Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

Allredditorsarewomen t1_j78tblp wrote

I really hated this book, and felt it was voyeuristic and gross. From what you're saying here:

>Just because what you reads disgusts you dosen't mean that the writer is a dirtback for writing it, if you ask me he got the reaction out of you that he wanted.

I think you are missing some honest critique of the work as a whole and being dismissive of people who disagree with how you felt about it.

Edit: also if you or someone you love has experienced childhood sexual abuse, I would absolutely not recommend this.

6

StardustAtSea OP t1_j7a9b2c wrote

I agree, it is voyeuristic, but what would be the altenative? If the invicible narriator stepped in to clarify the horribleness of the situation it would stop being from Turtle's perspective. It wouldn't be orfentic to the realness of the situation because the author knows that all that he describes is awful, and he knows that all of the people reading it thinks so too and that's the point. This is as normal to Turtle as having a stable family life is to so many others, and I think only by describing it as normal as possible we get that orfentic voyeuristic point of view that you get in real life, where you can point and criticize and know better than a broken person but it don't really mean a damn thing cause you ain't in it, and you can't sway a person to see their world in anyways different than they see if from their perspective, they have to learn that on their own, and that's what happens here. That's the magic of books, to see another life from a different soul, where their point of view matters more than your own. And I honestly think that the only way to write this book or any book is to write it voyeruristicly, we don't get the whole picture if a guy keeps pausing the emotions to confirm to us that this is indeed bad

2

Allredditorsarewomen t1_j7bcev8 wrote

I don't think we're going to agree here, especially because we're coming at this from completely different places. I am not saying that a story like this shouldn't be told. I have definitely really liked books that feature CSA. But this one did not feel authentic to me (and many other people with experiences regarding CSA). The author is free to write about it - I am free to say I don't think the story should have been written like this or by him.

2

StardustAtSea OP t1_j7ben0l wrote

That's totally fair, like I'm no expert on what goes on in the mind of a child who's being abused (thank God) so it might be way off, but there were somethings in the book that Turtle went through that I could relate to so that he got right for me atleast. If that kinda stuff happend to you I'm so goddamn sorry

2

Allredditorsarewomen t1_j7clvg6 wrote

Right there's plenty relatable in the story, and I'm glad you enjoyed it, but I feel the aspect of sexual abuse was not done well , and that's enough to turn me off from the book.

1