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A review by pushingdessy
The Power by Naomi Alderman
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I don’t know why but this one was hard to review! I was excited to read a book from Naomi Alderman, whose name I’m familiar with thanks to Zombies, Run! And this “feminist dystopia” was somehow in my radar, so when I spotted it at the used bookstore, I thought it was time to give it a go.
What would happen if women suddenly developed a physical ability to effortlessly cause pain and death, and it allowed them to shift the scales of power? That’s the central premise of “The Power”.
The book has the kind of format that makes you very confused at first, and then you have to go back and read it once you’re finished. It begins with a message exchange between two writers. Then we go back to the past, some years before a mysterious Cataclysm happens, and here we get four different POVs: a Nigerian journalist, the daughter of a mafioso in London, an ambitious politician from Wisconsin and an abused foster girl guided by a mystical voice. These break off with time jumps as we approach the Cataclysm, as well as illustrations of archeological finds from a past time, which amps up the intrigue.
This was a thoughtful exploration of what power does to people, of the unforeseen consequences of environmental disasters, of how history and collective memory work, of the ties between political and economic power, of cult mentality. I have to say that, as a feminist, I find the idea that women would become the abusers if the tables were suddenly turned quite bleak, if not aggravating - not because I think women would be incapable of it, but it’s an old argument used by misogynists that feminism wants to oppress men and swap the patriarchy with (what they think is) a matriarchy. However… it’s a thought-provoking what-if.
I think the reason it took me so long to review this is that I’m not 100% sure whether I liked it or not. I mean, I didn’t hate it. I thought it was an interesting and unique concept executed in an original way. And yet… I don’t know. Something about the way things unfolded felt rushed, didn’t feel convincing; “Mother Eve” being prompted by a voice that is never explained seemed out of place with the worldbuilding; and while for once a book like this tried to explore things beyond the USA, it still felt like a very (conveniently) contained panorama.
I also think part of this ambivalence is due to the Spanish translation I got. It just wasn’t good, and the expressions translated to Spanish from Spain took me out of it every time, so that impacted my enjoyment and makes it harder to judge the book’s style and voice - am I judging the author or the translator? (Also, why the hell would they not translate the easily translatable book title??) I wish I could say that I’ll try rereading it in English to see how I feel about it, but I don’t think this is a rereadable book for me either way, so I guess that makes it a not-quite-4-but-not-quite-3-stars read.
What would happen if women suddenly developed a physical ability to effortlessly cause pain and death, and it allowed them to shift the scales of power? That’s the central premise of “The Power”.
The book has the kind of format that makes you very confused at first, and then you have to go back and read it once you’re finished. It begins with a message exchange between two writers. Then we go back to the past, some years before a mysterious Cataclysm happens, and here we get four different POVs: a Nigerian journalist, the daughter of a mafioso in London, an ambitious politician from Wisconsin and an abused foster girl guided by a mystical voice. These break off with time jumps as we approach the Cataclysm, as well as illustrations of archeological finds from a past time, which amps up the intrigue.
This was a thoughtful exploration of what power does to people, of the unforeseen consequences of environmental disasters, of how history and collective memory work, of the ties between political and economic power, of cult mentality. I have to say that, as a feminist, I find the idea that women would become the abusers if the tables were suddenly turned quite bleak, if not aggravating - not because I think women would be incapable of it, but it’s an old argument used by misogynists that feminism wants to oppress men and swap the patriarchy with (what they think is) a matriarchy. However… it’s a thought-provoking what-if.
I think the reason it took me so long to review this is that I’m not 100% sure whether I liked it or not. I mean, I didn’t hate it. I thought it was an interesting and unique concept executed in an original way. And yet… I don’t know. Something about the way things unfolded felt rushed, didn’t feel convincing; “Mother Eve” being prompted by a voice that is never explained seemed out of place with the worldbuilding; and while for once a book like this tried to explore things beyond the USA, it still felt like a very (conveniently) contained panorama.
I also think part of this ambivalence is due to the Spanish translation I got. It just wasn’t good, and the expressions translated to Spanish from Spain took me out of it every time, so that impacted my enjoyment and makes it harder to judge the book’s style and voice - am I judging the author or the translator? (Also, why the hell would they not translate the easily translatable book title??) I wish I could say that I’ll try rereading it in English to see how I feel about it, but I don’t think this is a rereadable book for me either way, so I guess that makes it a not-quite-4-but-not-quite-3-stars read.