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therainbowshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
📚 The gist 📚: Along a dual-timeline, Mary Shelley dreams up a monster novel in the 1810s, and a man two hundred years later ponders over what constitutes life and death.
📒Representation📒: Ftm mc, mlm mc, cherecter with a more flexible sexuality
💕 For readers looking for 💕: the existential questions of what constitutes life dredged up by Frankenstein, books about books (kind of), and characters becoming real
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, and Medical content
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: Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Grief, Medical trauma, and Alcohol
Moderate: Child death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
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, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Ableism, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, and Alcohol
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:
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: Deadnaming, Sexual content, and Transphobia
Moderate: Body horror, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Confinement, Fatphobia, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, and Grief
bookedbymadeline's review
Problematic: Ry compliments a Black woman’s hair by saying she looks like an expert “maybe because of how you style it. Very professional.” As I’ve seen from other reviewers the book does not get any better in Trans rep for Ry. I have no interest in reading about a Trans character that is written for cis people like myself and would rather spend my time on books with more accurate representation.
Where is the story even set in?! First they talk about Memphis then they’re going to a bar in Trafalgar Square?
Graphic: Deadnaming, Misogyny, Sexism, and Transphobia
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Ableism and Child death
sophiewelsh's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Deadnaming, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Blood, and Antisemitism
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, Hate crime, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Transphobia, and Grief
morebedsidebooks's review
Graphic: Child death, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Transphobia
Moderate: Pedophilia
purecomedy's review
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia