A review by diothyst
Women Talking by Miriam Toews

dark reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.0

This book should be a deeply reflective, poignant narrative of the complicated feelings/emotions of multiple women coming to terms with what has happened to them, the questions they raise about their faith and its interpretation, and their struggle to determine how to address the matter in a short time frame is instead a view into the mind of a man of the colony. The book lacks any true look into the women, and you are instead bombarded with August's thoughts and opinions, his nonsensical metaphors/analogies, and his desperation for anything Ona does to be romantic towards him. He completely overshadows the women in the book and often his own experiences and troubles become the focus during situations. He is an unlikeable narrator and in turn many of the women become unlikeable when we are not given the proper chance to view the happenings through their eyes and why they are reacting the way they are. For what the book is about, it greatly misses the mark on what it could have been. 
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