I was intimidated going into this book. It’s long, and it’s written in an experimental style of verse that doesn’t include periods or capitals. I was nervous I’d be unable to find my feet and that it would prove too difficult for me to get into. Not so. It took about 50 pages, but once I was in it, I was in it. Of the four books I’ve now read from this year’s Booker Prize longlist (and a few more I’ve attempted), this is possibly my favourite, and one I both hoped and expected to see on the shortlist. Luckily, it did indeed make the cut!
This is a book that, at first glance, doesn’t seem like a novel. It’s a story told in parts – each section is the story of a different character, twelve in total, spanning nearly a century. I wasn’t sure if a book written in this way could come across as a cohesive story (particularly since this is the one criticism I have heard of the book), but was pleasantly surprised by how seamlessly Evaristo manages to transition between characters and draw a few strands of story through multiple characters’ lives and perspectives.
This is one of those books that manages to deal with a whole host of very important, very current issues – race, feminism, gender, sexuality, parenting, family, identity and politics – without ever feeling as if it loses narrative strength in service of these themes. It also manages to avoid (for the most part) the issue I often have with books that split narrative between characters – not caring about some of the stories at all and feeling like I’m stuck slogging through to get to the next interesting bit. Sure, there were characters I cared about or liked more than others, stories I found held more innate attraction for me, but even those I didn’t immediately want to delve into served to further the overall story and gave me new ideas and experiences to consider.
This book isn’t the easiest to read – it took me three weeks – partly because it’s so packed to the gills with important ideas and issues. It doesn’t feel hard to read, but will make the engaged reader need to take periodic steps back to chew on the multi-course meal Evaristo has served up on a platter.
I was amazed by how well the style of writing worked for the stories Evaristo is telling. It allowed her to play with emphasis and speech patterns and helped create definition between her different characters. In parts it was beautifully executed and helped me connect more deeply with the reading. There is an energy that flows through this book that I’ve rarely encountered before. These are characters who all struggle, who all face intense adversity (either personal, social or both) but who by and large manage to build on it and become stronger for it. Even those who don’t manage to escape their circumstances hold a strong centre that never allows them to crumble under the weight of their challenges. It’s inspiring, and such an important message for today’s women (and, I would imagine, for black women dealing with racist prejudices in particular). We are all at the centre of our own stories, and yet there is a strength, a resilience, that we all share in common and that allows us to harness our wills and bend to grow around obstacles.
I loved that the characters in Evaristo’s book are often ones whose stories have not been deemed important enough to put on the page. Most of them are black or mixed-race, they are women, some are non-binary or homosexual, others come from extreme poverty or abuse. A large part of the power of this book is that it finally allows these characters to take on a voice in popular culture, and their voice is one that demands to be heard.
I’m very grateful to have picked this book up when I did, and I expect it will be one of my top books of the year. Don’t be intimidated by its length or style. Give it a try. I think you will find it repays the effort with interest.
Teeming with life and crackling with energy – a love song to modern Britain and black womanhood
Girl, Woman, Other follows the lives and struggles of twelve very different characters. Mostly women, black and British, they tell the stories of their families, friends and lovers, across the country and through the years.
Joyfully polyphonic and vibrantly contemporary, this is a gloriously new kind of history, a novel of our times: celebratory, ever-dynamic and utterly irresistible. – Goodreads
Book Title: Girl, Woman, Other
Author: Bernardine Evaristo
Series: No
Edition: Hardback
Published By: Hamish Hamilton
Released: May 2, 2019
Genre: Fiction, Women, Historical, Race, Family, Diverse
Pages: 464
Date Read: August 6-27, 2019
Rating: 9/10
Average Goodreads Rating: 4.38/5 (282 ratings)
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