Content Warning: death (including that of children), violence, child abuse, suicide, lesbophobia, racism, lesbophobic slurs, racist slurs, sexual assaContent Warning: death (including that of children), violence, child abuse, suicide, lesbophobia, racism, lesbophobic slurs, racist slurs, sexual assault, discussion of child sexual abuse, grooming of a minor, adult/minor "relationship." Please note that my review below does discuss some of these topics in detail.
The summary for this book sounded just like everything I love. A rumination on Communism and the Eastern Bloc, an insight into the lives of sapphic women from Eastern European countries, complicated relationships, the loss (and return?) of a first love... the first page was so promising, written with both dry wit and an undercurrent of glamor, captivating in its strangeness and beauty. As the title and inspiration behind this blog might suggest, I'm also enamored with the strange: I love oddness, things beyond what we might consider the norm, and a fearlessness when it comes to embracing the strange, sometimes repulsive parts of our lives. It seemed like this book would be a match made in heaven for me. Sadly, though, the longer I read, the more I realized that the strangeness here is purposeless, aimless, and perhaps simply odd for the sake of being odd.
Now, though, let me expand on my main problem with this book: racism. It's a bit of a long story, so I'll keep it as short and sweet as I can, but at some point Zorka ends up befriending two black girls, Tiff and Deandra, while she's living in America, and the interactions are so stereotypical it left me totally boggled. Ironically enough, Tiff and Deandra challenge some of Zorka's clueless racism, and they all become quite close, but the text itself continues to perpetuate racist stereotypes nonetheless. There's also a scene of challenged racism, where a man in Zorka's friend group laments the "American need" for equality and diversity, but it felt oddly pointless and performative.
Two other incidents I feel I must mention: there's a weird, disgusting, seemingly pointless, dreamlike-sequence where a character is molested by a group of orphans; and Jana, talking about herself as a child, says that she wanted to be "molestable" and spent her entire childhood wishing to be violated in some way. Absolutely baffling! I think that in the latter case, Moskovich is perhaps attempting to discuss the way that desirability influences women (even as children), but it was done in a way that felt gratuitous and borderline offensive. I think that anyone wanting to pick this book up should be informed of those two instances, as they are not only strange and rather repulsive, but I can only imagine how triggering it might be for someone reading it who might've gone through experiences of sexual abuse or molestation, particularly in their childhood or adolescence.
Finally, I'll say why I decided to give this two stars instead of just one. It's all down to Moskovich's writing: it's beautiful, full of a dreaminess mixed painfully with the brutalities of life, and her ideas are so clever, but with such poor execution. I've wanted to read some of her other books -- her debut, The Natashas, and her newest book, A Door Behind A Door -- but I'm a bit conflicted now on whether it would be worth my time, personally speaking. I can't recommend this, mostly because of the issues I posited above, but I will tentatively say I might give it another go and try one of her other books, in the hopes that they are perhaps just as clever, but without the insensitivity that plagues this one.
One more thing, before I end this review. Moskovich was born in the Ukraine, emigrating to the United States in 1991 with her family as Jewish refugees, and I want to honor her heritage here by listing some ways to help the Ukraine. (Links provided on my blog)...more
For the reasons I've listed above, it's worth a read, but my main problem is simply that the language is so abstract that it takes away entirely from the purpose of the story. There's more of a focus on the emotional aspect of their sexual relationship than the actual physical action, which elevates the depth of feeling when you are reading about them. It's the kind of obsessive love that only young women can truly understand, a desire to consume and be consumed that leaves all else either nonexistent or simply unimportant.
But back to the language: this doesn't seem to be an error of translation, but rather simply Leduc's style, carving out such obtuse metaphors that it sometimes took me several rereadings of a sentence to truly grasp what it is that Leduc is trying to say. It isn't that I'm unused to obscure or unique styles of prose, but in my opinion, some passages are actually painful to get through because it feels as if they are saying so much without saying anything at all.
I enjoyed the concept of this story more than its actual content, but nonetheless, I do think it's worth a read if you are particularly interested in Leduc (as this is based off not only her own experience as a lesbian, but specifically her experience being in love with another schoolgirl during her adolescence), but the style certainly won't be for everyone. ...more
Stories connect us. Across continents, across cultures, it's something that brings us together. Did you know that the legend of the Phoenix, the ⋆⋆⋆⋆½
Stories connect us. Across continents, across cultures, it's something that brings us together. Did you know that the legend of the Phoenix, the firebird who lives for centuries and then kills itself in a fire only to be reborn once again as a chick amongst the ashes, is found in more than five cultures across the world? In Russia, the firebird drops its brilliant feathers as it flies -- feathers that hold incredible power, leading many to hunt for them against all odds. In Egypt, where the myth is believed to have originated, the gorgeous "Bennu" bird burst out of Osiris's heart.
In this collection, Yoshitani regales us with fascinating stories from all corners of the earth, replete with beautifully rendered illustrations. Some of the tales were familiar to me -- Vasilisa the Beautiful, who goes up against Baba Yaga; Sleeping Beauty, pricking her finger on the spindle; the tragic Crane wife and more -- but many others I'd never encountered before. What I found particularly exciting was the inclusion of and focus on places beyond the Western world.
I loved, for example, reading about White Buffalo Woman, who taught the Lakota peoples prayers and sacred rites, as well as teaching them how the Buffalo could provide them with everything they could ever need. Or Princess Kaguya, who was discovered as a tiny baby in a stalk of glowing bamboo. There's Anansi, the trickster spider God of the Akan peoples, who gets up to many naughty things, too clever for his own good. Not to mention a tale including Tu'er Shen, the Rabbit God who is the patron of same-sex couples.
My only criticism is the brevity of the stories within. I understand that there were many to cover, but I would have liked to feel a bit more involved in the lives of these myths and legends. I think that each story could've done with even half a page more, simply to give us a deeper insight into the meaning or message behind each tale.
Overall, however, it was a rewarding read. I would love to see more -- we could use a second edition, I think! The art is lovely and totally vibrant, capturing the essence of the characters within. Highly recommended! ...more
Content Warning: violence, death, rape, sexual harassment, anti-Semitism, misogyny, racism, animal death, animal cruelty, war.
For more of my reviews, Content Warning: violence, death, rape, sexual harassment, anti-Semitism, misogyny, racism, animal death, animal cruelty, war.
For more of my reviews, check out my
Born to a courtesan who wants nothing to do with her, Sarah Bernhardt starts her early years running wild on a farm in Brittany. When her mother comes to take her back to Paris, Sarah gets her first taste of the hardships that will plague her for the rest of her life. Forced to choose between a life on the stage, which she disdains as a little better than her mother's career, and marrying a man who she neither knows nor loves, she gambles on the theater -- and finds, unexpectedly, that she loves it. Sarah is ready to take on the world, but the question is: is the world prepared for her? Sarah Bernhardt is someone I have known of for a long time. I've always admired her ambition, her bravery, and above all, the way that she stood up for herself and others. Despite the fact that she had quite the reputation for a temper, it's obvious now that she was fighting constantly against the odds -- she was a Jewish woman in a profession that, at the time, was considered improper. I think that this novel captures her spirit, and gives her a fresh voice in a generation that is no longer familiar with her or her accomplishments.
Gortner's prose immediately caught me. It's vivid, rather lush, with a dry humor that suits Sarah perfectly. It's crushing to read the neglect and abuse she experiences at the hands of her mother, the relationship she craves with an absent father, and the many obstacles she's forced to overcome even as a young girl. Sarah is written with complexity, and it's the duality of her character that makes her come to life with such clarity. Gortner does an excellent job of making her likable without ever sacrificing her occasionally difficult personality.
I loved reading about Sarah's life behind-the-scenes, and I also longed to be there in the wings, watching her perform. Despite the fact that this is a book, Gortner makes you feel as if you are there, listening to her so-called "golden voice," watching her rend the hearts of her audience. It's moving to go through her life as she fights not only for her own future, but for the future of acting as we now know it.
I did expect there to be a portion that detailed her first and only marriage, and so I was a bit surprised that Gortner skipped over it. At first, I was a bit confused as to why, when he so fastidiously covers the rest of her life, but by the end, I actually found that it made sense. This, ultimately, is Sarah's story, and I liked that after seeing her struggle for so long, it is her eventual triumph that Gortner focuses on.
Overall, it's a decent read, enjoyable and sometimes filled with exciting melodramas. Just as my rating would suggest, it's a middle-of-the-road book for me: neither fantastic nor horrible. I think if you're looking for a start into Napoleonic historical fiction, it's a good road in, but you definitely shouldn't take everything you read here for the gospel truth! Instead, enjoy it as a somewhat trashy, dramatic romp through the world of France's post-republic elite. ...more
Loading...
