Theodora's review
Margery Kempe (High Risk Books)
by Robert Glück
Gr, why must so many otherwise-interesting spiritual explorations do such a shoddy job with their women? I'm so sick of male writers who don't give their female characters a spiritual dimension. When was this one written?
I know! grrr indeed! 1994, I believe. This coulda been a contenda. Instead, it ended up sucking.
Theodora's review
Margery Kempe (High Risk Books) by Robert Glück
Theodora's review
rating:
bookshelves:
bookclub,
books-08
recommended for: those into The Sexuality of Christ
Retelling of Margery Kempe intertwined with gay love. I had really high hopes for this book because it combined two things I adore. But Oh man...not only was Margery Kempe's "affair" with Jesus portrayed in just sex -- no spiritual element to it, all of the women in the book were depicted as just objects for horny men (with description of genitalia or sexual fantasy). Yes, Margery might have been a pain to get along with in her time, but she deserves a bit more respect. And besides, Carolyn Walker Bynum deals with this. If we look at women's bodily response to God as simply sex without suffering and salvation as ample share, then sex is what we're interested in, not Margery Kempe.
Then again, Robert's affair with L was touching -- nice counterpart to Margery (although there was no build to the characters, so it was kind of flat). And granted, this book made me think and long for things -- so it did its job to mess me up. That it did. So one more star for that.
Then again, Robert's affair with L was touching -- nice counterpart to Margery (although there was no build to the characters, so it was kind of flat). And granted, this book made me think and long for things -- so it did its job to mess me up. That it did. So one more star for that.
Gr, why must so many otherwise-interesting spiritual explorations do such a shoddy job with their women? I'm so sick of male writers who don't give their female characters a spiritual dimension. When was this one written?
I know! grrr indeed! 1994, I believe. This coulda been a contenda. Instead, it ended up sucking.