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A review by lizzie04
Pulp by Robin Talley
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I was on a rush to work in Manhattan, and in doing so had taken a different route from my usual. The first time I speed walked through, I smiled at the copious pride flags, the sign reading “gay st,” and a bar called The Stonewall Inn, figuring it was just a part of Manhattan that was randomly queer. It wasn’t until I read this book and was taking this route again that I realized I was walking through Greenwich Village, a neighborhood so significant to LGBTQ+ history. There was a bittersweet tightness in my chest and I have this book to thank for making me realize the history I was walking through offhandedly.
Ok yes, I am ashamed that as a queer person I don’t know much about LGBTQ+ history beyond some basics, but this book combined the two things I am a completely sucker for: history and gay shit. It was engrossing to go back to the 1950s from the perspective of a lesbian protagonist, and learning things I SHOULD know through her (ex: the Lavender Scare and explosive popularity in lesbian pulp fiction). I was interested in both the present and the past storylines and seeing the huge difference between the two queer characters’ world’s, only 60 years apart. Both of them were going through completely different things but felt raw in their turmoil; following Abby along in present day and trying to piece Janet’s story was also great.
This book felt like a four star, then the ending (that FUCKING ending) bumped it up to a five. Seeing two entirely different generations of queer people meet and talk to each other, especially after all we went through with them in their separate timelines only to combine in the present, made me feel like my heart was being yanked out of my chest in the best way. It goes to show the significance of representation: even during a time where queerness was hunted down, people in the community found something positive in books that were meant to shun them and warn them off (kind of like how in modern-day shitty representation on TV/books, LGBTQ+ audiences still find a way to get attached and have a positive impact made on them from the work). Anyways, fucking loved this book and I will also be reading lesbian pulp novels now.
Ok yes, I am ashamed that as a queer person I don’t know much about LGBTQ+ history beyond some basics, but this book combined the two things I am a completely sucker for: history and gay shit. It was engrossing to go back to the 1950s from the perspective of a lesbian protagonist, and learning things I SHOULD know through her (ex: the Lavender Scare and explosive popularity in lesbian pulp fiction). I was interested in both the present and the past storylines and seeing the huge difference between the two queer characters’ world’s, only 60 years apart. Both of them were going through completely different things but felt raw in their turmoil; following Abby along in present day and trying to piece Janet’s story was also great.
This book felt like a four star, then the ending (that FUCKING ending) bumped it up to a five. Seeing two entirely different generations of queer people meet and talk to each other, especially after all we went through with them in their separate timelines only to combine in the present, made me feel like my heart was being yanked out of my chest in the best way. It goes to show the significance of representation: even during a time where queerness was hunted down, people in the community found something positive in books that were meant to shun them and warn them off (kind of like how in modern-day shitty representation on TV/books, LGBTQ+ audiences still find a way to get attached and have a positive impact made on them from the work). Anyways, fucking loved this book and I will also be reading lesbian pulp novels now.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia