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A review by jaymoran
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
4.0
she spent the first few hours in her newly independent republic staring out of a window that framed a small square of pure sky
all hers
Rarely do I go into a book with so high expectations - I’ve been looking forward to reading Girl, Woman, Other ever since I finished reading Evaristo’s novel, Mr Loverman, last year, and I’ve been (im)patiently waiting for the ‘perfect time’ (whatever that means) to pick this up.
We meet eleven women and one non-binary individual, all from different backgrounds, lifestyles and circumstances, as they navigate their ways through life, forming relationships, pursuing their careers, and processing their past. Each character is linked to one another, sometimes with the lightest butterfly touch, other times with great impact, and I loved seeing these connections unfold.
Girl, Woman, Other is an intricately layered book that doesn’t quite fit into the category of novel or short story collection - it’s sort of a hybrid, which I think works in Evaristo’s favour when it comes to the depths and lengths she is able to explore her characters. They are given the space needed to breathe and expand on the page, coming to life before your eyes, and it shows how much command Evaristo has as a storyteller.
I did have a few issues with the section focusing on the transgender character, Morgan, who is non-binary. There were a few things Evaristo said that I felt weren't true, for example she describes pansexuality as being attracted to men, women and trans people, which is a harmful, inaccurate way to depict trans men and women. If she meant this to include non-binary people then 'all genders' would have sufficed or 'men, women, and non-binary people'. There was also a moment where a trans woman, Bibi, is talking to Morgan about feminism, and then stops herself, saying that she as a trans woman shouldn't be talking over a cis woman (this is before Morgan came out) when it comes to women's issues. Saying that, though, I was, for the most part, happy with the handling of Morgan's character and was happy to see that representation.
I think this should have been the sole winner of the 2019 Booker Prize - in my eyes, it is (still love you Margaret all the same). Like many others, I will be exploring more of Evaristo’s backlist and will definitely be preordering her next book.
all hers
Rarely do I go into a book with so high expectations - I’ve been looking forward to reading Girl, Woman, Other ever since I finished reading Evaristo’s novel, Mr Loverman, last year, and I’ve been (im)patiently waiting for the ‘perfect time’ (whatever that means) to pick this up.
We meet eleven women and one non-binary individual, all from different backgrounds, lifestyles and circumstances, as they navigate their ways through life, forming relationships, pursuing their careers, and processing their past. Each character is linked to one another, sometimes with the lightest butterfly touch, other times with great impact, and I loved seeing these connections unfold.
Girl, Woman, Other is an intricately layered book that doesn’t quite fit into the category of novel or short story collection - it’s sort of a hybrid, which I think works in Evaristo’s favour when it comes to the depths and lengths she is able to explore her characters. They are given the space needed to breathe and expand on the page, coming to life before your eyes, and it shows how much command Evaristo has as a storyteller.
I did have a few issues with the section focusing on the transgender character, Morgan, who is non-binary. There were a few things Evaristo said that I felt weren't true, for example she describes pansexuality as being attracted to men, women and trans people, which is a harmful, inaccurate way to depict trans men and women. If she meant this to include non-binary people then 'all genders' would have sufficed or 'men, women, and non-binary people'. There was also a moment where a trans woman, Bibi, is talking to Morgan about feminism, and then stops herself, saying that she as a trans woman shouldn't be talking over a cis woman (this is before Morgan came out) when it comes to women's issues. Saying that, though, I was, for the most part, happy with the handling of Morgan's character and was happy to see that representation.
I think this should have been the sole winner of the 2019 Booker Prize - in my eyes, it is (still love you Margaret all the same). Like many others, I will be exploring more of Evaristo’s backlist and will definitely be preordering her next book.