennifer Grace does a good job of narrating the audiobook, so if you like listening to your novels I recommend it. However, if you don’t mind spelling variations and unconventional grammar in your written text, give the paper book/e-book a try.
Karen is a “seamstress” in Rapid City (an amalgamate of a few late 19th century American cities, including what is now Seattle Underground). She does a bit of actual seamstressing, which is taxed heavily by the city, but her main occupation is the “seamstressing” that’s earned on her back and is the actual reason why Karen and her coworkers have to pay so much. Things are not horrible. Karen and the other girls at the Hôtel Mon Cherie are allowed to save a part of what they earn, they have their own rooms when they don’t entertain customers and Madame Damnable, who runs the place, offers them a certain security.
The setting of this book is Wild West Steampunk, which is a joy to read. There are a variety of steam-powered gadgets including a near heal-all surgeon’s tool, a variety of digging and building tools, a strap-in sewing machine and even a mechanical octopus. Naturally, there are steam-powered airships. The Wild West aspect is represented by sheriffs, gold diggers and dime novel heroes and villains.
The first person narrative makes everything direct and exciting. Karen is brave, but not unbelievably so. She falls in love, but certainly not with one of her customers and her emotions are written simply and honestly. The plot has to do with politics on both a local, direct level and in a larger setting, but the text never feels distant or boring, because Karen is always right there at the heart of things, making what happens personal and real.
A lot of the characters are non-white and/or don’t identify as heterosexual. This could have seemed contrived in a lesser book, but the author knows her business and makes them all real people, well fleshed-out. Bear is also very good at being matter-of-fact about some of the awful living conditions of these characters. It’s their lives and it’s the way things are.
Jennifer Grace does a good job of narrating the audiobook, so if you like listening to your novels I recommend it. However, if you don’t mind spelling variations and unconventional grammar in your written text, give the paper book/e-book a try.