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A review by coinmanatee
Written on the Body by Jeanette Winterson
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Read for Uni
And frankly that 1 star is being generous and awarded solely for the fact that the prose is pretty.
For uni we were told to focus on the fact that the narrator of this story doesn't give themselves a gender. Which honestly is the least interesting thing about this book. It's done because apparently "love is the same for all. Hetero or Homo" ...Which is a lie. Because while the FEELING might be the same, the way we relate to it is different. Most hetero people don't worry about how the greater public is going to ostracise or kill them for the sin of loving the wrong person.
The story tries to level the playing field by making the love story an affair. A woman cheating on her husband.
But you know the fact it has to do this kind of proves my point. (And this isn't even a love triangle that is solved with PolyA. One of the characters attempts the briefest, worst attempt at PolyA I think you can get without just not telling your husband that you're having an affair)
Also love isn't universal in regards to the book consistently and unceasingly equates sex to love. And Ace people exist.
Then halfway through the book turns into this WEIRD AS FUCK love letter to a disabled woman using medical terminology mixed with colourful (verging on purple) prose and.
You know if I had found out an ex of mine had become REALLY into my specific medical issues I would be weirded out, to extremely disturbed.
Which is the third point of, this book isn't even a love story. It's a book that thinks it's a love story but really is a story about obsession and a person who wouldn't know real love if it smashed them on the head.
Oh, and the antisemitism of the "antagonist" (husband) is just. Unfortunate. As is a second half of this book hinging on an ultimately ableist plot decision.
And frankly that 1 star is being generous and awarded solely for the fact that the prose is pretty.
For uni we were told to focus on the fact that the narrator of this story doesn't give themselves a gender. Which honestly is the least interesting thing about this book. It's done because apparently "love is the same for all. Hetero or Homo" ...Which is a lie. Because while the FEELING might be the same, the way we relate to it is different. Most hetero people don't worry about how the greater public is going to ostracise or kill them for the sin of loving the wrong person.
The story tries to level the playing field by making the love story an affair. A woman cheating on her husband.
But you know the fact it has to do this kind of proves my point. (And this isn't even a love triangle that is solved with PolyA. One of the characters attempts the briefest, worst attempt at PolyA I think you can get without just not telling your husband that you're having an affair)
Also love isn't universal in regards to the book consistently and unceasingly equates sex to love. And Ace people exist.
Then halfway through the book turns into this WEIRD AS FUCK love letter to a disabled woman using medical terminology mixed with colourful (verging on purple) prose and.
You know if I had found out an ex of mine had become REALLY into my specific medical issues I would be weirded out, to extremely disturbed.
Which is the third point of, this book isn't even a love story. It's a book that thinks it's a love story but really is a story about obsession and a person who wouldn't know real love if it smashed them on the head.
Oh, and the antisemitism of the "antagonist" (husband) is just. Unfortunate. As is a second half of this book hinging on an ultimately ableist plot decision.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Antisemitism
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Body shaming