Scan barcode
baschoon's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This is one of my favorite books I've ever read. Part biography, part memoir, and part reflection and speculation on what it means to write about queerness and queer women in American society, this book sets an example for what a contemporary memoir can be.
shimmery's review against another edition
3.0
Carson McCullers is one of my 2 favourite writers of all time, and I probably would have enjoyed this book a lot more were it not for that fact.
The author acknowledges this during the book — that when we feel an affinity to an author or other figure from the past we often find it frustrating to read other people’s accounts of them. There will always be an element of projection involved which is why we ourselves love them; when we read biographies we want to see our own version of our hero and not this other person’s version.
The central premise of this book is that Carson was a lesbian — I don’t disagree that she was queer, in fact I thought everyone knew that (all the people I know who love her are queer). So it felt a little repetitive at times going round in circles with a point-evidence-explanation style of writing with the point always that Carson was a lesbian and the evidence ranging from her having a chance conversation with a lesbian to her having years long relationships with women. The inclusion of the former kind of evidence I felt took away from the latter. The author is also not prepared consider any other kind of queerness (e.g. bisexuality) as fitting for Carson — it’s lesbian or nothing. And some of the writing around this I found a little bizarre, again taking away from the thoughtfulness of the book e.g. ‘Let’s call a lesbian a lesbian. Call yourself a lesbian if you’ve ever loved women. Loved another woman. Period. You loved your mother? Lesbian.’
I would have liked to have read more about Carson’s life — as it is this is a book about Jenn Shapland, which is to be fair expressed in the title ‘my autobiography.’
To end on a petty note, I could concede to all but one of the author’s projections, and that is her asserting that Carson was an aquarius (the author herself is an aquarius). Carson is a pisces and is surely one of the most archetypal pisces that ever lived?!
The author acknowledges this during the book — that when we feel an affinity to an author or other figure from the past we often find it frustrating to read other people’s accounts of them. There will always be an element of projection involved which is why we ourselves love them; when we read biographies we want to see our own version of our hero and not this other person’s version.
The central premise of this book is that Carson was a lesbian — I don’t disagree that she was queer, in fact I thought everyone knew that (all the people I know who love her are queer). So it felt a little repetitive at times going round in circles with a point-evidence-explanation style of writing with the point always that Carson was a lesbian and the evidence ranging from her having a chance conversation with a lesbian to her having years long relationships with women. The inclusion of the former kind of evidence I felt took away from the latter. The author is also not prepared consider any other kind of queerness (e.g. bisexuality) as fitting for Carson — it’s lesbian or nothing. And some of the writing around this I found a little bizarre, again taking away from the thoughtfulness of the book e.g. ‘Let’s call a lesbian a lesbian. Call yourself a lesbian if you’ve ever loved women. Loved another woman. Period. You loved your mother? Lesbian.’
I would have liked to have read more about Carson’s life — as it is this is a book about Jenn Shapland, which is to be fair expressed in the title ‘my autobiography.’
To end on a petty note, I could concede to all but one of the author’s projections, and that is her asserting that Carson was an aquarius (the author herself is an aquarius). Carson is a pisces and is surely one of the most archetypal pisces that ever lived?!
forgottenwitch's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
It would be categorically incorrect to say that there are no words for how this book made be feel. In fact, it is more accurate to say that their are far, far too many.
I think Shapland put it best, “it is only possible to let absence speak.”
I think Shapland put it best, “it is only possible to let absence speak.”
pajge's review
5.0
woah. this’ll be a long review
i have an incessant need for lesbian literature. i read and research so much of it for many personal reasons, and in all my obscure finds, all my google searches, i have never, ever seen carson mentioned as a lesbian writer or anything, not even a nod to ‘the member of the wedding’, which sounds incredibly queer coded--is code even the right term? it sounds like it’s just there. anyhow, i haven’t read it, i never read carson because i just didn’t know. i found this particular book while sleepily scrolling the new yorker one night. i’m so grateful for that. it’s about the author coming into her own with her discovery of carson’s identity, an identity that’s been intentionally scrubbed and obscured in other biographies. it approaches the ‘reveal’ of what was always there in plain sight, unacknowledged by other biographers, with tactful and careful prose. jenn shapland also hits on the nuances of her undeniable self serving quest to prove carson’s identity in beginning to realise and actualize her own. her anecdotes on discovering herself were just as delightful as those on carson.
carson and mary literally sent each other emily dickinson poems. like, it’s all right there and i can’t imagine how infuriating it must’ve been to research all this and have all these claims made in contradiction to the plain evidence! why aren’t carson and mary regarded as emily and sue, or vita and virginia?
there’s one part i really liked on shapland telling people she was working on this: “But when the person does know Carson’s work, they reply to my mention of her name with a look, a sort of swoon. Isn’t she wonderful? I am never sure how to answer this; yes, I am writing a book about her? I love her, they say, as if this is possible. As I grew closer to Carson through research, it became more and more obvious that I was not alone in my sense of possession, of being possessed.”
Those who saw me reading this, who had read carson, it was that same exact reaction. now i sit alone on my porch having just finished this in the sunlight. feeling so many feelings. appreciation for one. gratitude. love. just read this, read this and tell everyone about it
villagebooksmith's review
informative
slow-paced
3.0
Reading this after reading The Heart is a Lonely Hunter was really interesting. There was definitely a lot of Carson in all the major characters in her first published novel, and I definitely want to read more of Carson McCullers’ work in the future.
While this book wasn’t a favorite, I’m glad to have read it. I wish it had gone a bit more in depth into Carson’s politics and how that related to her experience as a queer and disabled/chronically ill person, but I understand Shapland’s focus here, as this biography by means of memoir focused on Shapland’s own lived experiences.
While this book wasn’t a favorite, I’m glad to have read it. I wish it had gone a bit more in depth into Carson’s politics and how that related to her experience as a queer and disabled/chronically ill person, but I understand Shapland’s focus here, as this biography by means of memoir focused on Shapland’s own lived experiences.
ktaylorhurley's review
5.0
I bought this book because it was a National Book Award finalist. I knew nothing about it. And, before starting this book, I didn’t know who Carson McCullers was. Ultimately, none of that matters. This book is direct and honest, but with a lyrical quality. It’s not like anything I’ve ever read, but it’s not avant-garde. The approach is just so personal to the author, it’s impossible for it not to be unique.