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librarianlayla 's review for:
Girl, Woman, Other
by Bernardine Evaristo
3.5/4 stars.
**Trigger warning for rape, child loss, post natal depression, suicidal thoughts, spousal abuse and drug abuse**
This story is essentially 12 short stories that interlink through, at times, brief encounters. Think Love Actually style. The stories span different periods of time and expand on the characters, their sense of self and their interactions with the world as people of colour. The chapters are broken down into sections with an easy flow to them that makes for quick reading.
And although I enjoyed most of the stories, being female, queer, black and British myself - I did wonder at why someone who, from what I have managed to gather online, is a heterosexual woman who does not seem to outwardly display any sort of allyship for the LGBTQIA+ community, is writing books that centre on them. Nor does she identify as non binary, which one of the characters in her book identifies as. I just think it would be nice for someone from the community this book is mostly centred on, to actually win the Booker Prize for a book on the same. Now if I am wrong - and she did extensive research/ is part of the community/ is an ally - then I am more than happy to amend my review.
However through the veneer of strength that she portrays her characters, there appears to be a lot of the common assumption that if you're a black lesbian - you're a bitchy, drug lover. And if you're black and gay then you're an up yourself snob, who focuses on fashion and being better than everyone else. And the perpetuated line that all queer folk are incapable of monogamy, was immensely tiresome. And a NB person portrayed as an uneducated tortured drug addicted soul, rather than taking the opportunity to show them as capable, strong and resilient was also disappointing.
The chapters that were from a straight woman's point of view, were the best written in my opinion. They seemed more rooted in authenticity and expressed more emotion and drive. There seemed to be more thought given to them.
The writing itself isn't bad, as to my rating, it's just the negative stereotypes that niggled me most.
**Trigger warning for rape, child loss, post natal depression, suicidal thoughts, spousal abuse and drug abuse**
This story is essentially 12 short stories that interlink through, at times, brief encounters. Think Love Actually style. The stories span different periods of time and expand on the characters, their sense of self and their interactions with the world as people of colour. The chapters are broken down into sections with an easy flow to them that makes for quick reading.
And although I enjoyed most of the stories, being female, queer, black and British myself - I did wonder at why someone who, from what I have managed to gather online, is a heterosexual woman who does not seem to outwardly display any sort of allyship for the LGBTQIA+ community, is writing books that centre on them. Nor does she identify as non binary, which one of the characters in her book identifies as. I just think it would be nice for someone from the community this book is mostly centred on, to actually win the Booker Prize for a book on the same. Now if I am wrong - and she did extensive research/ is part of the community/ is an ally - then I am more than happy to amend my review.
However through the veneer of strength that she portrays her characters, there appears to be a lot of the common assumption that if you're a black lesbian - you're a bitchy, drug lover. And if you're black and gay then you're an up yourself snob, who focuses on fashion and being better than everyone else. And the perpetuated line that all queer folk are incapable of monogamy, was immensely tiresome. And a NB person portrayed as an uneducated tortured drug addicted soul, rather than taking the opportunity to show them as capable, strong and resilient was also disappointing.
The chapters that were from a straight woman's point of view, were the best written in my opinion. They seemed more rooted in authenticity and expressed more emotion and drive. There seemed to be more thought given to them.
The writing itself isn't bad, as to my rating, it's just the negative stereotypes that niggled me most.