Lilith
Ratings12
Average rating3.4
Gorgeous language, fascinating little historical tidbits - I genuinely had no idea Asherah was part of early Judaism, for example. I'm feeling a new special interest coming on.
For the majority of the book Lilith wanders around then blacks out a couple thousand years. This repeats a few times until the end when she's basically like “yup misogyny is bad”. The message is really overt and the book doesn't take the time to ever give it any depth. Overall, things kind of just happened and the characters were bland. At times it seemed to be weirdly gender essentialist as well.
I wasn't sure about this book when I first started reading. I am not much for books with any kind of religious element but it really was a decent read. I was a bit disappointed with the end of the book, it was like it fizzled out but I enjoyed the book for the most part.
It's about the story of Lilith and Adam and how he felt she was his servant and she thought they were a partnership. After he violates her she flees. She is then replaced by Eve and Lilith sets out to rescue women from their subserviant lives.
I get what the book was trying to do but I think it might have just slightly missed the mark.
The author has a talent and I will definitely look for more from the author.
3.5 stars
“And if the woman told you to jumpeth off a cliff,” He thundered, “would you?”
IM OUT. Really basic feminism 101 retelling and some ham fisted writing. Idk if this is meant to be YA but it wasn't what I was hoping.
A book of telling, not showing. For a feminist retelling, the lead character spends the first half of the book completely passive: never adancing the plot by her own actions, frequently being rescued by the men around her, and generally failing to even notice the actions put in motion by the male characters until they stop and take the time to explain to her after the fact what they had done. Meanwhile, she spends her time following along in the wake of other actors and monologuing about the importance of gender equality. It also takes an extremely limited and antiquated view of gender, with depictions of womanhood being reduced to mostly childbirth and nurturing despite claims to more.
I had been excited going in for a subversive and heretical retelling of perhaps the most classic story, but the complete lack of any nuance, combined with language that rapidly shifts between modern and a biblical style leaves the story falling far flat of hopes.