At first I just assumed that reviewer resorted to Google for material when they perceived they were in danger of not hitting their word count, and then I wondered if the reviewer was just not up to the close reading required to develop a critique based upon literary merit, but now I’m wondering whether perhaps the Googling happened first and this whole pieced was a disingenuous ideological hit job?
“Oh reason not the need!” That wasn’t a book review; it was a play-by-play of Kadue’s own emotional attachment to one particular, inflexible, and literal-minded idea about the necessary relationship between author and narrator. What a great realization to share with a therapist! What an unhelpful take on the value and merit of a novel!
Judgements along the fault lines of "we as a society need"/"we as a society do not need" centered around scientifically illiterate takes on biological essentialism reek of latent fascism.
I've certainly been guilty of that myself, but I think saying "We don't need X" when what you mean is something closer to "I don't like X" or "The prospect of X makes me anxious/unhappy/whatever other uncomfortable emotion" is a mistake.
this post is gonna be mentioned in an least one review of WOMENS HOTEL. and i’m sure some publication (the guardian) is gonna write a review about the novel in regards to yr trans personhood. it’s worthwhile to write all this out, knowing what’s next. i have the ARC but i haven’t given it time enough yet. if i loved as many 19th century novels as you do i probably would have crushed it. i love the cast so far but mostly it has just made me reread GIRLS OF SLENDER MEANS. i’d prefer that reading to what’s inevitable - all the reviews that are going to mention sylvia plath’s queer sultry summer or yr queer sultry trans man homestead.
I don't know very much about that aspect but as Grace pointed out, "It is the book's lack of 'auto' that is the major topic of that paragraph. It's 'allofiction,' if anything."
At first I just assumed that reviewer resorted to Google for material when they perceived they were in danger of not hitting their word count, and then I wondered if the reviewer was just not up to the close reading required to develop a critique based upon literary merit, but now I’m wondering whether perhaps the Googling happened first and this whole pieced was a disingenuous ideological hit job?
“Oh reason not the need!” That wasn’t a book review; it was a play-by-play of Kadue’s own emotional attachment to one particular, inflexible, and literal-minded idea about the necessary relationship between author and narrator. What a great realization to share with a therapist! What an unhelpful take on the value and merit of a novel!
(Sorry if I’m being unclear—I mean that the original review was not helpful. Your letter is excellent, 12/10, no notes.)
“What a great realization to share with a therapist!” is such a true and sick burn and I’m going to use it now. Thank you! 👏🏼
Judgements along the fault lines of "we as a society need"/"we as a society do not need" centered around scientifically illiterate takes on biological essentialism reek of latent fascism.
I've certainly been guilty of that myself, but I think saying "We don't need X" when what you mean is something closer to "I don't like X" or "The prospect of X makes me anxious/unhappy/whatever other uncomfortable emotion" is a mistake.
this post is gonna be mentioned in an least one review of WOMENS HOTEL. and i’m sure some publication (the guardian) is gonna write a review about the novel in regards to yr trans personhood. it’s worthwhile to write all this out, knowing what’s next. i have the ARC but i haven’t given it time enough yet. if i loved as many 19th century novels as you do i probably would have crushed it. i love the cast so far but mostly it has just made me reread GIRLS OF SLENDER MEANS. i’d prefer that reading to what’s inevitable - all the reviews that are going to mention sylvia plath’s queer sultry summer or yr queer sultry trans man homestead.
GET EM DANIEL
DUNK ON EM HARD
“if this is autofiction”???? quite possibly the worst term to enter the critical lexicon since, i don’t know
I don't know very much about that aspect but as Grace pointed out, "It is the book's lack of 'auto' that is the major topic of that paragraph. It's 'allofiction,' if anything."