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A review by yvkhan
The Powerbook by Jeanette Winterson
4.0
Every fan of Winterson reads her works for the exact same reason - she loves, and loves passionately. This passion oozes from every romance she writes, and this one is no exception.
However, I must say that The PowerBook is a very convoluted novel. It explores time, love, cyberspace - all distinct ideas, muddied together in the novel, rendering interpretation rather difficult. Many pages feel loaded with metaphor, but the sheer amount of it makes deciphering each and every one a rather laborious - if not unbearable - task (I gave up rather quickly). The cyberspace aspect, in particular, is rather confusing - Winterson seems to have an interest in technology (See also: The Gap of Time, Frankissstein), but her dabbles in it feel like tangents, almost, compared to the weight and strength of her love,
Also, let’s not forget about how Ali’s tulips became a penis they then used to fuck a princess. Is it feminist? Maybe. Is it relevant to love? Insofar as lesbianism is inherently feminist, yes. However, as a whole, this event just feels like an unsuccessfully comedic digression that just serves to discourage the reader from continuing their read.
But at the end of the day, Winterson can do no wrong in my eyes. As long as she keeps writing in such an enthralling fashion, I don’t see how I could ever give her less than 3 stars.
However, I must say that The PowerBook is a very convoluted novel. It explores time, love, cyberspace - all distinct ideas, muddied together in the novel, rendering interpretation rather difficult. Many pages feel loaded with metaphor, but the sheer amount of it makes deciphering each and every one a rather laborious - if not unbearable - task (I gave up rather quickly). The cyberspace aspect, in particular, is rather confusing - Winterson seems to have an interest in technology (See also: The Gap of Time, Frankissstein), but her dabbles in it feel like tangents, almost, compared to the weight and strength of her love,
Also, let’s not forget about how Ali’s tulips became a penis they then used to fuck a princess. Is it feminist? Maybe. Is it relevant to love? Insofar as lesbianism is inherently feminist, yes. However, as a whole, this event just feels like an unsuccessfully comedic digression that just serves to discourage the reader from continuing their read.
But at the end of the day, Winterson can do no wrong in my eyes. As long as she keeps writing in such an enthralling fashion, I don’t see how I could ever give her less than 3 stars.