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Caitlin B.
Motherhood
A very personal, and profound book by Sheila Heti. Heti’s writing style is similar to that of stream of consciousness poetry. The book takes you on a journey rather than tells you a story. It gives you an insight into the depths of an individual’s life and their relationship with pain, sadness, doubt, their mother, boyfriend, friends, childbearing, love, and life. You are taken along the narrator’s transformation as she learns to be content with her life, her past, and her decisions.
Great read and I was able to relate to much of the content contained in the book. Heti's writing made quite the impact on me as I
…more was reading this book. (less)Motherhood is an amazing book, both personal and controversial. Sheila Heti's writing style is unique, using the question/answer mode to blend with the prose of the story.
The novel is partly memoir and partly the progressive life of a writer as she considers the choices of her mid life possibilities and reflects on the life altering decisions of others.
Completely fascinating and brave!
Lee M. (Creve Coeur, MO)
Career Advice
To say this book is different just does not cover it. It's a select compendium of many of the pros and cons of a private but important decision facing our female executive leaders of the 21st century. Very well written and covering some territory not previously discussed or well defined in any Career Manual.
Janine S. (Wyoming, MI)
Angst overkill
Motherhood is interesting for some of the literary techniques employed by the author but after that the angst over a decision to have children - actually seemingly made years previously by having an abortion and in the present by taking the morning after pill - becomes tedious reading. It became difficult to resonant with a narrator who sought to blame her mother, her lover and PMS for just about every thing that could possibly be wrong in her life. Motherhood as a calling or a decision requires some sense of selflessness. For the book's narrator it's probably a good decision for her not to have a child as I'm
…more not sure she could ever get outside herself. (less)I found it extremely difficult to slog through this book. The question and answers with the coins reminded me of asking questions to a toy 8 Ball; the pointless meanderings made me not want to read anything else written by this author. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.
Vivian Harrington
Self Absorbed Author Could Use Therapy
Initially the concept of using the I Ching for decision making interested me because I lived in Asia for 5 years and remain fascinated by Chinese divination. After the first few chapters, however, the repetitive questions about ordinary decisions bored me.
Additionally, the author truly appeared to be relying upon faux angst regarding the decision to have children to self indulge in writing this book. I never felt indecision. It seemed as if the author was trying to justify who decision to remain childless to look to the world as if it were agonizing.
Every family has issues, depression, good, bad, ugly, joy....
…more most women who decided not to have children (myself included) did not have to ask dice to give us the answer. We just knew what was right for us. (less)I am sure somewhere in the pages of MOTHERHOOD, there is a profound message. I got so weary slogging through the stream of consciousness writing that I probably just didn't see it. I made it to the end only by sheer steely will.
Beth B. (New Wilmington, PA)
To be or not to be ---- Motherhood
Not an enjoyable read by any means. More a wrestling match between fulfillment, status, respect, fear, values, expectations, independence, "normal", convention. Is not having a child akin to being a draft dodger? What is acting vs. being yourself? Am I a vessel? Does having a child mean holy completeness? By freezing eggs am I freezing my indecision about being a mother?
The "I" never has a name but is obsessed with "the soul of time" and relies on flipping coins and seeking fortune tellers to make decisions. She is weak and indecisive and Miles, her partner is selfish and rather unknowable. The "I" is 37 and
…more her biological clock is ticking and she would rather be a writer (her central relationship) than a mother.
The most intriguing part of the book was the pattern of motherhood between three generations and I's father as being the mother figure in her life.
I must add that I'm not the most objective judge as I truly value my motherhood. Also, this is a most unusual novel, rather an analysis. (less)
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