Between Friends

by Gillian E. Hanscombe

Genres: Fiction, Feminism, Lesbian

180 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1982

About the author

Gillian Hanscombe is a poet, novelist, writing teacher, essayist, and feminist activist. She lives in England with her partner Suniti Namjoshi.

Reviews

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

what the cheerful cover led me to believe might be a cute and charming book turned out to be intense, clear and real. a close to home depiction of how it feels to be a feminist trying to be understood and to understand; a great window into the women’s liberation movement of the time for anyone interested, and one that makes me envy the atmosphere of fierce commitment those women created together in a time when their ideas were brand new.

[Stef Rozitis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought provoking, at times didactic. Would anyone really write like that to someone they haven't met? Is the falling in love in the book remotely plausible? I wanted to love it because it was not only about lesbians but feminists and yet for more of the novel than not I felt alientated from the characters, I would have expected them to be more relatable.

Maybe the issue is that this is a 1982 book (I was six then) maybe what I am experiencing is a generation gap, also the UK setting might add to the disorientation for a 2015 Australian reader. I did wonder half-way through if as an art film I would have got more into it. Much of the emotion that the women had to sort through, the complexity and disagreements (hurray) I welcomed but not the way they all lectured each other.

It is one thing to be assertive but they really did all nag and lecture and go on and on and on and I even felt some empathy for the unlikable and cowardly Frances for choosing not to succumb to their tiresome way of going on and on at her (of course she was in the wrong and I don;t really excuse her). Jim was too bad to be true (except people that awful do exist as I have met them), I was glad he was balanced by Tim even if the two of them were ridiculous extremes. It was a sort of reverse trope, what is usually the good girl vs' the slut becomes the sensitive feminist-friendly man vs the evil rapist.

The book was pretty easy to glide through over less than two days despite my critiques. Maybe three stars is harsh. Maybe a rewrite (or an art film) would be in order.

Anyway I am glad someone writes stuff like this. A lot of these things need to be teased out in fiction (maybe less didactically). I sort of enjoyed the romance even though Jane annoyed the hell out of me nearly all the time...does that call into question my feminist credentials?

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Think consciousness-raising meets epistolary novel — I loved it, and was already in love by page 2. The story plays out through a series of letters among four women, exchanging intense missives about feminism, life, and each other. The kind of deep conversation inspired by passion, a pen and lots of paper. Jane — I loved Jane, from her unrepentant politics to her silk blouse. Amy I appreciated, though I wouldn't agree with her on many counts; she offered such a solid, supportive presence. Frances saddened me, and I know more manifestations of Frances in my life than I can count. I know a few Janes too — but no Amys, though the world could do with some more Amys and fewer of Frances (and no Jims). Meg — I liked Meg, loved her defense of Jan, understood her reservations, was thrilled when she fell in love. I was suspicious of Tim, regardless of what Amy might say. Simon I could have done with less fuss about; though, as the characters make clear, he can't be willed out of existence. I'd love to find more novels like this — of women, together, grappling with the tough questions of what liberation can and might and should mean. ★★★★★!

[Arina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most brilliantly thought-provoking book I have read all year