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A review by backpackfullofbooks
Acts of Service by Lillian Fishman
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
“And now I could sense that clarity was somehow within reach.”
“Isn’t that just the deepest submission to power? Here, fine, I can’t resist this anymore?”
“I felt the web of the city around me.”
“I just knew what you wanted.”
“You are, you’re my greedy thing.”
~
When the main character Eve embarks on an affair with a domineering couple she finds herself much more drawn to the man than she expects and is increasingly incorporated into their strange and unbalanced relationship.
Through this relationship Eve is trying to understand herself and her sexuality in a more detailed way. She is trying to actively decide what she wants and who she is, and she has very little regard for those she hurts in the process, including herself.
A book that moves between intense sexual exploration and musings on how the main character relates to the world, this book is not for the squeamish or those who dislike deep (slightly narcissistic) levels of introspection.
~
This was a difficult read for me.
I really dislike the elements that lean into sexual violence and coercion. I do understand that was the point of the book, but I don’t really see what she is trying to say with this other than to make the reader uncomfortable. It clearly wasn’t the book for me.
I did enjoy her style of writing a lot, it flows very nicely and I like the unstructured way she formats it. That was the main reason that I finished it.
~
I would recommend this book if you enjoy hyper literary books that examine dysfunctional sexual relationships.
“Isn’t that just the deepest submission to power? Here, fine, I can’t resist this anymore?”
“I felt the web of the city around me.”
“I just knew what you wanted.”
“You are, you’re my greedy thing.”
~
When the main character Eve embarks on an affair with a domineering couple she finds herself much more drawn to the man than she expects and is increasingly incorporated into their strange and unbalanced relationship.
Through this relationship Eve is trying to understand herself and her sexuality in a more detailed way. She is trying to actively decide what she wants and who she is, and she has very little regard for those she hurts in the process, including herself.
A book that moves between intense sexual exploration and musings on how the main character relates to the world, this book is not for the squeamish or those who dislike deep (slightly narcissistic) levels of introspection.
~
This was a difficult read for me.
I really dislike the elements that lean into sexual violence and coercion. I do understand that was the point of the book, but I don’t really see what she is trying to say with this other than to make the reader uncomfortable. It clearly wasn’t the book for me.
I did enjoy her style of writing a lot, it flows very nicely and I like the unstructured way she formats it. That was the main reason that I finished it.
~
I would recommend this book if you enjoy hyper literary books that examine dysfunctional sexual relationships.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Infidelity