Reviews

Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy

makennadykstra's review against another edition

2.25

flattest, most cartoonish characters i’ve encountered; most pedantic and least realistic dialogue i’ve ever read; but somehow incredibly compelling??

a fascinating vision of a utopia, ‘utopic’ precisely bc of degendering reproduction &family structures; And, a terrifying glimpse into 50s/60s psych wards & compulsory treatment/medication/patient imprisonment. happy to have read it but would never recommend it? is this becoming my age of sci fi?

bedro's review against another edition

4.0

This book had the tools to change sci-fi and feminist literature, however ended up not delivering to its full potential, the last 4 chapters were missing 400 hundred pages of content, exploring more the unsaid and dissecting every possible future. Still a really good book, deeply poetic and brutally real. The version i got from a charity shop had dissembled throughout the reading, what i found quite simbolic.

bog_gorb's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

janey's review against another edition

2.0

Man, I feel so sorry about how much I disliked this book. I'm sure that if I had read it 40 years ago, I would have been very impressed. But it's just so pedantic! The plot is a bad excuse for a back-to-the-earth polemic. I will always love [b:He, She and It|788331|He, She and It|Marge Piercy|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347374695s/788331.jpg|163871] but once is more than enough for this one.

iridescencedeep's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

The utopia sections reminded me of Becky Chambers' work; a really lovely vision of the future.

Deeply fucked up ending. Kind of crushing to read. 

I didn't find most of the book especially gripping.  The prose was occasionally brilliant but mostly just there. Some interesting reflections on choice and hope. 

plankpot's review against another edition

challenging reflective medium-paced

4.0

maaggggiie's review against another edition

challenging reflective slow-paced

3.5

alicemaryblanks14's review against another edition

challenging dark informative sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

laffols's review against another edition

3.0

3.5. Though the characters felt very flat and robotic and the plot and nuances of the bigger thematics overexplained and trite, I quickly became obsessed with how Piercy wrote her ideal future. I have never so desperately wanted a future shown in a scifi novel as the one Piercy has imagined in this book.

spoon55's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

An important and frustrating book; one I would share with others but may not read again. The protagonist, Connie, is sympathizing and annoying. What even was that ending???