Scan barcode
A review by servemethesky
Saint Mazie by Jami Attenberg
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
What a strange little book. The cover is gorgeous, of course. I picked this one up mostly because I thoroughly enjoyed some of Attenberg's other novels, like All of This Could be Yours and The Middlesteins. I didn't *not* enjoy Saint Mazie, but it didn't hit in the same way for me. I spent a lot of the novel waiting for something to happen, then realized we weren't really going to get much plot. Just tragedy after tragedy in fragmented pieces. It's a lot of things happening TO Mazie and not really her making things happen.
It's striking how much still feels relevant in 2024, though. The 1918 Spanish influence parallels COVID, women have limited bodily autonomy and access to healthcare (still, ugh), and the Great Depression parts almost made me laugh, because I've seen statistics showing that the wealth inequality in this country now and the struggle to get by today is worse than it was during the great depression. Where's Mazie today?!
While the unusual structure was an interesting concept, I don't think it worked particularly well. The diary entries + autobiography entries were confusing until it was explained at the very end that she had been writing an autobiography as well that was never published. I loathed every section from George Flicker (he was so damn obnoxious) and the publishing guy who didn't publish her memoir sucked too. Could've done with less of them. Also, the device at the end with the documentarian was more confusing than anything else and didn't add anything.
I think I would've rather read a straight up fictional novel with a more traditional narrative so we could be more fully immersed in Mazie's perspective, rather than all these scattered bits from annoying, unlikable randos.
I wanted more Sister Tee, too! I wanted a queer love story! Her death is so glossed over! Ugh.
It's striking how much still feels relevant in 2024, though. The 1918 Spanish influence parallels COVID, women have limited bodily autonomy and access to healthcare (still, ugh), and the Great Depression parts almost made me laugh, because I've seen statistics showing that the wealth inequality in this country now and the struggle to get by today is worse than it was during the great depression. Where's Mazie today?!
While the unusual structure was an interesting concept, I don't think it worked particularly well. The diary entries + autobiography entries were confusing until it was explained at the very end that she had been writing an autobiography as well that was never published. I loathed every section from George Flicker (he was so damn obnoxious) and the publishing guy who didn't publish her memoir sucked too. Could've done with less of them. Also, the device at the end with the documentarian was more confusing than anything else and didn't add anything.
I think I would've rather read a straight up fictional novel with a more traditional narrative so we could be more fully immersed in Mazie's perspective, rather than all these scattered bits from annoying, unlikable randos.
I wanted more Sister Tee, too! I wanted a queer love story! Her death is so glossed over! Ugh.