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Marge Piercy. Any other fans out there?

10 replies

AtrociousCircumstance · 20/08/2014 23:24

I'm very excited tonight to learn that her novel 'Vida' was based on the counter cultural weathermen group, and the main character based on a woman called Bernadine Dohrn. I want to retread it having learnt that.

I love Piercy's work. She's stupidly underrated.

I love Vida and Woman On The Edge of Time....but they're all so brilliant.

Come and share your Marge love with me!

OP posts:
Gherkinsmummy · 21/08/2014 16:08

Yes I love her! I cried at the end of Gone To Soldiers, where 'Ginger' eats an apple. Haven't read anything by her for years. Must get some out of the library.

gailforce1 · 21/08/2014 18:39

This is an author that I have not heard of, please come back and tell me more as I am always on the look out for new authors!

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 21/08/2014 19:35

I've only read, 'Woman on the Edge of Time' which I picked up because I'd seen it mentioned a lot on here. Unfortunately I was really disappointed with it - lots of good bits and an interesting concept, but as a whole it all felt a bit uninspiring, as if she got bored of it all part way through.

MrsDavidBowie · 21/08/2014 19:41

Yes I read all of hers late 70s/80s..
Didn't like the science fiction type....

I still have them all. I'm sure the early ones would feel quite dated now.

catellington · 21/08/2014 19:44

I loved woman on the edge of time...one of my favourite ever novels

PoisonousCentipede · 21/08/2014 19:50

I absolutely loved Gone to Soldiers - a real epic with a great cast of female characters. One of my favourite ever completely unputdownable reads.

I started Woman on the Edge of Time but didn't get very far, I think I was hoping it would be another G to S & gave up too easily when it wasn't. Must look her up again!

Bowednotbroken · 21/08/2014 19:53

yes I love her too - Woman on the Edge of Time is one of my favourites too. I have several others - must find them

TabbyTurmoil · 21/08/2014 20:04

I loved Woman on the Edge of Time - will try Gone to Soldiers.

WandaFuca · 21/08/2014 20:31

I rarely read fiction, so I'm not good at recommending authors or books. But I loved the three Marge Piercy books I've read. Both Woman on the Edge of Time and Gone to Soldiers affected me quite deeply, which is rare.

I know she's regarded as a feminist writer, but I think I'd say she writes strongly about women and their lives (not sure what the difference is, nor how to articulate that).

Gone to Soldiers is probably the best to read first, as it's set in a recognisable time of WW2. Woman on the Edge of Time is futuristic, but that didn't bother me (maybe because the fiction I used to read back when I was young was mostly science fiction). But it is a powerful book about how women and minorities are regarded within the context of mental health treatment.

I can't recall much about Body of Glass, though. But, according to my spreadsheet, I've still got my copy here, so I'll dig that out for another read.

They're not "easy" books to read, i.e. not for skimming through; and even if the setting is futuristic or mythical, the characters seem very real.

Note: According to Wikipedia, Body of Glass and He, She and It are the same book, published under different titles - so don't buy both!

Cooroo · 23/08/2014 10:24

I read a few back in the 80s, but Woman on the Edge is the only one I remember! I loved that book with a passion. Must track it down and re-read!

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