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Eleanor Jones's avatar

Fantastic essay! I’ve not heard of this book before, but I want to give it a go after reading your thoughts. It’s particularly interesting to hear that the narrator experiences autonomy over her body- not something we see from other books at the time. It sounds like a unique, refreshing read!

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Kate Jones's avatar

Thank you! : ) I agree, I think Sagan was really pushing a new narrative with her protagonist in the book. I hope you enjoy it!

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Kathleen Clare Waller's avatar

I have long adored this book. I agree - to me it’s not sadness but a French sort of melancholia that just feels the world deeply.

Authorship issues seem to always be placed on female authors -- Mary Shelley, Harper Lee...

authors have enough to deal with in society without people suggesting they didn’t actually do the work!!

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Kate Jones's avatar

Absolutely! The list of female authors goes on...

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