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A review by booksjessreads
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
adventurous
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
My favourite read of 2020. An absolutely fantastic narration of 12 people of colour in Britain. This novel also reaches into short-story territory as each of the chapters could be a short story in its own right, but they are all interlinked in some way which brings it together as a compellingly written novel. Each story is portraying the diverse characters of POC diaspora and each story often shares turmoil from that characters life, but ends usually with something aspirational.
One review I read about this said 'her idiosyncratic prose rhythms imitate the wayward impulses of inner thought' and I have never been able to express that any better. What I really loved about the writing style was that the narration or conversations within the novel often wove into the characters inner thoughts through these prose rhythms, so you could get a feel for how the character was outwardly performing to others in comparison with their inner thoughts. I will admit, I was a little put off in the beginning about her lack of punctuation, but after the first chapter, I managed and it actually worked really well.
I have seen a lot of backlash about the lack of punctuation, but what I really loved about that was what it symbolised - that just because something is universally known, that doesn't mean it is right or should be followed, drawing parallels with racism that is so covertly (and sometimes overtly) rife in British society. Alongside, this her writing was poetic, compelling, blunt in places and soft in others. A well-crafted blend of emotions staggering throughout the novel.
Read the trigger warnings first, but this is a really amazing novel and a must-read for anyone and everyone.
One review I read about this said 'her idiosyncratic prose rhythms imitate the wayward impulses of inner thought' and I have never been able to express that any better. What I really loved about the writing style was that the narration or conversations within the novel often wove into the characters inner thoughts through these prose rhythms, so you could get a feel for how the character was outwardly performing to others in comparison with their inner thoughts. I will admit, I was a little put off in the beginning about her lack of punctuation, but after the first chapter, I managed and it actually worked really well.
I have seen a lot of backlash about the lack of punctuation, but what I really loved about that was what it symbolised - that just because something is universally known, that doesn't mean it is right or should be followed, drawing parallels with racism that is so covertly (and sometimes overtly) rife in British society. Alongside, this her writing was poetic, compelling, blunt in places and soft in others. A well-crafted blend of emotions staggering throughout the novel.
Read the trigger warnings first, but this is a really amazing novel and a must-read for anyone and everyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Deadnaming