Wetlands. What do we think?

[morningpaper]

I am up to p 50 and have looked here but can't find discussion.

So... is it ground breaking feminist lit or just a bit ... meh?

[seeker]

A bit....meh, IMHO. And so is the woman who wrote it. Did you hear her on Woman's Hour?

[morningpaper]

I didn't hear that, no - was it this week? Wonder if I can track down the podcast...

[seeker]

No - the week before, I think. It was funny listening to Jenni Murray trying to be balanced and opjective when you could tell she was thinking "meh"!

[seeker]

Apparantly, according to the author, German women think it's incredibly funny.

[Nighbynight]

I havent bought it, was put off by the words "journey round her body" in the blurb.

[oggsdog]

I heard the Woman's Hour interview and was not overly impressed with her.
She kept harping on about how proud she was that people had supposedly fainted whilst reading the book. Jenni Murray was a bit

The the author came over as a kid going for shock value.

Must say I have googled the book though, and would be interested in your opinion mp

[seeker]

I'm travelling to Leeds today - I'll buy it at Kings Cross for the journey. Hope I don't faint.....!

[BeckyBendyLegs]

I've just bought that book! I hope it isn't just 'meh'! I paid good money for that after reading about it in the Sunday Times a couple of weeks ago.

[sfxmum]

from what I have read about it so far it sounds fairly puerile and not exactly something that is 'new' but I might be wrong

[morningpaper]

hmm I am about half way through

It is fine, I don't know why anyone would faint reading it unless they were terribly delicate but they would probably not get past the first page of graphic bumsex

I think it is quite different - I can't think of anything similar, so perhaps it needed to be published for that reason

It is quite similar to lots of the crap you find on the internet though

[seeker]

OK, I've read it now, and I can't see the point. It's not enlightening, informative, funny, shocking, entertaining or sexy - and I think I want any book I read to be at least one of those things. I think it's puerile, and I can't see how it's feminist.
Anyone else?

[BeckyBendyLegs]

I might get shot down for saying this here but I am half way through this book now and I relate to some of the things she is worrying about. I had a third degree tear when I had DS1 and I remember lying in hospital worrying so much about my poor bottom. And they wouldn't let me out until I did a poo and it took five days! Hell! The rest of the book is pretty unoriginal though it has to be said. Shocking for shockings sake.

[morningpaper]

yes I agree with you seeker - it's just a bit puerile. I don't think it's feminist. I don't see how it's different to lots of the crap spilling around cyberspace either.

I don't find the character convincing - lots of her actions are those of a sociopath but it's not done in a convincing way (unlike something like American Psycho). And the stuff about prostitutes doesn't seem to fit in with her character, who is essentially extremely naive (hoping her parents get back together).

Not sure why it's particularly shocking, more unpleasant than shocking. Not much more than I would tell the pub my friends after a few bevvies.

I don't get the humour or the feminism or the point of it.

It was quite easy to read though and I agree Becky that there is a good story to be told about something like an arse operation from a woman's point of view - but this isn't it.

[NotQuiteCockney]

Interesting to see views, I was somewhat tempted by the idea of the book, but it just sounded like a bit of a gross-out festival.

[BeckyBendyLegs]

I wonder whether it is supposed to be slightly humourous, or is my reading it to be humourous just showing up how crap it is! I mean Helen is unbelievably obsessed with her bodily functions and secretions. I just feel sorry for her: she surely has no life beyond her sexual life. I feel almost as if the author is trying too hard to write something ground-breaking, original and shocking.

I almost feel as if I should be embarrassed to be seen reading this book. I read while walking back from dropping DS1 at school and I thought 'should I cover this book up?'

[Hangingbellyofbabylon]

I wanted to love this book and to find it ground-breaking and innovative but I just don't. It is vile and in a way very simplistic, the only criteria to the dialogue seems to be that it has to be grotesque.