stefhyena's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
OK so there was a short section which contained significant transphobia. This was ugly and detracted from an otherwise good book. At first I didn't like the way it faded between first person and third person, the fragments and the difficulty in following it but as I persisted I got a sort of poetic sense and certainly some of the parts that describe what I assume are actual experiences of sexism by Russ (or at least by "Joanna" who is a professor and a novelist) are very relatable and there's a sort of relief in having it so angrily written about.
So I really enjoyed the book and would probably have given it 5 stars up to the point where Jael came into the story. This was a shame because I was really looking forward to meeting her and the complications she would bring but her battle of the sexes scenario was not very convincing (why do women sell out to the men so much? The motivation was never explained) and the transphobia was just vile. Some of this helped me put into perspective a book by Braidotti which I had found (much more mildly) problematic and even Mary Daly who I had experienced as "yikes". The wandering voice of this was reminiscent of Daly - but this does not claim to be non-fiction.
After the short transphobic section that was not a focus of the book any more. It was still there I can't pretend it wasn't but it wasn't the main point. At the end Russ does a rant about writing a book to make people think (sure worked on me) and that she looks forward to a time when this book will be quaint and out of date. This leads me to partially get back my respect for her (I was really liking her as a writer for most of the book) and imagine that after 1975 (when I was 1) she might have learned better. She died in 2011 so I can't ask her.
Things I found useful- the ambivalence around heterosexuality and homosexuality (some of that was problematic, especially m/m stuff), the problematisation of the role of mother, work, technology, aggression, childhood. This was one of the most mature and least silly treatments of time travel I have ever come across (Octavia Butler is another notable writer who deals with it well). Russ explains why things can get tangled but not contradictory. I tend to not like "alternate universes" as a theory but I think this book knows it is fiction and does what it needs to do to explore its ideas.
There's very little resolution but there is enough for this to be a well crafted book. I don't forgive the transphobia (real people suffered and suffer) but I leave it in its time.
So I really enjoyed the book and would probably have given it 5 stars up to the point where Jael came into the story. This was a shame because I was really looking forward to meeting her and the complications she would bring but her battle of the sexes scenario was not very convincing (why do women sell out to the men so much? The motivation was never explained) and the transphobia was just vile. Some of this helped me put into perspective a book by Braidotti which I had found (much more mildly) problematic and even Mary Daly who I had experienced as "yikes". The wandering voice of this was reminiscent of Daly - but this does not claim to be non-fiction.
After the short transphobic section that was not a focus of the book any more. It was still there I can't pretend it wasn't but it wasn't the main point. At the end Russ does a rant about writing a book to make people think (sure worked on me) and that she looks forward to a time when this book will be quaint and out of date. This leads me to partially get back my respect for her (I was really liking her as a writer for most of the book) and imagine that after 1975 (when I was 1) she might have learned better. She died in 2011 so I can't ask her.
Things I found useful- the ambivalence around heterosexuality and homosexuality (some of that was problematic, especially m/m stuff), the problematisation of the role of mother, work, technology, aggression, childhood. This was one of the most mature and least silly treatments of time travel I have ever come across (Octavia Butler is another notable writer who deals with it well). Russ explains why things can get tangled but not contradictory. I tend to not like "alternate universes" as a theory but I think this book knows it is fiction and does what it needs to do to explore its ideas.
There's very little resolution but there is enough for this to be a well crafted book. I don't forgive the transphobia (real people suffered and suffer) but I leave it in its time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia
There's one short section with transphobia but it really is horrendous transphobia so approach with cautionrileymay's review against another edition
challenging
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A poignant and insightful exploration of the feminine experience (though very white and cis) which is undermined in areas by the characters Janet and Jael (one sleeps with a teen girl, the other has an AI robot sex slave) and its lack of intersectionality. Basically: very interesting, at times very beautiful, remains very necessary but is also flawed.
p.s. I saw one review that said that all the men in the book are all portrayed as terrible. I would have to disagree. While there is a lot of that there are also men who are not intentionally harmful, just ignorant in the things they say and do. For example, reference to the game 'I Must Impress This Woman.' in which men pursue romance despite repeated failure. I have seen these games played by well intentioned boys who are doing what they are taught is romantic.
p.s. I saw one review that said that all the men in the book are all portrayed as terrible. I would have to disagree. While there is a lot of that there are also men who are not intentionally harmful, just ignorant in the things they say and do. For example, reference to the game 'I Must Impress This Woman.' in which men pursue romance despite repeated failure. I have seen these games played by well intentioned boys who are doing what they are taught is romantic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Slavery
Moderate: Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, and Blood
Minor: Transphobia and Racism
lleullawgyffes's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia
booksoverbinaries's review against another edition
1.5
I was enjoying it up until the transphobic part. While the main theme of feminism is still very relevant it fell short in too many areas for me. If you're looking for something similar that's actually intersectional I highly recommend 'Woman On The Edge of Time' by Marge Piercy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia
asnecessaryasbread's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Transphobia
Minor: Suicide
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