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solxtos 's review for:
Frankissstein
by Jeanette Winterson
The quality of writing in this book is very high, let's start with that. I often found myself re-reading paragraphs just to be able to fully grasp the intended message/image, with that image being deliciously complex and evocative. However I have a few issues with this book, starting with Ry & the way his character is handled.
Ry is a trans man, yet is treated and presented as a type of transhuman intermediate that cannot be rationalized. He calls himself both a woman and man simultaneously, which is valid within itself but I don't think that self-categorization is compatible with being a trans man. He could be gender-fluid or non-binary, but Ry maintaining that he is a trans man whilst making these 'I am doubleness' statements read oddly to me. There is also the excessive fixation with Ry's clitoris, which is supposed to prove just how unrationalizable and atypical he is.
This brings me to my next, and most notable ick with this book: Victor and Ry. I understand that despite being advertised as a love story in the title, the romance was not intended to be conventional in the slightest. However Victor and Ry's relationship is, frankly, gross and upsetting. Their dynamic involves Victor fetishizing his partner and invalidating them constantly under the guise of infatuation. He even admits the reason he loves Ry so is because he cannot understand him and his 'doubleness'; who loves somebody solely based on their gender orientation? If I asked my partner why they loved me and they told me it's because of my gender identity, I'd run for the hills. Yet Ry, for some reason, opposes this odd objectification to a minimal extent. He brings it up once, and then their dynamic resumes seamlessly. Ry's characterization in general reads very spottily as well, with very little notable personality traits or likes/dislikes. Seeing as he's the main character (?), it's not really a great sign.
Something I did enjoy were the historical fiction chapters. I found myself hoping the next page was the beginning of Mary Shelley's point of view just to get the present over with. The references to real-life authors and poets were a treat to read and to research; I learned about a plethora of 19th century writers and the connections between them. The tragedy of Mary Shelly's and Shelly's relationship was my favorite part of the book, especially the progression from enamored couple to barely even married. The mental repercussions of several miscarriages on Mary is portrayed skillfully as well, the descriptions of the babies themselves haunting and expressive.
All in all, this book had all the components to be perfection but was mishandled terribly and honestly, was just blatantly transphobic.
Ry is a trans man, yet is treated and presented as a type of transhuman intermediate that cannot be rationalized. He calls himself both a woman and man simultaneously, which is valid within itself but I don't think that self-categorization is compatible with being a trans man. He could be gender-fluid or non-binary, but Ry maintaining that he is a trans man whilst making these 'I am doubleness' statements read oddly to me. There is also the excessive fixation with Ry's clitoris, which is supposed to prove just how unrationalizable and atypical he is.
This brings me to my next, and most notable ick with this book: Victor and Ry. I understand that despite being advertised as a love story in the title, the romance was not intended to be conventional in the slightest. However Victor and Ry's relationship is, frankly, gross and upsetting. Their dynamic involves Victor fetishizing his partner and invalidating them constantly under the guise of infatuation. He even admits the reason he loves Ry so is because he cannot understand him and his 'doubleness'; who loves somebody solely based on their gender orientation? If I asked my partner why they loved me and they told me it's because of my gender identity, I'd run for the hills. Yet Ry, for some reason, opposes this odd objectification to a minimal extent. He brings it up once, and then their dynamic resumes seamlessly. Ry's characterization in general reads very spottily as well, with very little notable personality traits or likes/dislikes. Seeing as he's the main character (?), it's not really a great sign.
Something I did enjoy were the historical fiction chapters. I found myself hoping the next page was the beginning of Mary Shelley's point of view just to get the present over with. The references to real-life authors and poets were a treat to read and to research; I learned about a plethora of 19th century writers and the connections between them. The tragedy of Mary Shelly's and Shelly's relationship was my favorite part of the book, especially the progression from enamored couple to barely even married. The mental repercussions of several miscarriages on Mary is portrayed skillfully as well, the descriptions of the babies themselves haunting and expressive.
All in all, this book had all the components to be perfection but was mishandled terribly and honestly, was just blatantly transphobic.