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linlinlin's review
4.0
I'm obsessed with this book and I've read it twice but the last third of the book is totally context dependent. Scranton gets really into a lot of sexual violence against women (both cis and trans) and how you interpret it depends totally on who Scranton is. Like, a trans woman using the wrong pronouns for a real person and describing sexual violence against her lands totally differently to a cis man doing it. The contextual shift and what they can possibly be critiquing or showing or holding a mirror to; the shift in that is huge.
Which is to say I read this book twice then spent an hour scouring Scranton's interviews and Twitter for clues about his gender for how I was meant to be interpreting the sexual violence in this book. (then I gave up because it was getting weird and hopefully I have anything better to do)
I'll still stand by the content and my assessment of the book as really really good. Is the sexual violence still as potentially... valuable if it's written by a cis guy? I dunno. Like, the Atrocity Exhibition by Salinger is good both because of and in spite of the sexual violence. I guess a better analogy would be comparing Psycho Nymph Exile by Porpentine Charity Heartscape (a trans woman) and anything by Supervert (the author is a cipher but definitely a cishet guy). They both extensively catalogue sexual violence but I do think it's different when you're cataloguing violence against *yourself*. (If you liked this book, you might enjoy those books a lot too)
It's still really, really worth reading. I would love to know what other trans readers thought of it, or what women thought of it. The fact that some elements of this book have stuck with me so long and I felt like I had to come back and elaborate on this review means something. It's also just stylistically attractive, even if the violence is off-putting to you. To me it forms part of the style somehow, which, all gender politics aside, is I think what the writer was trying to get at- the beauty we can find in violence, how it contributes to a specific American visual or literary style, how it forms part of that psyche.
guess I'll go read it again....
Which is to say I read this book twice then spent an hour scouring Scranton's interviews and Twitter for clues about his gender for how I was meant to be interpreting the sexual violence in this book. (then I gave up because it was getting weird and hopefully I have anything better to do)
I'll still stand by the content and my assessment of the book as really really good. Is the sexual violence still as potentially... valuable if it's written by a cis guy? I dunno. Like, the Atrocity Exhibition by Salinger is good both because of and in spite of the sexual violence. I guess a better analogy would be comparing Psycho Nymph Exile by Porpentine Charity Heartscape (a trans woman) and anything by Supervert (the author is a cipher but definitely a cishet guy). They both extensively catalogue sexual violence but I do think it's different when you're cataloguing violence against *yourself*. (If you liked this book, you might enjoy those books a lot too)
It's still really, really worth reading. I would love to know what other trans readers thought of it, or what women thought of it. The fact that some elements of this book have stuck with me so long and I felt like I had to come back and elaborate on this review means something. It's also just stylistically attractive, even if the violence is off-putting to you. To me it forms part of the style somehow, which, all gender politics aside, is I think what the writer was trying to get at- the beauty we can find in violence, how it contributes to a specific American visual or literary style, how it forms part of that psyche.
guess I'll go read it again....
spoerk's review
4.0
1/3 through the book, and it turned into something I wasn't expecting. 2/3 in, it changed again.
And every bit was amazing.
It's one of those books where people either think it's utter trash or genius. Like post-modern art. Like art-rock ala Yoko-Ono.
I was lucky to get an ARC of this via Edelweiss for an honest review. And damn, I'm gonna need to get myself a physical copy. It's only 4 stars tho because, i eye-rolled sometimes too much. But that's what art does, right?
If you like DFW, or perhaps even Markson. Or Andy Warhol.
It's fucked up post-postmodern/post 9/11 american pop-culture fiction.
And every bit was amazing.
It's one of those books where people either think it's utter trash or genius. Like post-modern art. Like art-rock ala Yoko-Ono.
I was lucky to get an ARC of this via Edelweiss for an honest review. And damn, I'm gonna need to get myself a physical copy. It's only 4 stars tho because, i eye-rolled sometimes too much. But that's what art does, right?
If you like DFW, or perhaps even Markson. Or Andy Warhol.
It's fucked up post-postmodern/post 9/11 american pop-culture fiction.
annarella's review
5.0
I'm speechless: this book is unpredictable, fun to read and totally unpredictable.
It changes and you follow the changes and enjoy every moment.
The style of writing is amazing, the characters fleshed out and quirky, the plot flaws and keeps you hook.
A great reading experience.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
It changes and you follow the changes and enjoy every moment.
The style of writing is amazing, the characters fleshed out and quirky, the plot flaws and keeps you hook.
A great reading experience.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
1of3bookgirls's review against another edition
3.0
Fucking chaos. I think if I had not listened to the audio I would have liked it more. It was like crazy poetry, and I wasn't sure where to look. Chaos.
annarella's review against another edition
5.0
I'm speechless: this book is unpredictable, fun to read and totally unpredictable.
It changes and you follow the changes and enjoy every moment.
The style of writing is amazing, the characters fleshed out and quirky, the plot flaws and keeps you hook.
A great reading experience.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
It changes and you follow the changes and enjoy every moment.
The style of writing is amazing, the characters fleshed out and quirky, the plot flaws and keeps you hook.
A great reading experience.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
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