November 27th, 2007
Two novels
A Girl Becomes a Comma Like That by Lisa Glatt: This is almost a collection of intertwined short stories about several middle-class white straight women in Southern California who are struggling with sexuality and relationships. It’s not overtly feminist, but does an excellent job of exploring the experiences of heterosexual women attempting to negotiate relationships with men in patriarchy. It’s saved from being chick lit by its ambiguous, rather than stock-happy, ending–the chapters are almost snapshots into women’s lives rather than a connected narrative, and in the end we’re not told what happens to several of the characters. I could certainly relate to a lot of what went on for these women from my own experiences of my teens and early 20s–the author clearly understands the confusion that results from the mixed messages about sex, bodies and self that women receive in this culture, but also the fact that women try to make sense of them in whatever way we can.
Disobedience by Naomi Alderman: This is one of the best novels I’ve read in a long time. The plot and characters are very developed and the writing is lush and lovely. Centered on the reunion of three childhood friends raised in an Orthodox Jewish community in London, Naomi Alderman shows an amazing grasp of the complexities of people and relationships. She also, frankly, puts a fist in the eye of the current ideology about sexual identity, showing the mutability and choice that’s inherent in any definition of who we are at any given moment. There are definite themes here of forgiveness, redemption, and the complex, simple love that abides through difficulties and drama. Alderman also presents a view of a religious fundamentalist community and its treatment of women which provides insight for those of us who aren’t familiar with such communities; through the decisions the main characters Ronit and Esti make, we see the value to women of family, community and tradition as well as autonomy and self-determination. The characters also demonstrate the varied ways women have of making room for their whole selves in situations where we might think that’s not possible–and the compromises we sometimes make to preserve as much as we can of what’s important to us. Highly recommended!
