Not Now, but Now

by M.F.K. Fisher

In this stylish novel, M.F.K. Fisher follows the course of Jennie, a willful, wandering woman, a lovely enchantress calculating the havoc caused by her life of danger and license. Not Now but Now is Fisher's only novel. In it she traces the subtleties and nuances of a woman's mind. Controlled neither by others nor by time, Jennie moves through separate eras and beautifully drawn settings in San Francisco, Chicago, Lausanne, and Paris. "Fisher depicts with startlingly sharp strokes the discrepancy between the inner and outer Jennie, creating a remarkable character that illuminates Fisher's evident skill at fiction writing." (Publishers Weekly). REVIEW; "Her eye is so acute and her voice is so true, she invariably bewitches us." (Newsweek).

Genres: Fiction, Time Travel

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1947

About the author

Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher was a prolific and well-respected writer, writing more than 20 books during her lifetime and also publishing two volumes of journals and correspondence shortly before her death in 1992. Her first book, Serve it Forth, was published in 1937. Her books deal primarily with food, considering it from many aspects: preparation, natural history, culture, and philosophy. Fisher believed that eating well was just one of the "arts of life" and explored the art of living as a secondary theme in her writing. Her style and pacing are noted elements of her short stories and essays.

Reviews

[Corinne · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's a reason why MFK Fisher is not known for her solitary novel, and perhaps why she didn't publish another one...

This is a book about a narcissistic narrator who seduces people -- an middle aged man, a young man, a young woman, and an elderly woman. She's obsessed with herself and tries to make people obsessed with her too. But it lacked coherence in a major way. She simply got on atrain and found a new person to have obsesses over her when she was done with one of her conquests. I grew to detest the narrator and there was nothing deep going on here, so it made for a pretty tasteless read.

Stick to MFK Fisher's brilliant essays!

[Candice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compelling book about a female psychopath, I guess, time traveling, each a version of herself seizing power and then watching everything crumble around her - no redemption here. At one point she has a flash of her own culpability, but then it disappears like she does from each situation. I liked it, again, great writing and insight, but the character is a bit off-putting.

[O · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weird, sparse, beautiful prose. I love the scenes in San Francisco when Jenny plans meals with Li (?), which seem more tenderly written than the rest of the book.

[Brett]

What a hateful and nihilistic little book.

[Henry S · Rating 3 out of 5]

MFK Fisher is clearly a very talented writer but the main character in this book is just so unlikeable.

The dialogue and conversational intricacies are some of the best I’ve ever read but the stories were just so devoid of any heart or spirit. Jennie (the main character) is a self-obsessed seductress set on destroying people’s lives and it’s kind of upsetting to read after a while.

I would like to read some of her food writing though, I’m sure it’s great. She seems like an author with a really interesting life story.

[J.C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jennie should be ranked up near the top of any list of best worst female characters in literature. She is a horrible, horrible woman who lives to plot and scheme and ruin lives and she is absolutely delightful to read about. She hates men, women and children in equal measure but is aghast when anyone thinks a negative thought about her. It's delightful. M.F.K Fisher is my favorite architect of sentences in the English language so I probably liked it more than others would. I was laughing out loud, but I can't promise you will too.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would I recommend this? Not to many. It’s lol irreverent but also super offensive to cultures, races, genders. The voice was super unique; I felt like I was in the mind of the protagonist.

[Sophie Olson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writing was gorgeous but the character was such a c-word I can only give it 3 stars.

[Ann Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a while to get into this book (weeding out the bookshelves, I found a dusty copy from who-knows-when and decided to give it a shot)... but once I fell into the rhythm of the prose, I had a hard time putting it down. Not sure how to "classify" this ... The main character is a woman who travels through time and rather fey in nature. A woman who is so completely self-absorbed that, even as she shatters the lives of those she touches, all she sees are the effects on herself. A fascinating character study. Plus, I loved the section set in San Francisco 1882!
A haunting book.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this fascinating perplexing compelling novel, we follow our main character -- Jennie -- through adventures which skip among eras and locations. Jennie delights in manipulating people around her, but in the process gives away any control over her life, and in each situation in this book she is confounded by her own actions and intentions. Though almost an anti-hero, Jennie is fasinating to follow and the reader ends up caring about her... each time in a different way. This book should be better known than it is.

[Kate McDougall Sackler · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book about a narcissistic courtesan who gets off on seducing, wielding power over, then destroying men and women. Then, on the brink of discovery, she runs. The main character is not a nice person and so many things are hinted at, but never spelled out (was that an abortion?). In the author’s acknowledgment she states that she cannot believe that this got published and that it is more like several short stories. I couldn’t agree more.
2021 reading challenge-a book whose title contains a negative

[Liesl Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love her writing. All of it.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

one of the least likable protagonists i've encountered, but good writing.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

great discussion sparked by the book sleeve's description, "More Lilith than Eve."

[dahlia · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love a beautiful woman with a supriority complex what can i say

[Stephanie Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unexpected! I have loved MFK Fisher's writing for years and was thrilled to find this novel. The duplicity of her protagonist is abhorrent but also forces empathy from the reader. She is a woman caught, contained by society and but fierce and lethal in her desire to be independent.