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A review by servemethesky
Careers for Women by Joanna Scott
5.0
What a strange but wonderful book. I wasn't really sure what to expect going into this. I had caught a brief excerpt of someone else's Goodreads review that made me suspect the title was ironic, but I had no idea what I was in store for when I opened this book. Having had Joanna Scott as a professor, I shouldn't have been surprised by the non-chronological nature of the narrative, but I was still taken aback at first. Once I acclimated to it, I found it a new and challenging way to read. The point of view is always shifting, as is the year, but it's always Maggie Gleason at heart who's narrating. This isn't a book about Maggie Gleason and it's not a book about careers for women. It's much more than that.
The environmental aspects of this book were weird and unexpected, as was the depressed housewife storyline, the affair, and even the (no spoilers????) murder. It was so interesting to trace the narrative, and so strangely beautiful. I also loved the tie-in with the development of New York City and the World Trade Center, and the haunting conclusion of the novel with 9/11. It left me feeling a lot of thinks, including confused, moved, and thoughtful. I'm not sure what I was supposed to take away from the novel, but I thought a lot and I greatly enjoyed it.
The environmental aspects of this book were weird and unexpected, as was the depressed housewife storyline, the affair, and even the (no spoilers????) murder. It was so interesting to trace the narrative, and so strangely beautiful. I also loved the tie-in with the development of New York City and the World Trade Center, and the haunting conclusion of the novel with 9/11. It left me feeling a lot of thinks, including confused, moved, and thoughtful. I'm not sure what I was supposed to take away from the novel, but I thought a lot and I greatly enjoyed it.