A review by alexiconic
Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy

challenging dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

it’s a very interesting exploration of a possible future that has improved for us, at least in some respects. piercy creates an imperfect utopia: not one where all problems are fixed, but one where (what we see for connie as) the biggest ones are resolved. 

especially at the beginning of the novel, i struggled personally with connie as a main character. her deeply flawed being, combined with the harsh circumstances she faces, and the novel taking place somewhere in a time with far worse conditions for women - it made connie hard(er) to like, and sometimes hard to relate to. still, piercy has clearly taken trouble to carefully construct a character that struggles in life due to classism, patriarchy, and stigmatization of the mentally ill.