oscar101's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
thatoneandrea's review against another edition
challenging
fast-paced
- 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? Yes
3.0
tbabyc's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
5.0
ynna's review
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
passionyoungwrites's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
“You know what I think,” the psychiatrist said. “I think he came to represent all the men you’d known in your life.”
⚡️
Most of a persons background after a crime is unknown. Like how since Eva was a girl there was always a man, and in some instances a boy, that was always trying to get a feel of what’s between her legs. And her being told about the predator in the neighborhood, being felt up by strangers, and even those men that we’re supposed to have been protectors of her innocence.
⚡️
The story starts with Eva being in a psychiatric facility, being silent to her psychiatrist. Eva refuses to tell her side of the story. Though she does speak some to her cellmate. As the story unfolds, the reader is able to see all of the predatory moments Eva endured. Every moment shaped her and ultimately landed her in this position.
⚡️
Most of a persons background after a crime is unknown. Like how since Eva was a girl there was always a man, and in some instances a boy, that was always trying to get a feel of what’s between her legs. And her being told about the predator in the neighborhood, being felt up by strangers, and even those men that we’re supposed to have been protectors of her innocence.
⚡️
The story starts with Eva being in a psychiatric facility, being silent to her psychiatrist. Eva refuses to tell her side of the story. Though she does speak some to her cellmate. As the story unfolds, the reader is able to see all of the predatory moments Eva endured. Every moment shaped her and ultimately landed her in this position.
tailwhip's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, Blood, and Sexual violence
thoreautigliano's review
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I think Gayl Jones is just fascinating as a writer. What struck me most when reading Eva's Man is the way in which she approaches her material with such staggering confidence. This is a book about a woman, Eva, who is in prison because she apparently killed her lover by (and here is a slight content warning for sexual violence I suppose) biting his penis off while engaged in supposed sex. The back of the book goes with the adjective "bizarre" for the murder, and I guess I can't argue with that, but I think the even better word for it would be visceral. Like, no matter who you are reading that it is an intensely physical experience, but the book never uses it as some big shock-style gore or anything, instead it just faces it head-on. That is the event that happened, Eva remembers it there are stories told by others who have heard about it, and the novel then goes about reckoning with that.
What I liked so much about this story, though, was how it was never really clear if that event actually happens the way any single person tells it. In fact, almost all the events of this story are slightly distorted by varying memories and evolving stories that are told surrounding them. What is so strong, then, is how she is able to thread this idea of uncertainty through the text without sacrificing the emotional density of the moments that are being highlighted. She talks very directly about her experiences being assaulted as a child, watching her mother have an affair, experiencing predatory behavior as a teenager, and being in an abusive marriage, all of these things are heartbreakingly tragic occurrences. And yet, there is a tension there with how Eva remembers these events, how they are told over time, and even in where responsibilities lie within them. It is a morally grey book, and not in the edgy kind of teenage boy way, but in the real deal complexities of ethics and responsibility. What can a person be held responsible for, who is a victim and who is a perpetrator, where are those lines? I don't think Eva's Man has the answers, but it lays things out in a way that is so raw that it makes you think about them. Like I said before, her writing is so confident that despite the complexity of the narrative, and the often muddled nature of those events, it doesn't feel like it is pulling punches or easing off at any point. Just another deeply fascinating work from a fascinating writer.
What I liked so much about this story, though, was how it was never really clear if that event actually happens the way any single person tells it. In fact, almost all the events of this story are slightly distorted by varying memories and evolving stories that are told surrounding them. What is so strong, then, is how she is able to thread this idea of uncertainty through the text without sacrificing the emotional density of the moments that are being highlighted. She talks very directly about her experiences being assaulted as a child, watching her mother have an affair, experiencing predatory behavior as a teenager, and being in an abusive marriage, all of these things are heartbreakingly tragic occurrences. And yet, there is a tension there with how Eva remembers these events, how they are told over time, and even in where responsibilities lie within them. It is a morally grey book, and not in the edgy kind of teenage boy way, but in the real deal complexities of ethics and responsibility. What can a person be held responsible for, who is a victim and who is a perpetrator, where are those lines? I don't think Eva's Man has the answers, but it lays things out in a way that is so raw that it makes you think about them. Like I said before, her writing is so confident that despite the complexity of the narrative, and the often muddled nature of those events, it doesn't feel like it is pulling punches or easing off at any point. Just another deeply fascinating work from a fascinating writer.
edwarda132's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
_chloe_reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.75
ricamarina's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I may come back to the book again when I am at another stage in my life. Eva's life was riddled with trauma and this man just triggered everything she's possibly gone through. Very graphic but shows how sexual violence can affect the victim's mind and recollection of events...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence