November 7, 2016 · 10:36 pm
Oh I don’t know. It’s hard sometimes to summon a review. Sometimes you read something and think ‘yes. that was just fine.’ And in the case of Richard Wright’s (why does he insist on the middle initial?) Clara Callan, I have no solid argument against reading it, but I also can’t muster a persuasive case for picking it up. So sure, if you find yourself in a hostel with a free copy (or in my case, a used bookstore with a copy in the $1 bin and your only other reading material is the very boring A Brief History of Seven Killings) then by all means: go in. Continue reading →
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Filed under Book I'll Forget I Read, Canadian Literature, Fiction, Governor Generals
Tagged as 1930s, abortion, adultery, canadian literature, Clara Callan, depression, feminism, Giller prize, Giller Prize Winner, Governor General's Awards, pregnancy, Richard B. Wright, small town, Wars of the 20th Century, women
September 7, 2016 · 2:12 pm
Here’s the thing. When you’re feeling feelings the best approach is to repress, ignore, and eat. It is not to confront these feelings by way of literary engagement. Right? Right. So what was I thinking in reading Ian McEwan’s new novel, Nutshell? The book is narrated by a fetus. A fucking fetus. Continue reading →
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Filed under Book Club, British literature, Fiction, Reader Request
Tagged as babies, contrived, fetus, Ian McEwen, murder, Nutshell, patricide, pregnancy, Random House Canada
July 25, 2016 · 12:27 am
Break In Case of Emergency is funny. You’ll read it and laugh at the satire of office life. You’ll laugh a little at the portrayal of income inequality in 30 something friend groups (that sudden realization that your friends make way more (or less) money than you do; or that your friend inherited a heap of money and so never has to think about whether to replace their air conditioner). You’ll chuckle at the representation of hipster politics: the effort to be *seen doing good. It’s the story of Jen – 30 something artist, who starts the novel unemployed and begins working at a (parody of) nonprofit dedicated to enhancing the lives of (all) women. The novel offers sharp observations on white, middle class feminism, on the changing dimensions of female friendship and a whole heap of a lot about fertility. Jen wants a baby. A lot. And she’s infertile. (and some stuff about New York, but who cares).
I guess if you’re an any-age someone you could stand to read this novel for how it demonstrates the extent to which (young-ish) women are bombarded All. The. Time. by messages about their (in)fertile bodies, the judgements heaped upon these bodies for reproducing (or not), the myriad of outrageous and hurtful things that get said out of assumptions about why you have (or more obviously haven’t) had a baby. Continue reading →
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Filed under American literature, Fiction, Funny, Popular Posts, Reader Request
Tagged as art, Break in Case of Emergency, class, feminism, feminist, friendship, infertility, Jessica Winter, maternity, New York, non-profit, pregnancy, satire, Slate, trying to conceive, ttc
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