A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Mar 03, 2020 Jessica Haider rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: irish, fiction, 1001-books, womens__prize_winners, reading-women-2020

I am somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars for this one. This novel won the Women's Fiction Prize in 2014 and was also nominated for a number of other awards.

A Girl Is a Half-formed Thing is told from the perspective of a young lady who has lived in the shadow of her brother's brain tumor for most of her life. She is close to her brother and the impact of his medical issues on her life is deep.

The narrative style is definitely experimental. A step beyond stream of consciousness. It is like a strea I am somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars for this one. This novel won the Women's Fiction Prize in 2014 and was also nominated for a number of other awards.

A Girl Is a Half-formed Thing is told from the perspective of a young lady who has lived in the shadow of her brother's brain tumor for most of her life. She is close to her brother and the impact of his medical issues on her life is deep.

The narrative style is definitely experimental. A step beyond stream of consciousness. It is like a stream of consciousness that's been over-stimulated. The thoughts are flowing but are often cut off or rapidly change direction. It is often confusing and makes you get a bit lost. I suppose it is meant to truly give you a sense of the protagonist's state of mind.

Here's one example: "
I met a man. I met a man. I let him throw me round the bed. And smoked, me, spliffs and choked my neck until I said I was dead. I met a man who took me for walks. Long ones in the country. I offer up. I offer up in the hedge. I met a man I met with her. She and me and his friend to bars at night and drink champagne and bought me chips at every teatime. I met a man with condoms in his pockets. Don't use them. He loves children in his heart. No. I met a man who knew me once. who saw me around when I was a child. Who said you're a fine looking woman now. Who said come back marry me live on my farm. No. I met a man who was a priest I didn't I did. Just as well as many another one would. I met a man. I met a man. who said he'd pay me by the month. who said he'd keep me up in style and I'd be waiting when he arrived. No is what I say. I met a man who hit me a smack. I met a man who cracked my arm. I met a man who said what are you doing out so late at night. I met a man. I met a man. And wash my mouth out with soap. I wish I could. That I did then. I met a man. A stupid thing. I met a man. Should have turned on my heel. I thought. I didn't know to think. I didn't even know to speak. I met a man. I kept on walking. I met a man. I met a man. And I lay down. And slapped and cried and wined and dined. I met a man and many more and I didn't know you at all.”

I listened to this on audio and it was read by the author, which is probably best as she knows the tone and the pacing that was intended. Overall the story was harrowing and sad. I felt for the protagonist but cringed at the life choices she was making. She didn't have it easy but at the same time made some poor choices of her own. I wouldn't say I enjoyed the book, but I could appreciate the author's technique.

this book counts towards the Reading Women 2020 Challenge Task #5: Read a book that won the Women's Fiction Prize ...more

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Dec 22, 2014 Melle rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: abuse-sexual, abuse, ireland, fiction, brother-sister, cancer, siblings, adult, incest

This is probably a four-star book in terms of its technical writing quality, but it was a three-star reading experience for me. It's poetic and traumatizing and probably worth a closer examination, but some of the subject matter was a little much for me. For some readers, the horrors that the main character holds her head through are probably all-too-real; however, for me, they seemed a little sensational and exploitative. ...more

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Nov 25, 2013 Melle marked it as to-read

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