Lack of punctuation in Girl, Woman, Other

[tearinghairout]

Finally got round to reading this today and am so disappointed to see the lack of punctuation and of capitals, the unconventional layout, etc. Why have they done this? It must alienate some readers. Has anyone felt like this but conquered your distaste of this and enjoyed the book? I don't know whether to persevere with it or not.

I haven't read it but presumably it's a stylistic device chosen by the author?

Me! It really annoyed me at first but then got into the book and really enjoyed it.

The lack of punctuation is still pretentious bollocks though. May read it through again with a black pen to hand.

@ShenanigAnne

Me! It really annoyed me at first but then got into the book and really enjoyed it.

The lack of punctuation is still pretentious bollocks though. May read it through again with a black pen to hand.

Why not a red pen? John Clare's the only person allowed to leave out punctuation.

@upinaballoon did you just out-pedant me about my pen choice?!?

Many years ago I had coffee/tea/whatever with one of my role models/ inspirational women and as we parted I must have muttered about some aspect of English and she told me to get my red pen out. You just reminded me.

Bernadine Evaristo is one of the most pretentious annoying women on the planet so I'm not surprised.

I sort of liked the book I would have probably enjoyed it if not for the pretentious (lack of) punctuation. Sadly every single line grated. I have pondered since then the authors intention, to show grammar isn't important? To alienate pedants? I've not come up with a satisfactory answer.

If I hadn't read it on Kindle I may well have corrected it in red pen and sent it to her ;)

Ahhhh- I istened on audio whilst driving. Otherwise I'd have thrown it away. It would have had me take out my green pen (dontcha know in secondary now it's rather frowned upon to use red: disturbing connotations, you see!).

Thanks for your replies - last time I looked there weren't any! I also tend to wield a red pen (IRL but metaphorically when reading for pleasure) so I'm glad to hear that you find it pretentious. I tried reading it, but gave up.

The lack of punctuation is still pretentious bollocks though.
I totally agree. I was so enraged by the lack of punctuation (and other bollocks) in Milkman that I couldn't finish it.
However, they both won a Booker Prize so what do we know?

I loved it and the stylistic choices bothered me not one jot. It’s a brilliant novel that should have won the Booker outright . I’m currently teaching it to my IB class and they love it too.

@senua

The lack of punctuation is still pretentious bollocks though. I totally agree. I was so enraged by the lack of punctuation (and other bollocks) in Milkman that I couldn't finish it. However, they both won a Booker Prize so what do we know?

Funnily enough I thought the lack of punctuation made Milkman far more difficult (painfully so) but Girl Woman easier somehow.

I'm so pleased to find I'm not alone. I struggled more with the lack of capital letters, especially for names.
I don't understand it at all and I almost gave up on the book entirely, but did persevere.
I'm pleased I did just 'get on' with it, I found the book deeply upsetting in parts and I guess that was the point.

@ShenanigAnne

Me! It really annoyed me at first but then got into the book and really enjoyed it.

The lack of punctuation is still pretentious bollocks though. May read it through again with a black pen to hand.

very ee cummings!

I had no interest in the book. Don't know why.

Had a quick look on a site that sells books and it looks annoying