bookshelves: currently-reading
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Wow, can this author pick a more controversial topic?
Laying out on the table all, if sometimes too much information on transexuality and gender reassignment.
Like most of Bohjalian's novels, this one makes you think and question many possibly preconceived notions concerning love, sexuality and gender.
He humanizes characters, who are usually demonized or sensationalized in our culture, without preaching to you what you should believe.
This is a very interesting and informative read, but not for everyone.
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Rose
read and liked
MaryAnn's
review of Trans-Sister Radio:
"An author less brave than Chris Bohjalian would never have attempted this book! Bohjalian's gentle, matter-of-fact writing about human sexuality, in all of its forms, is well done and only just a little uncomfortable, but thought-provoking all the sa...more "
"An author less brave than Chris Bohjalian would never have attempted this book! Bohjalian's gentle, matter-of-fact writing about human sexuality, in all of its forms, is well done and only just a little uncomfortable, but thought-provoking all the sa...more "
Rose
read and liked
Imwriter's
review of Trans-Sister Radio:
"Extraordinary and sensitive narrative about the impact of gender on a fictional relationship.
Library Journal's review tells it better than I can: "A compelling and often disturbing novel, Trans-sister Radio challenges all of our assumption...more "
"Extraordinary and sensitive narrative about the impact of gender on a fictional relationship.
Library Journal's review tells it better than I can: "A compelling and often disturbing novel, Trans-sister Radio challenges all of our assumption...more "
bookshelves: currently-reading, local-book-club-to-read
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This book has it all; a perilous quest, a “buddy story”, history, romance, comedy and drama. I looked at it as an anti-war novel. The beauty of youth innocence set against the brutal and gruesome truths about the cost of war.
A reviewer on amazon put it best with this:
“As Americans, we often have a very one-dimensional view of World War II: "we" took out the Nazis and the Japanese. That the Soviet Union -- soon our enemy for the next forty-plus years -- was our ally, and probably had more to do with Germany's defeat than "we" did, is not something that's part of our collective consciousness.”
The injustice, regimentation, scarcity, and cruelty of life for the Russian people imposed not only by the Nazi invaders, but their own government as well, is almost unfathomable. I’m sure the people were hungrier, weaker, colder and more fearful than depicted in this book.
Some may balk at the use of profanity and violence in this book. In my opinion, the author understands that it's a young man’s inclination ; using profanity and talking about sex as a means of keeping the spirit high, amid tragedy and horrible carnage. (think *M*A*S*H )
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by Jenna Blum
When you finish, read the comments and great discussion we had here at COL.
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1856...
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bookshelves: to-read
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The biblical quote sets the scene and forms the reason for Gilead's Handmaid system.
Speculative Fiction is a perfect description. Who better than the author herself to define it. :)
I loved this book. It had been a long time since I read anything with a futuristic tone to it (Orwell's 1984, etc.) and this was one I would definitely add to those favorite classics. ]]>
bookshelves: to-read
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