Rating: Summary: Very sexy! Review: I've read all of Jeanette Winterson's books and of all of them this was my favorite. Ms. Winterson's writing style is a beautiful use of the English language, a language that is often sloppy and cumbersome. She is able to convey androgeny and sensuality with such ease in this book. All the while keeping the reader guessing about the character's sexuality.
Rating: Summary: Fully Realized Love Review: This book can be summed up in one thought-provoking and heart-breaking line from its slim 190 pages: "Why is the measure of love loss?" That pretty much sums it up; the rest of the book leads up to and then answers that question in a way I would hate to describe in any other way than lyrical. In the process, the reader realizes that the gender of the narrator is inconsequential, only the love story matters. It's as if the best romance novel ever written somehow became literature. This is a book that will keep you asking questions about your own life and loves for a long time to come. It's one of those gems you won't read about very often, but anyone who's read it is sure to recommend it highly.
Rating: Summary: So desperately close to greatness Review: Lyrical, poignant and utterly honed perfection until somewhere in the middle where it sunk with the weight of artifice. I, more than most, did not want the genderless narrator to matter, because, yes, it shouldn't. But, unfortunately I found it an unnecessary, indulgent, clunky conceit. And Winterson came close to pulling it off, but ultimately the novel, that was destined to be winged, sunk swathed, adled in all its post-modern clothes. The anatomical descriptions are beautiful, achingly so, but redundant, unlikely. Ah, so desperately close to greatness, and it would have been had it not been for its "experiential" nature. Kudos for stylistic bravery though. But, damnation, with my hopes so soaring, the landing was a bruise.
Rating: Summary: I don't read novels, especially romance Review: So I will preface this review with the fact that I almost never read novels, and really never read romance. However, a friend handed me this book and I decided to give it a chance. I do love literature, and to me this never fealt like another cheap paperback romance, of which an author might write 5 a year. I felt this book to be a true piece of literature, and completely worthy as such. So for those of your out there like me, you might want to give this a try.She creates complete atmospheres with word, and beautiful, sensual descriptions of her world both inside her mind, and outside of it. And my love for the European lifestyle only get me more excited about reading this. High Recomend, check it out.
Rating: Summary: Great! Review: I think this book is an excellent work! Jeanette Winterson weaves the fabric of modern relationship and she uses it to emphasize the value of true love. I love the way she tells the story! She employs a lot of figures of speech and the invisible feelings become something that the reader is able to obtain. Also, every question mark she puts would carry some philosophical meaning and would make me ponder for a while. This book is really full of content and also literary technique.
Rating: Summary: Simply Gorgeous Review: I'm not usually apt to write reviews about the books I've read, but this one I simply couldn't let go. The content of the book was just awesome as love stories go, but what interested me the most was the rhythm of the writing. It was almost like reading poetry at some points in the story and there were plenty of quote worthy lines to underline and make comments about in the margins. I was amazed at how Jeanette Winterson captured the feelins associated with love, especially touch, and put those feelings and emotions into beautifuly grafted words and sentances. If you enjoy love stories and adore true and beautiful expression, then you will not want to pass this book up.
Rating: Summary: Why is the messure of love loss? Review: From the opening line to the last word this story will absorb you, ingest and digest your every emotional memory. A view of love we've all seen ("'I love you' is always a quotation."), it will open old wounds and heal fresh ones. Love as blood, love as nectar, love as pain and pleasure, ecstasy and agony. The name and gender of the narrator never becoming an issue, as you slip easily into his/her skin and experience every sensation through the melody of words written on the body.
Rating: Summary: Beautiful love story, wonderful writing!! Review: "Written on the body is a secret code only visible in certain lights; the accumulations of a lifetime gather there. In places the palimpsest is so heavily worked that the letters feel like braille. I like to keep my body rolled up away from prying eyes. Never unfold too much, tell the whole story. I didn't know that Louise would have reading hands. She has translated me into her own book." -Jeanette Winterson A Russian translator speaks about the preoccupation that this person has with women -- a series of women, until Louise comes into this person's life, transforming it forever. Their Love Story is beautifully detailed and lovingly chronicled in heartstopping prose. This writer can create unforgettable paragraphs. Her book is refreshingly put together, and she has used abundant creativity in constructing loving passages, one after another, written on the body -- or rather about the body, and the protagonist's insatiable longing for Louise. Poignant, pensive, and beautiful -- this book is a joy. The Love Story is magical and wondrous and makes one's heart flutter to read about it. I shall treasure my memories of it. Highly recommended!
Rating: Summary: A member of my top ten best books I've ever read Review: I'm an avid book reader who reads about a book a week. It has been years since I've come across a book as magical as Written on the Body. It is truly a life changing book for me, and I'm glad that I didn't die having never read it. If you've ever been in love and been rejected, this book is the best company you'd ever have for your misery. Yet the narrator is always wry and wonderous at the same time. The first time I read this book, I looked around the bookstore to see if someone was whispering in my ear. It is easily the first five pages of any book I've ever written. While I like The Passion better that this book (and can in truth only recommend this book and the Passion of Winterson's), this book can definitely hold its own and has an appeal much more urbane and specific than The Passion.
Rating: Summary: Stunning Review: I cannot say enough about this novel. Winterson is a master at weaving ideas and philosophy with the sensual being. This book is bold beyond most current day literature, yet still easy to read and thought provoking with every page. I'm not sure a younger reader can fully grasp all of the nuances of the story without first living some of the emotions Winterson captures. This deserves to be on a the list of the 20th Centuries greatest novels.
|