Visitation

by Michèle Roberts

Helen is in conflict with her suburban upbringing, her independence, her creativity, and generations of silence surrounding notions of gender and sexual behavior. This story is a daring exploration of female sexuality.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

177 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1983

About the author

Michèle Brigitte Roberts is the author of fifteen novels, including Ignorance which was nominated for the Women's Prize for Fiction and Daughters of the House which won the W.H. Smith Literary Award and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Her memoir Paper Houses was BBC Radio 4's Book of the Week in June 2007. She has also published poetry and short stories, most recently collected in Mud: Stories of Sex and Love. Half-English and half-French, Roberts lives in London and in the Mayenne, France. She is Emeritus Professor of Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia.

Reviews

[Nicholas Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably Roberts' best work (that I've read so far). It's one of her older works, so there's still the themes of Jungian psychology and a hopeful ending. That's what makes this the best of her works. She still focuses on serious issues like sexism, women's needs and desires to create and have meaningful friendships with other women, religion, and loving yourself but unlike her later works there is much hope at the end. Beth was a great character, I kind of wished that we saw more of her perspective along with Robert and Felix.

I really wish more Americans knew about her.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Arley]

The Women's Press Ficiton 1983