Sex Wars by Marge Piercy February 7th 2007

Always a treat to have a new Marge Piercy, this is the story of the pioneers of women’s rights in the America of the 1860s and 70’s. I've been reading Marge Piercy since the 1970's and have been challenged, moved, inspired ... never disappointed!

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Or at least, never disappointed until now! I tried twice to get through this book, the second time being on our reader's retreat in Wales, when there was all the time in the world to focus on and relax into a good book. This was turgid and pedestrian: I finally gave up after 80 pages. Opinions among the two groups were also pretty similar; that she "told" rather than "showed"; that the only time there was any real life or lightness to the writing was when she was talking about the only completely fictional character; that although the premise of the book was worthy it just didn't work. Discussion in the group (one group was cancelled due to complete lack of interest in the book!) was interesting and lively as the women's rights movement was discussed; past, present and future (!), but this was a general conversation based on our own thoughts and experiences and bore little reference to the book.

Very, very disappointing.

If you want to read Piercy try Small Changes, Woman on the Edge of Time; Vida, Gone to Soldiers, her memoir - Sleeping with Cats - pretty well anything; just not this one!