Scan barcode
groceries's review against another edition
funny
Mary I wish you were alive today so you could be starting fandom discourse on Tumblr. I really feel like this is where your talents would have peaked. I respect the hustle but I cannot believe you made me read an entire chapter about eating an olive.
carokfulf's review against another edition
3.0
Wish I could have read this years ago---Mary, in all her desperate self-absorbtion, reminds me much of myself as a teenager. Her vision of time and place, as well as her unwillingness to succumb to the depression of isolation, drive her memoir past the shallowness of the confessional, and make this book worth reading. However, as someone who was rather like Mary, my irritation at her myopia threatened to overwhelm my enjoyment of her more beautiful thoughts.
remuslibrary's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts
emma_leoni's review against another edition
It was boring because there was no plot at all.
bisexualbookshelf's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
“I long unspeakably for happiness. And so I await the Devil’s coming.”
Published in 1902 under the title "The Story of Mary MacLane," Mary MacLane's debut work "I Await the Devil's Coming" is a revolutionary text that shook the literary world. MacLane's unflinching honesty and radical self-expression were too avant-garde for her time, prompting her publisher to make numerous alterations to her original manuscript. Republished in 2014, I read an annotated, unexpurgated edition that restores MacLane’s raw and powerful voice.
MacLane’s writing is often considered the precursor to the confessional diary genre. Her openness about her self-love, sexual attraction to women, and desire to marry the Devil was groundbreaking. Her influence extended to literary figures like Gertrude Stein and F. Scott Fitzgerald, and she is recognized as a pioneer for her feminist and bisexual identity. Despite the historical context of her work, MacLane's themes of self-exploration, identity, and defiance against societal expectations remain strikingly relevant today.
"I Await the Devil's Coming" is a bold and introspective account of 19-year-old Mary MacLane's life and thoughts. Dedicated to the Devil—“who one day may come”—MacLane's narrative explores her deep sense of isolation, yearning for purpose, and rejection of the roles imposed upon women. Her writing probes the line between art and artifice, challenging the constant performance demanded of women. Mary’s reflections on her life in Butte, Montana, are interspersed with her longing for something more—an intense desire for change and recognition.
MacLane's prose is both sensory and sensual, drawing readers into her world with vivid descriptions of the Montana landscape and her internal turmoil. Her language is raw and unfiltered, capturing her emotions with an honesty that feels almost invasive. Lines like “Are there many things in this cool-hearted world so utterly exquisite as the pure love of one woman for another woman?” and “May I never, I say, become that abnormal, merciless animal, that deformed monstrosity—a virtuous woman” highlight her radical views and deep introspection.
Mary’s relationship with her former English teacher, Fannie Corbin—referred to as “the anemone lady”—is a poignant thread throughout the book. Mary's desire to escape with Fannie to the mountains, coupled with her acknowledgment that Fannie, a good Christian woman, would never reciprocate her feelings, paints a heartbreaking picture of unrequited love and longing. This relationship underscores the intense loneliness that permeates Mary’s life, as she imagines becoming a man to be with Fannie and achieve the respect and value denied to her as a woman.
MacLane’s reflections on her own femininity and her desire to be more than a commodity are powerful and ahead of her time. She grapples with feelings of invisibility and powerlessness, yet remains fiercely self-aware and determined to leave her mark on the world. Her narrative is informed by and obsessed with the natural world around her, often using it as a metaphor for her inner state.
The book’s portrayal of Mary’s inner world is both fascinating and at times, repetitive. While this redundancy can slow the narrative, it also reinforces the relentless nature of her introspection and desire for change. MacLane's self-awareness and her struggle to find happiness and recognition are themes that resonate deeply, making this book a unique and valuable insight into the life of a queer feminist in the early 20th century.
"I Await the Devil's Coming" is a remarkable and daring work that captures the essence of Mary MacLane’s rebellious spirit and her quest for identity and autonomy. It is a testament to the enduring power of radical self-expression and the importance of preserving the authentic voices of trailblazing women. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of feminist literature and the raw, unfiltered thoughts of a woman who dared to defy societal norms. For its groundbreaking nature and emotional depth, this book earns a solid four-star rating.
📖 Recommended For: Advocates for LGBTQ+ Representation, Feminist Readers, Those Interested in Historical Memoirs, Fans of Radical and Unconventional Literature
🔑 Key Themes: Queer Feminist Identity, Rejection of Societal Norms, Loneliness and Desire, Introspection and Self-Discovery, Unrequited Queer Love.