Mar 2019 Non-Male Authors (includes non-binary) BotM: The Power

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, Bad Girls Deadlift]

The winner of the March 2019 book of the month is the Science Fiction/Dystopian The Power by Naomi Alderman.

This book has been in print since October 2016 so there should be many different editions available. Please check your local library and/or favorite book retailer.

Please remember to use spoiler tags < spoiler > < /spoiler > when discussing.

Trigger Warning: There are several rape and attempted rape scenes in this novel.

[Nyssa]

I will probably wait until March, this time, before starting this BotM read. :D

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, Bad Girls Deadlift]

:-D

I feel you! I'm trying to make sure people have plenty of time to source their book.

[Nyssa]

I have the one e-copy on hold through my library system. I'm "next in line," and they're estimating that it will be available in two weeks.

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon, Not a book hipster!]

I got this from the library, but I have a bunch of books in front of it, so definitely won't be getting to it until March.

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, Bad Girls Deadlift]

I'm glad everyone will have enough time to get their hands on it!

[Becky]

I just went online and requested a copy from my library. So I'll be in on this one. I still have a couple books in front of it (at least THe Golem and the Jinni) so probably right around March.

[Nyssa]

The hold released today. I will most likely start it this coming weekend.

[Becky]

I have my copy ready for pickup as well but I'm not ready to start yet. I'm still abysmally slowly reading TGATJ.

[Nyssa]

I'm not ready either, but since mine is the only copy and an e-copy, I wasn't sure I could just let it sit.

[Nyssa]

Its still February! :D But, I'm starting The Power today.

It's due in 7 days, and I don't want to risk not being able to renew the loan.

(view spoiler)[The letters, in the beginning, threw me off a bit. (hide spoiler)]

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, Bad Girls Deadlift]

I need to start on this, too

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon, Not a book hipster!]

It'll be a little bit before I get to this. I have to finish off some February books first...

[whimsicalmeerkat]

Ala just pointed out I didn’t make a content warning for rape when I nominated this. I haven’t read it yet so I didn’t think about it.

[Ala]

Only read a bit last night. Writing style is kinda meh but story seems ok so far.

[Nyssa]

I read a few chapters, but its time to return it and the library will not allow me to renew because someone else is waiting, so I had to put the book back on hold,

The estimate is at four weeks, but I think they're counting me in that number.

[Ala]

I'll probably finish it this weekend. Maybe tonight if I actually take some reading time.

No clue what the Letters at the start of the book were about. I'm assuming it'll explain it by the end. Hopefully. But it is a weird way to start the story...

[Ala]

Halfway point:
(view spoiler)[So far I don't really care about anyone except Eve. The rest of the POV characters have been boring to me. And the only reason Eve interests me is the voice in her head. I want to know more about that.

Margot is meh. Don't care about her story.

Roxxy is ok I suppose. I have no clue why but I can't make her british in my head though, but that's a personal failing.

Tunde goes to the interesting places and meets interesting characters, though he himself is just sorta one dimensional.

The interludes aren't real interesting either. And the message board one seemed to go on too long. Also the word sheeple was used and it hurts.

I'm just kinda meh at this point. (hide spoiler)]

[Ala]

Complete:
(view spoiler)[So by the end, I enjoyed Roxys and Tundes stories. Bit disappointed by Eve/Allies story. And completely meh about Margot and her daughters story.

The framing device of the Letters that started the book come back and end it. In a really, really long winded, ham-fisted, fully expected, way.

The idea was good, and some of the scenes were wonderful. But overall it feels like it would've made for a great short story or an episode of Twilight Zone or Black Mirror.

Maybe I'm just not the audience for this book. (hide spoiler)]

[Ala]

Warning: There are actually several rape scenes in this book. (view spoiler)[One is Male on Female, two others are Female on Male. There is also an attempted Female on Male rape scene. (hide spoiler)]

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon, Not a book hipster!]

Ala wrote: "Warning: There are actually several rape scenes in this book. [spoilers removed]"

Hmm...

Not sure I'll be reading this.

[Becky]

Ala wrote: "Warning: There are actually several rape scenes in this book. [spoilers removed]"

I started this tonight. I haven't read any of the spoilers and I'm only about 5% in, but I assumed that of course there would be.

Did you get your answer about the letters? I think that I know what it's about...

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, Bad Girls Deadlift]

updated OP with trigger warning

[Ala]

Becky wrote: "Did you get your answer about the letters? I think that I know what it's about..."

Oh yeah, the letters make sense eventually. Should've realized how it would play out.

[Becky]

OK cool... I had to read them twice because I wasn't quite sure it was part of the book, (because I don't read introductions/analysis blah blah shit before the story so I had barely skimmed the first time through). The fact that the "manuscript" is authored by the male letter writer, so I figured I understand where it'll be going.

Not sure if any of you have read Sleeping Beauties by Stephen & Owen King (Don't.) but the beginning part -with the reports of what's happening to the girls etc - is reminding me strongly of it. I'm REALLY hoping that this similarity passes and that this turns out to be a much better book, because King's "attempt" at writing feminism supernatural horror/fantasy was a complete fail.

[whimsicalmeerkat]

I have about half a dozen friends who read this and said it was amazing. Ala is the first to dissent. I plan to start it on the train tonight. I had planned on it this morning, but I don’t think it will be a pre-coffee kind of book.

[Becky]

Both books are about even on my friends list. Could go either way for me. We shall see.

[Ala]

Denae wrote: "I have about half a dozen friends who read this and said it was amazing. Ala is the first to dissent. I plan to start it on the train tonight. I had planned on it this morning, but I don’t think it..."

Your other friends are wrong.

Or I'm really just not the audience for this book.

[Becky]

Honestly... given my assumptions about this book so far (and its similarity to Sleeping Beauties) I'm not sure who the audience for this book would be. I guess I'll see how heavy handed it gets.

I don't want to know too much at this point, even if I'm right or wrong, so this is more me talking out loud about my assumptions, but... (view spoiler)[I'm guessing that the point of this is just supposed to show that equality is best, and that any gender-dominant hierarchy is problematic. (I say that based on the condescension in Naomi's reply back to Neil - about how much she enjoys the crazy concept of a patriarchy, and how it would be a kinder and more caring world. (hide spoiler)]

But I guess I'll see where it goes. I definitely consider myself a feminist, but I will be annoyed by this book if it does anything even remotely similar to SB.

[Becky]

Oooh... When I went back to look at the letters, I noticed something. I wonder if it is mentioned or plays a role at all in the book or if it's just a easter egg for people who might notice?

(view spoiler)[Neil Adam Armon is an anagram of Naomi Alderman (hide spoiler)]

Don't want to know the answer... just mentioning it because I notice things like that. LOL

[Ala]

I'm glad I haven't read that King book.

I'm also kinda glad at the prospect I might not be alone on this one.

[Becky]

Ala wrote: "I'm glad I haven't read that King book."

Ugh. Yes. Be glad. Never read it. You'd be better served by reading shampoo bottles. I wish I hadn't read anything of his post-2011, honestly. Sigh.

[Becky]

Welp... this is already going downhill for me. I'm not enjoying (view spoiler)[ the religious aspect of this. Sigh.

I think I would like this a lot more if it was just an evolutionary quirk or something, without all the preachy tones and religious symbolism and supernatural "God" voice in "Eve" (First Of Women's) head. (hide spoiler)]

[Ala]

Becks (view spoiler)[I wanted more info on the Voice. I was hoping at the time that it was maybe Alien in origin. Talked kinda funny to be God, to me. (hide spoiler)]

[Becky]

Hmmm... That's a thing I never would have thought of... I was just kind of taking it at face value. (view spoiler)[ I did wonder if Allie might have not actually have a mother and is supposed to be like the second coming of Jesus only female. Ugh... I don't know if it'll go that way but if it does... Gross. (hide spoiler)]

[Becky]

One more thought before I go to bed... (view spoiler)[the writing & style of the shifting perspectives and internal thoughts and such does not really match the conceit of the initial letter's claim that this is a historical research documentation of the origin of this matriarchal system that I'm assuming comes to exist. It's not like any historical study on any topic that I have ever read in my life, and it just doesn't really work for me. Why introduce it that way if that's not the way it's going to be written? (hide spoiler)]

[Ala]

Becky wrote: "Hmmm... That's a thing I never would have thought of... I was just kind of taking it at face value. [spoilers removed]"

I blame Rejoice, A Knife to the Heart. That's where that thought came from.

[Becky]

The writing style of this is getting more and more annoying. It's all over the place. It says it's one thing and then it's everything BUT that.

Not enjoying.

[Ala]

I'm guessing the annoyance factor will probably not get any better through the end of the book.

[Becky]

Style gripe #543: (view spoiler)[well... I went back and reread the first letter and it is, apparently, supposed to be fragmented because it's a manuscript, and more of a novelization than a history, but... Still... Fragmentation doesn't mean you all of a sudden go from using normal numbers (25) to using archaic "five and twenty".

And I'm sorry, but even a novelization should have context, and some break between scene changes, and not just drop us in the middle of a completely new scene. I don't believe that for all of the research that this Neil author is supposed to have done he can't string it into a cohesive narrative. Interspersed with characters and anecdotes etc but if the thing that you're telling is history focus on that!

I haven't read anything else Alderman has written, but I'm feeling very much annoyed by this. (hide spoiler)]

[Becky]

Ala wrote: "I'm guessing the annoyance factor will probably not get any better through the end of the book."

I'm thinking probably not.

[Becky]

"On the thirteenth day of the fifth month of the third year after the Day of the Girls"

Dammit.

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, Bad Girls Deadlift]

Becky wrote: ""On the thirteenth day of the fifth month of the third year after the Day of the Girls"

Dammit."

O_O

[Becky]

Yup. I am... really unsure whether I'm going to finish this. It's to the point now that every time I pick it up, I'm immediately annoyed by something.

BUT, I'm also curious to know where it goes. And, to be perfectly honest, I know that this is complete troll bait if I DNF it. And I don't feel like defending my criticisms (so far) for the rest of my life by people who will come and be like "YoU DiD nOt rEaD iT!"

[Becky]

I have decided I'm going to push through and finish. I have lots of criticisms already on this book, 1/3 into it, and I want to know if those things are addressed.

[Ala]

Becky wrote: "I have decided I'm going to push through and finish. I have lots of criticisms already on this book, 1/3 into it, and I want to know if those things are addressed."

You're only a third of the way in and you're feeling this way?

Damn.

I do hope you finish it, so I'll have someone to commiserate with.

[Becky]

Yup. 109 pages. I will push through... I will need your support, Ala! lol

[Nyssa]

I’m still waiting for the e-copy to be released again. I seriously cannot believe that they only have access to one freaking copy.
I even called my local location and after saying that they had the ONLY physical copy available, the guy couldn’t find it. So in my entire county there is apparently only one e-copy available and only one physical copy available, except nobody knows where the physical copy is located.

[Ala]

That's sad yet hilarious

I'm sorry Nyssa

[Ala]

Becky wrote: "Yup. 109 pages. I will push through... I will need your support, Ala! lol"

It's not much left. You can do it!

Just... imagine the amount of snark you'll be able to set free once you're done. That should help.