The Female Man

I had a really hard time with this novel. Some books are primarily about story, while others are primarily about message, while others fall in between. I tend to prefer books that lean more toward the story end of the scale. This book is almost entirely about message. It is virtually plotless, using SF constructs and an at times almost incoherent writing structure to relentlessly drum a message into the reader. An important message, absolutely. A dated message...not precisely. The message feels dated, not because it is no longer relevant (it is), but because much of the setting is from the 1970's, which adds a perception filter to a modern reader. I doubt I personally would have appreciated it any more in the 70's, but again this is because I prefer books with more focus on story.

The structure of the novel, with point of view jumping between different characters so often and (seemingly) randomly does not help, since it is virtually impossible to follow who is speaking at a given moment. One character in particular has a status that seems to simultaneously be both unseen observer and active participant which confuses the narrative even further.