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A review by raygersh
The Book of the Unnamed Midwife by Meg Elison
3.0
Trying to orient my thoughts on this apocalypse novel from Meg Elison has proven to be a painful venture. I simply hated this book--but also liked it a lot. The Book of the Unnamed Midwife may remind you of a little-known book, The Handmaid’s Tale. We have a nameless survivor recording her journey in a time of dropping birth rates and increased subjugation of women. The story itself, however, is vastly different than life experienced by the red cloaked handmaids Atwood portrays. In fact, I really like what Elison depicts in her apocalypse. She has taken a fairly overdone concept and given us a fresh look at it. Unfortunately, the stylistic elements that draw the comparison to Margaret Atwood completely undercut much of what is good in The Book of the Unnamed Midwife.
The pacing of the novel is all over the place. There are sections that drag on for too long, while others deserve much more attention. The reader is jostled from journal entries to omniscient narration that seems pointless. I don’t doubt that Meg Elison is extremely intelligent, as she has some incredibly profound and astute commentary scattered throughout, but it is hidden beneath layers of terrible fiction writing. I hate to say it, but I wish she had acted as consultant on the project and let someone who knows how to write a novel take over from there.
Overall: Deeply insightful points were made regarding human nature, sexuality, religion, and life, but a highly frustratingly written novel with a few nuisances I can’t see past. 2.5 stars
The pacing of the novel is all over the place. There are sections that drag on for too long, while others deserve much more attention. The reader is jostled from journal entries to omniscient narration that seems pointless. I don’t doubt that Meg Elison is extremely intelligent, as she has some incredibly profound and astute commentary scattered throughout, but it is hidden beneath layers of terrible fiction writing. I hate to say it, but I wish she had acted as consultant on the project and let someone who knows how to write a novel take over from there.
Overall: Deeply insightful points were made regarding human nature, sexuality, religion, and life, but a highly frustratingly written novel with a few nuisances I can’t see past. 2.5 stars