this isn't actually terrible or anything, but there's no point to it at all, except i guess emotional manipulation. no, i suppose she's getting at the "normalcy" of queer relationships (this was published in 1995 and takes place in the 1960's) and it's not even badly written (although it's not particularly well written either) but if that is her point she muddles it significantly. the point of view was badly done - not a good choice in the first place to be from the son's point of view, and then the narrator knows things he shouldn't know; the language, to keep theo and claire separate and easily identifiable, isn't natural. (saying "she" would be confusing, i understand, unless the characters were distinctly drawn; and there are ways to write around this besides constantly using their names, which their son wouldn't do.) i was never made to care about him, or truly even understand the women, although i did sympathize with them. there are just a ton of problems with it and it ends with this obvious attempt to make the reader feel something, which just made me roll my eyes.

i suspect that this wasn't a common story when this came out, and so for that, i'm glad it was written. her stance, that queer relationships and queer parents aren't damaging and should be supported, was probably an important message then. she just went about it in a strange way, one that today doesn't even seem all that supportive.

still, not awful, so between 1 and 1.5. ( )