The Female Man

Joanna Russ
The Female Man Cover

The Female Man... ???

b-rad
1/8/2019
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I really have no idea what I just read. Well, I mean I know it was feminist scifi, that much was obvious, but wow what a head ****. This is like slaughterhouse five meets PKD, in an alternate universe where PKD is a woman.

The book is highly rated, and I'm working my way through top lists, so I chose this one next. The book is a very quick read, and even quicker to confuse. I'm not entirely sure how many different time lines or protaganists were in the story. I think six. I'm not even sure how many existed in a physical realm. With that said though, I enjoyed the head trip. It's quite refreshing as well to read a feminist scifi book like this that was written back in the late 60's. The tropes are a little dated, but the author didn't make "our universe" in her future, she made it in her current time, so everythings fits.

Not much of anything really is explained at all throughout the book, until the very end, when possibilities are quickly explained and conclusions quickly reached. That's not necessarily a bad thing and I think it helps lend mystery to such a weird book. I'll probably re-read it eventually now that I know the end, maybe I'll be able to keep better track of everyone then.

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