What a feast to read, and not read ‘on a woman’s madness’. It makes me wonder if books (and other art forms) get mainstream attention that promise to be a queer classic or non Western canon masterpiece, do they really deliver the promise? I am coming to see them with some scepticism.
If this post was written by anyone else I wouldn't have finished it, not because I had any issues with the review, quite the opposite. But as soon as I got to the rape, my heart was pounding. It was obvious she isn't queer. And as a survivor, I found her handling of this triggering. But your intro was so interesting. I have the 5 volumes of Red Chamber (aka The Story of the Stone) because my h read it recently. I can't commit to all 5 so am wondering about the abridged version. Do you know anything about it?
I've reviewed several books that handle rape here (in less than three months that I've been here) (8, to be exact) and this was the ONLY one I found deeply upsetting. It makes my heart beat far too fast, too. To literally have the main character laugh was...
I have an abridged version of Dream of the Red Chamber also. It's supposed to be very women-focused and sympathetic, might be a good fit for you for China since it's one of the 'Four Classics' in Chinese culture? Most of my Chinese-American friends have a lot of admiration for it.
It's this book; I found the callous way the author only had sympathy for the rapist and didn't acknowledge or write about how the survivors must have felt deeply upsetting.
Thank you. I’ll read the piece one a day I’ve taken Ativan to help me have a buffer. There’s something there about him laughing I feel a need to understand.
I hasten to say, I hold empathy for Roemer. Maybe she is unlearning the post-colonialism in her mind and her next book might not be laid with these misleading tropes.
I personally wasn't a fan, but I think the book has its audience. The writing style wasn't for me, and it was pretty uneven (and very not-queer for a book that's sold as a "queer classic").
I think it was called a "queer classic" because (1) the Booker prize has been long/shortlisting a "queer" book (usually lesbian) for the last few years. This is why I pointed it out in my essay without explicitly saying what I think of it; which is that each of these selections is a token nomination, unlikely to win. and (2) it's marketing. Roemer's most famous books are out of print in Dutch, this one was recently translation (two years ago? something like that? and it's called a "queer classic" because publishers think that'll help it sell - but it's really much more post-colonial than queer, and should be marketed as such).
What a feast to read, and not read ‘on a woman’s madness’. It makes me wonder if books (and other art forms) get mainstream attention that promise to be a queer classic or non Western canon masterpiece, do they really deliver the promise? I am coming to see them with some scepticism.
In this case, no. The authors books were out of print, then this one recently translated, and “queer classic” is a marketing ploy
If this post was written by anyone else I wouldn't have finished it, not because I had any issues with the review, quite the opposite. But as soon as I got to the rape, my heart was pounding. It was obvious she isn't queer. And as a survivor, I found her handling of this triggering. But your intro was so interesting. I have the 5 volumes of Red Chamber (aka The Story of the Stone) because my h read it recently. I can't commit to all 5 so am wondering about the abridged version. Do you know anything about it?
I've reviewed several books that handle rape here (in less than three months that I've been here) (8, to be exact) and this was the ONLY one I found deeply upsetting. It makes my heart beat far too fast, too. To literally have the main character laugh was...
I have an abridged version of Dream of the Red Chamber also. It's supposed to be very women-focused and sympathetic, might be a good fit for you for China since it's one of the 'Four Classics' in Chinese culture? Most of my Chinese-American friends have a lot of admiration for it.
Can you share the title of the found you found deeply upsetting please?
It's this book; I found the callous way the author only had sympathy for the rapist and didn't acknowledge or write about how the survivors must have felt deeply upsetting.
This book is explicitly about rape/child abuse (https://unknownliterarycanon.substack.com/p/the-rape-novel-a-personal-story?utm_source=publication-search) - it had a huge impact on me, was a very difficult read, but it's also very eye-opening.
Also for your heart, hugs
Thanks, yes! It would be perfect.
Thank you. I’ll read the piece one a day I’ve taken Ativan to help me have a buffer. There’s something there about him laughing I feel a need to understand.
I hasten to say, I hold empathy for Roemer. Maybe she is unlearning the post-colonialism in her mind and her next book might not be laid with these misleading tropes.
Oh, her handling of post colonialism was fine…it’s queerness she didn’t understand
Interesting — this might be one of those book reviews where I thank the reviewer for reading so that I don’t have to 💜
I personally wasn't a fan, but I think the book has its audience. The writing style wasn't for me, and it was pretty uneven (and very not-queer for a book that's sold as a "queer classic").
I think that’s what makes me worried…the “queer classic” stamp it’s getting without earning it.
I think it was called a "queer classic" because (1) the Booker prize has been long/shortlisting a "queer" book (usually lesbian) for the last few years. This is why I pointed it out in my essay without explicitly saying what I think of it; which is that each of these selections is a token nomination, unlikely to win. and (2) it's marketing. Roemer's most famous books are out of print in Dutch, this one was recently translation (two years ago? something like that? and it's called a "queer classic" because publishers think that'll help it sell - but it's really much more post-colonial than queer, and should be marketed as such).