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Book Review: Woman on the Edge of Time
Dec. 29th, 2015 05:08 pmTitle: Woman on the Edge of Time
Author: Marge Piercy
Published: New York: Ballantine Books, 1976
Rating: 3 of 5
Page Count: 380
Total Page Count: 171,406
Text Number: 501
Read Because: mentioned in this discussion of polyamory in SF/F, ebook borrowed from the Multnomah County Library
Review: Connie Ramos—a poor woman of color—is committed for a mental illness she may not have. But she guards a secret: she's able to communicate with a society 200 years in the future. Woman on the Edge of Time takes place in two interweaving parts: Connie's institutionalization is nearly as awful as it could possibly be, dehumanizing, frustrating, personally terrifying; her experiences with racism, sexism, and classism are convincing and miserable. Meanwhile, the glimpses into the future explore a textbook utopia, and while the world is thoughtfully built, it feels dated and Connie's ask-and-answer sessions with her future host are repetitive. In theory, these two halves serve each other well, as the immediate, fatal flaws of present day both justify and are relieved by the potential for a better future. In practice, the book is preachy and consistently unenjoyable. I'm ambivalent in recommending it. What it achieves is laudable but lacks artistry; the honest truth is that I couldn't wait for it to end.
Author: Marge Piercy
Published: New York: Ballantine Books, 1976
Rating: 3 of 5
Page Count: 380
Total Page Count: 171,406
Text Number: 501
Read Because: mentioned in this discussion of polyamory in SF/F, ebook borrowed from the Multnomah County Library
Review: Connie Ramos—a poor woman of color—is committed for a mental illness she may not have. But she guards a secret: she's able to communicate with a society 200 years in the future. Woman on the Edge of Time takes place in two interweaving parts: Connie's institutionalization is nearly as awful as it could possibly be, dehumanizing, frustrating, personally terrifying; her experiences with racism, sexism, and classism are convincing and miserable. Meanwhile, the glimpses into the future explore a textbook utopia, and while the world is thoughtfully built, it feels dated and Connie's ask-and-answer sessions with her future host are repetitive. In theory, these two halves serve each other well, as the immediate, fatal flaws of present day both justify and are relieved by the potential for a better future. In practice, the book is preachy and consistently unenjoyable. I'm ambivalent in recommending it. What it achieves is laudable but lacks artistry; the honest truth is that I couldn't wait for it to end.
