hannahbailey's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I've read several reviews of this novel in which people describe Winterson as transphobic. In this novel specifically, I don't see the ignorant views of the characters as a reflection of her own views. However, there is very crude language used throughout which focuses on the anatomy of the characters. I don't feel that this narrative focus on bodily features has aged well (I know this book is only 3 years old but even then) in response to present ideas of gender, sex and identity. The characters around Ry are consistently transphobic, denying their identity, misgendering them and deadnaming them. This is a book to read if you're interested in the future of AI and human relationships, but not if you're looking for a story with good trans rep. Had this book not featured Frankenstein but a different cautionary tale, such as Brave New World, I probably would've hated it.
Alternative reads with trans rep/trans authors:
https://bookriot.com/best-trans-fantasy-books/
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/126482.Novels_by_Trans_Authors_with_Trans_Protagonists
Jeanette Winterson//transphobia:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-lgbt-books/no-rush-to-change-gender-uk-writer-joins-trans-debate-idUSKCN1T028R
Non-exhaustive list of TW: sexual assault, transphobia, homophobia, child death, miscarriage, misogyny, body horror/gore
Graphic: Gore, Body shaming, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Medical content, Death, Child death, and Transphobia
Moderate: Miscarriage
radfordmanor's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Grief, Medical trauma, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Violence
anth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
However, I'm not sure I completely get where the story went. I think I do, but the doubt leaves me hanging. Maybe that's the point. I don't know what was the point, but maybe it was leaving me here to think about what the point was.
Graphic: Transphobia and Deadnaming
Moderate: Sexual assault, Child death, and Miscarriage
Minor: Misogyny
mryshells's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Deadnaming, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Transphobia, and Violence
Moderate: Ableism, Alcohol, Antisemitism, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Outing, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexism
tenten's review
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
the historical Mary Shelley parts were my favorite, which was a surprise because i don't normally like historical fiction. this book is clearly well-researched (except for the transgender character lol), and i think the fact that the historical characters were real people benefitted Winterson—that is to say, they actually had distinctive personalities and their conversations felt more <i>real</i> than anyone in the modern day, even though they got int a lot of philosophical debates too.
the only modern character that didn't feel one-dimensional to me was Victor, because he was very strange and passionate and had strong convictions in a way that felt more fleshed out than everyone else. something about the intensity of Claire's religious fervor rubbed me the wrong way, especially because she was the only black one (as an aside, i hate when (white) writers only point out the race of non-white characters. i never read a character description that's like "Claire was tall, white, beautiful..." like, i get it, whiteness is your default but sheesh.)
i wasn't as bothered by Ron's misogyny as other readers because i understood that as being the point, and Polly D didn't feel relevant for most of the book (neither did Claire, honestly.)
i'm all for stream-of-consciousness and a plot that isn't so clear cut but this felt like Winterson trying to work through her thoughts about AI and transhumanism and faith and science, and the characters are kinda just there as mouthpieces. I watched a documentary about Toni Morrison last year where she talks about how she writes to answer/explore questions and ideas, which clearly Winterson is doing here, but with Morrison, her characters and stories are at least fully fleshed out, even when there isn't a very complex plot.
i noticed that a lot of queer readers took issue with Ry's characterization. i understood the transphobia as being a reflection of the other characters's ignorance, but Ry's passivity about it annoyed me. i don't know if it was Winterson's intention for Ry to be non-binary rather than specifically a trans man, but i think that would've worked better, but my perception is colored by the fact that i'm non-binary. this isn't to say that non-binary people are comfortable being misgendered and deadnamed, but i think some of Ry's ideals about gender, and their own gender identity, aligned lore with non-binaryness.
this is a spoiler but:
Spoiler
in the last quarter-ish of the book, Ry is assaulted in a bar bathroom by a transphobic drunk dude. this took me out of the story because it felt so out of place—while yes, Ry had previously been misgendered, deadnamed, and fetishized throughout the story, something about this seemed...too far.overall, i thought this was just...ok, and probs wouldn't read it again. i checked this out from the library and was torn between this and Daisy Jones & the Six, and i wish i had checked that out instead 😭 i don't think i liked Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit that much either, so i think that Winterson and i just might not mesh!?
Graphic: Transphobia, Sexual content, and Deadnaming
Moderate: Body horror, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Confinement, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, and Rape
angel_kiiss's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Graphic: Deadnaming, Hate crime, Outing, Rape, Sexual assault, and Transphobia
Moderate: Death, Medical content, and Miscarriage
laurajones's review
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Transphobia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Medical content, and Deadnaming
Minor: Fatphobia, Miscarriage, Body shaming, and Body horror
thoroughlyenjoyedbooks's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Fatphobia, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Transphobia
caroline_reads's review
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Generally, however, I thought that the novel was generally unfocused with no clear plot or purpose. There was an unnecessary scene in which
Spoiler
the trans protagonist was sexually assaulted by a background character. This incident happened randomly with little build up and there was no later mention to this event in the novel. The protagonist handwaved the incident as something that has happened to him many times before and it was fine. In summary, I don't see what this scene did to further our understanding of his character and I'm tired of reading fiction in which trans or genderqueer characters are abused/face violence as though this is acceptable and an essential element of being a queer person.Winterson indicates in her final note that the purpose of this novel is to explore how reality is unclear. Lofty ambitions, but she has not explored such an idea in a way that is compelling or adds to our understanding of human reality.
The best line of the novel comes near the end: "grief means living with someone who is no longer there."
Graphic: Sexual assault, Deadnaming, and Transphobia
Moderate: Miscarriage and Religious bigotry
laurenw22's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Miscarriage