sunbeam_reader's review
challenging
sad
slow-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? It's complicated
2.25
Likes: The writing is undeniably beautiful. There were so many passages that I underlined and absolutely see my self going back to and enjoying. I liked the ambiguity of the narrator a lot. Jeanette Winterson is a lesbian and even though the lead character's gender, name, race, etc. are never revealed you can still sense the fact that this is a queer character because of the way that they interact with the world and their lovers. I also enjoyed the first few chapters of the book a lot.
• Dislikes: The plot of the book and the ending really fell flat for me. Things just ended out of the blue with seemingly no explanation and sometimes that's ok but because this story is about a romance having and ending like that doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I also feel like even though the beginning really caught me the rest of the book failed to keep my attention (I actually ended skimming some sections towards the end).
• REP: The lead character is bisexual and all the characters that are named are white as far as I know. One thing that struck me as a possible issue is that the villain of the story is a Jewish man. I am not Jewish so I cannot say that the depiction of him was anti-Semitic, however, the trope of the Jewish or Jewish coded villain is so common I felt it needed to be mentioned. I highly recommend trying to seek out reviews for this book by Jewish readers to find out more.
• Final Thoughts: I really just think this book was not for me. I wouldn't discourage people from reading it but it may not be your cup of tea. However, Winterson's writing is beautiful and I own another book of hers that I got for a class at Uni so I might give her another shot and see how I feel.
• Dislikes: The plot of the book and the ending really fell flat for me. Things just ended out of the blue with seemingly no explanation and sometimes that's ok but because this story is about a romance having and ending like that doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I also feel like even though the beginning really caught me the rest of the book failed to keep my attention (I actually ended skimming some sections towards the end).
• REP: The lead character is bisexual and all the characters that are named are white as far as I know. One thing that struck me as a possible issue is that the villain of the story is a Jewish man. I am not Jewish so I cannot say that the depiction of him was anti-Semitic, however, the trope of the Jewish or Jewish coded villain is so common I felt it needed to be mentioned. I highly recommend trying to seek out reviews for this book by Jewish readers to find out more.
• Final Thoughts: I really just think this book was not for me. I wouldn't discourage people from reading it but it may not be your cup of tea. However, Winterson's writing is beautiful and I own another book of hers that I got for a class at Uni so I might give her another shot and see how I feel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Antisemitism, Cancer, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, and Toxic relationship
coinmanatee's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Read for Uni
And frankly that 1 star is being generous and awarded solely for the fact that the prose is pretty.
For uni we were told to focus on the fact that the narrator of this story doesn't give themselves a gender. Which honestly is the least interesting thing about this book. It's done because apparently "love is the same for all. Hetero or Homo" ...Which is a lie. Because while the FEELING might be the same, the way we relate to it is different. Most hetero people don't worry about how the greater public is going to ostracise or kill them for the sin of loving the wrong person.
The story tries to level the playing field by making the love story an affair. A woman cheating on her husband.
But you know the fact it has to do this kind of proves my point. (And this isn't even a love triangle that is solved with PolyA. One of the characters attempts the briefest, worst attempt at PolyA I think you can get without just not telling your husband that you're having an affair)
Also love isn't universal in regards to the book consistently and unceasingly equates sex to love. And Ace people exist.
Then halfway through the book turns into this WEIRD AS FUCK love letter to a disabled woman using medical terminology mixed with colourful (verging on purple) prose and.
You know if I had found out an ex of mine had become REALLY into my specific medical issues I would be weirded out, to extremely disturbed.
Which is the third point of, this book isn't even a love story. It's a book that thinks it's a love story but really is a story about obsession and a person who wouldn't know real love if it smashed them on the head.
Oh, and the antisemitism of the "antagonist" (husband) is just. Unfortunate. As is a second half of this book hinging on an ultimately ableist plot decision.
And frankly that 1 star is being generous and awarded solely for the fact that the prose is pretty.
For uni we were told to focus on the fact that the narrator of this story doesn't give themselves a gender. Which honestly is the least interesting thing about this book. It's done because apparently "love is the same for all. Hetero or Homo" ...Which is a lie. Because while the FEELING might be the same, the way we relate to it is different. Most hetero people don't worry about how the greater public is going to ostracise or kill them for the sin of loving the wrong person.
The story tries to level the playing field by making the love story an affair. A woman cheating on her husband.
But you know the fact it has to do this kind of proves my point. (And this isn't even a love triangle that is solved with PolyA. One of the characters attempts the briefest, worst attempt at PolyA I think you can get without just not telling your husband that you're having an affair)
Also love isn't universal in regards to the book consistently and unceasingly equates sex to love. And Ace people exist.
Then halfway through the book turns into this WEIRD AS FUCK love letter to a disabled woman using medical terminology mixed with colourful (verging on purple) prose and.
You know if I had found out an ex of mine had become REALLY into my specific medical issues I would be weirded out, to extremely disturbed.
Which is the third point of, this book isn't even a love story. It's a book that thinks it's a love story but really is a story about obsession and a person who wouldn't know real love if it smashed them on the head.
Oh, and the antisemitism of the "antagonist" (husband) is just. Unfortunate. As is a second half of this book hinging on an ultimately ableist plot decision.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Antisemitism
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Body shaming
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