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Peach
Introducing a dazzling new literary voice--a wholly original novel as groundbreaking as the works of Eimear McBride and Max Porter.
Something has happened to Peach. Staggering around the town streets in the aftermath of an assault, Peach feels a trickle of blood down her legs, a lingering smell of her anonymous attacker on her skin. It hurts to walk, but she manages to make her way to her home, where she stumbles into another oddly nightmarish reality: Her parents can't seem to comprehend that anything has happened to their daughter.
The next morning, Peach tries to return to the routines of her ordinary life, going to classes, spending time with her boyfriend, Green, trying to find comfort in the thought of her upcoming departure for college. And yet, as Peach struggles through the next few days, she is stalked by the memories of her unacknowledged trauma. Sleeping is hard when she is haunted by the glimpses of that stranger's gaping mouth. Working is hard when her assailant's rancid smell still fills her nostrils. Eating is impossible when her stomach is swollen tight as a drum. Though she tries to close her eyes to what has happened, Peach at last begins to understand the drastic, gruesome action she must take.
In this astonishing debut, Emma Glass articulates the unspeakable with breathtaking verve. Intensely physical, with rhythmic, visceral prose, Peach marks the arrival of a visionary new voice.
Something has happened to Peach. Staggering around the town streets in the aftermath of an assault, Peach feels a trickle of blood down her legs, a lingering smell of her anonymous attacker on her skin. It hurts to walk, but she manages to make her way to her home, where she stumbles into another oddly nightmarish reality: Her parents can't seem to comprehend that anything has happened to their daughter.
The next morning, Peach tries to return to the routines of her ordinary life, going to classes, spending time with her boyfriend, Green, trying to find comfort in the thought of her upcoming departure for college. And yet, as Peach struggles through the next few days, she is stalked by the memories of her unacknowledged trauma. Sleeping is hard when she is haunted by the glimpses of that stranger's gaping mouth. Working is hard when her assailant's rancid smell still fills her nostrils. Eating is impossible when her stomach is swollen tight as a drum. Though she tries to close her eyes to what has happened, Peach at last begins to understand the drastic, gruesome action she must take.
In this astonishing debut, Emma Glass articulates the unspeakable with breathtaking verve. Intensely physical, with rhythmic, visceral prose, Peach marks the arrival of a visionary new voice.
112 pages, Hardcover
First published January 11, 2018
81 people are currently reading
5171 people want to read
About the author
Emma Glass
11 books152 followersEmma Glass was born in Swansea.
She studied English literature and creative writing at the University of Kent, then decided to become a nurse and went back to study children's nursing at Swansea University.
She lives in South London and is a research nurse specialist at Evelina London Children's Hospital.
Her debut novel Peach will be published in February 2018.
She studied English literature and creative writing at the University of Kent, then decided to become a nurse and went back to study children's nursing at Swansea University.
She lives in South London and is a research nurse specialist at Evelina London Children's Hospital.
Her debut novel Peach will be published in February 2018.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 775 reviews
February 26, 2019
Graphic, visceral, acerbic. Peach is a punchy novella about a girl wrestling with the maddening aftereffects of sexual assault. Heavy on symbolism and open to interpretation, here is a narrative that effectively makes one squirm and fidget and feel a roiling in one's gut. This is desecrated flesh and ravaged nerves and the stench of blood and breath and charred bodies. The kind of book that doesn't shy away from the most horrendous aspects of rape and what comes after.
Glass relates Peach's story with highly experimental prose, a bullet spray of succinct sentences and jagged thoughts. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn't, but it makes for an overall bold and impressive narrative - one that does serious damage in less than a hundred pages.
Not for everyone, but definitely worth checking out. This unapologetic debut heralds the arrival of a daring new literary talent.
Glass relates Peach's story with highly experimental prose, a bullet spray of succinct sentences and jagged thoughts. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn't, but it makes for an overall bold and impressive narrative - one that does serious damage in less than a hundred pages.
Not for everyone, but definitely worth checking out. This unapologetic debut heralds the arrival of a daring new literary talent.
I want to talk. to say things to him. Tell him. Talk to him. Say what happened last night when I was walking home. I want to say things but I don't know how to order the words. Sentences slither around my brain. Scattered words. Scatterbrained. Scatter sentences. Scattered semantics.Scattered seeds.Scatter my brains. Grow. Grow, Green. Grow tall. Thick knots on your chest that I touch with my fingres. Thick, not fickle, knots fill you from the inside, out. Brown knots. Not hard. Not wood, or bone. Cartilege inserted in your holes like cartridges, malignant melanomas, only, no. No cancer. Not cancer, knots can be removed if you please, but please, don't. I like them like that. I place my hands flat. I want to climb the ridges in your skin. But how do I get in? I have put in plugs. Plugged up my hole. Like yours. But so I don't ooze out. Because I will ooze, infect, in fact. I don't want that.
October 22, 2023
Debut novel Peach, by Emma Glass is my second incredible read over the last few days , the other was Study for Obedience - review here :
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....
This must be the time to flirt with literary fiction.
Peach is a young college student, raped.
The blood is black. Dry. Crack crackly crackling
She's back home now, our first person narrator, Peach, she tries to patch herself up. Needle, thread, labia.
All this, and her hopeless parents, obsessed with sex and each other darting tongues, suggestive innuendo. There’s a baby in the house. Lightly dusted in sugar. He melts a bit , usually outside, always sweet. Leaving sweetness everywhere.
The rapist – Lincoln – is described in a disgusting way – he’s greasy, meaty, fatty, bristling with gristle, all contained within a translucent casing.
A huge, greasy fat sausage.
Be careful. Some sausages can be delicious.
Green is Peach’s boyfriend. He is a tender lad, and the interactions between he and Peach give the reader a breather. A refreshing change from the smells, tastes, sights of depravity, decay, and deviance laid before us.
There’s a lot of it – watch it!
Green has a rolly polly mate named Spud. Emma Glass and her food similitudes. Another one.
Peach’s belly seems full.
Kiss my lips, piss on a stick
This has been described by critics as ‘art’. I can see why – the author uses words as playthings, she’s a poet, even I can tell. This is the first time I have appreciated the work of a poet; the way Glass toys with cadence and sound had me re-reading passages, re-passing the past. Tying my tongue.
My fingers slip on the plastic, oiled, slick, no need to lick, the plastic parts. The dismemberment plan. Hack and stack. Chop. Stop. Neat slices slowly
This work is an assault on the senses – all of them. Glass paints a vivid and violent picture of the ramifications of rape on the victim, mentally and corporeal.
Peach’s teacher, the considerate, Mr Custard was my favourite character. He knew. He wanted to help – at first, I found him ridiculous because Mr Custard appeared to be melting, dripping on student desks. His face started sliding off (his eyes went first) – in the sun, of course. But I got used to Custard – and now I understand why he was the way he was. If I he was at a barbecue, in the sun, I’d sit next to him.
Unforgettable.
5 Stars
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....
This must be the time to flirt with literary fiction.
Peach is a young college student, raped.
The blood is black. Dry. Crack crackly crackling
She's back home now, our first person narrator, Peach, she tries to patch herself up. Needle, thread, labia.
All this, and her hopeless parents, obsessed with sex and each other darting tongues, suggestive innuendo. There’s a baby in the house. Lightly dusted in sugar. He melts a bit , usually outside, always sweet. Leaving sweetness everywhere.
The rapist – Lincoln – is described in a disgusting way – he’s greasy, meaty, fatty, bristling with gristle, all contained within a translucent casing.
A huge, greasy fat sausage.
Be careful. Some sausages can be delicious.
Green is Peach’s boyfriend. He is a tender lad, and the interactions between he and Peach give the reader a breather. A refreshing change from the smells, tastes, sights of depravity, decay, and deviance laid before us.
There’s a lot of it – watch it!
Green has a rolly polly mate named Spud. Emma Glass and her food similitudes. Another one.
Peach’s belly seems full.
Kiss my lips, piss on a stick
This has been described by critics as ‘art’. I can see why – the author uses words as playthings, she’s a poet, even I can tell. This is the first time I have appreciated the work of a poet; the way Glass toys with cadence and sound had me re-reading passages, re-passing the past. Tying my tongue.
My fingers slip on the plastic, oiled, slick, no need to lick, the plastic parts. The dismemberment plan. Hack and stack. Chop. Stop. Neat slices slowly
This work is an assault on the senses – all of them. Glass paints a vivid and violent picture of the ramifications of rape on the victim, mentally and corporeal.
Peach’s teacher, the considerate, Mr Custard was my favourite character. He knew. He wanted to help – at first, I found him ridiculous because Mr Custard appeared to be melting, dripping on student desks. His face started sliding off (his eyes went first) – in the sun, of course. But I got used to Custard – and now I understand why he was the way he was. If I he was at a barbecue, in the sun, I’d sit next to him.
Unforgettable.
5 Stars
January 14, 2018
Trigger warnings for sexual assault, murder, animal abuse, possible (?) cannibalism
I hate giving a low rating to any book. I have such admiration for authors - for the blood, sweat and tears that go into writing a book in the first place, then having to navigate the publishing world and subjecting themselves to readers who can lift them up or tear them down with their words.
If you are interested in reading this book, please don’t just go by my review. There are a lot of 5 star reviews for this book as well, and who knows, maybe you’ll be adding one yourself after reading it. My review comes from a place of confusion and ‘this wasn’t the book for me’ rather than malice. I applaud the author for successfully navigating the publishing world and for the many positive reviews I’ve read.
Having said that ... my brain hurts! Had I borrowed this book from the library instead of requesting an ARC I would not have finished it.
You know those books that hoity-toity book clubs rave about with their “literary masterpiece” this and their “author stunned with their use of [some big fancy word that the general population can neither spell nor use in a sentence]” that? You may listen to these people and smile and nod, but on the inside you’re thinking, ‘How did you get that from this book?’ and ‘I must be completely stupid. I have no idea what you’re going on about.’ I think that’s going to be the unfortunate fate of this book; a polarising “most exquisite piece of writing ever!” or “what the hell did I just read?!”
Reading like a stream of consciousness, Peach (the novella) opens with Peach (the person) having just been brutally sexually assaulted and follows her down the rabbit trail of its physical, emotional and psychological aftermath. I came away from Peach having very little grasp on which words were literal, fantasy, hallucination, nightmare or flashback - and I’m not sure I was supposed to. I can handle gruesome, triggery books, I understand the internal turmoil following sexual assault and revenge fantasies, but I. don’t. UndErsTand. This. book.
Which brings me to the writing style. There are so many one word sentences, some sentences start with a capital letter and others don’t, words have randomly capitalised letters scattered through them. I expect it was deliberate, intentionally messy and disjointed to reflect the emotional state of Peach and her internal dialogue, but I just found it messy. I understood what was happening (sometimes) but I couldn’t figure out if the author was going for prose, poetry, some combination or something else entirely.
There’s the use of food to describe people, including:
* The rapist / stalker / maker of creepy hand delivered notes with words cut out of magazines, Lincoln, is sausage, pork, oily, greasy, slimy
* Mr Custard, college biology teacher made of custard
* Baby, Peach’s brother who remains unnamed is icing sugar, jelly.
Mam and Dad are overtly sexual, so much so that I found it as uncomfortable to read as I did the sexual assault. Speaking of Green, Peach’s boyfriend, the same evening of his daughter’s sexual assault - “You make such a cute couple, and the sex sounds amazing, says Dad.” (12%)
Immediately following his daughter’s face flushing red with embarrassment, “It’s okay, Peach. Sex is a good thing. Me and Mam do it all the time. We just did it now on the kitchen table. It’s human nature, Peach, don’t be embarrassed. Green is a lucky guy. Most girls won’t put out until they’re married. But not our Peach. and we’re proud of you.” (12%) I’m sorry, what??? Then good ol’ Mam and Dad, along with boyfriend Green remain oblivious to what Peach is going through for the entire novella.
So, just two of my multitude of unanswered questions:
* Why does Peach’s stomach continually grow larger and larger and larger?
* What really happened in the end?
Colour me confused!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley (thank you so much to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Circus, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) for the opportunity) in exchange for honest feedback.
Please note that the quotes are from the ARC and as such may have been changed prior to publication.
I hate giving a low rating to any book. I have such admiration for authors - for the blood, sweat and tears that go into writing a book in the first place, then having to navigate the publishing world and subjecting themselves to readers who can lift them up or tear them down with their words.
If you are interested in reading this book, please don’t just go by my review. There are a lot of 5 star reviews for this book as well, and who knows, maybe you’ll be adding one yourself after reading it. My review comes from a place of confusion and ‘this wasn’t the book for me’ rather than malice. I applaud the author for successfully navigating the publishing world and for the many positive reviews I’ve read.
Having said that ... my brain hurts! Had I borrowed this book from the library instead of requesting an ARC I would not have finished it.
You know those books that hoity-toity book clubs rave about with their “literary masterpiece” this and their “author stunned with their use of [some big fancy word that the general population can neither spell nor use in a sentence]” that? You may listen to these people and smile and nod, but on the inside you’re thinking, ‘How did you get that from this book?’ and ‘I must be completely stupid. I have no idea what you’re going on about.’ I think that’s going to be the unfortunate fate of this book; a polarising “most exquisite piece of writing ever!” or “what the hell did I just read?!”
Reading like a stream of consciousness, Peach (the novella) opens with Peach (the person) having just been brutally sexually assaulted and follows her down the rabbit trail of its physical, emotional and psychological aftermath. I came away from Peach having very little grasp on which words were literal, fantasy, hallucination, nightmare or flashback - and I’m not sure I was supposed to. I can handle gruesome, triggery books, I understand the internal turmoil following sexual assault and revenge fantasies, but I. don’t. UndErsTand. This. book.
Which brings me to the writing style. There are so many one word sentences, some sentences start with a capital letter and others don’t, words have randomly capitalised letters scattered through them. I expect it was deliberate, intentionally messy and disjointed to reflect the emotional state of Peach and her internal dialogue, but I just found it messy. I understood what was happening (sometimes) but I couldn’t figure out if the author was going for prose, poetry, some combination or something else entirely.
There’s the use of food to describe people, including:
* The rapist / stalker / maker of creepy hand delivered notes with words cut out of magazines, Lincoln, is sausage, pork, oily, greasy, slimy
* Mr Custard, college biology teacher made of custard
* Baby, Peach’s brother who remains unnamed is icing sugar, jelly.
Mam and Dad are overtly sexual, so much so that I found it as uncomfortable to read as I did the sexual assault. Speaking of Green, Peach’s boyfriend, the same evening of his daughter’s sexual assault - “You make such a cute couple, and the sex sounds amazing, says Dad.” (12%)
Immediately following his daughter’s face flushing red with embarrassment, “It’s okay, Peach. Sex is a good thing. Me and Mam do it all the time. We just did it now on the kitchen table. It’s human nature, Peach, don’t be embarrassed. Green is a lucky guy. Most girls won’t put out until they’re married. But not our Peach. and we’re proud of you.” (12%) I’m sorry, what??? Then good ol’ Mam and Dad, along with boyfriend Green remain oblivious to what Peach is going through for the entire novella.
So, just two of my multitude of unanswered questions:
* Why does Peach’s stomach continually grow larger and larger and larger?
* What really happened in the end?
Colour me confused!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley (thank you so much to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Circus, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) for the opportunity) in exchange for honest feedback.
Please note that the quotes are from the ARC and as such may have been changed prior to publication.
March 30, 2018
Videorecensione: https://youtu.be/EBzfVGB6IME
La protagonista di questo fiabesco e inquietante romanzo è una pesca vegetariana. Due genitori disinibiti e innamoratissimi, un fratellino di gelatina, un amorevole fidanzato broccolo, un professore budino. La sua vita viene sconvolta quando subisce un'aggressione da una salsiccia psicopatica, che inizia a tormentarla.
Leggere questo romanzo è come subire una versione psycho-horror de "Lo straordinario mondo di Gumball". L'impatto assurdo di questo mondo dove ogni individuo è un cibo e dove le auto hanno dei california roll al posto delle ruote, è buffo e straniante allo stesso tempo: pare una maschera per nascondere un dolore lancinante che si fa palpabile sin dalla prima pagina.
Estremamente delirante.
La protagonista di questo fiabesco e inquietante romanzo è una pesca vegetariana. Due genitori disinibiti e innamoratissimi, un fratellino di gelatina, un amorevole fidanzato broccolo, un professore budino. La sua vita viene sconvolta quando subisce un'aggressione da una salsiccia psicopatica, che inizia a tormentarla.
Leggere questo romanzo è come subire una versione psycho-horror de "Lo straordinario mondo di Gumball". L'impatto assurdo di questo mondo dove ogni individuo è un cibo e dove le auto hanno dei california roll al posto delle ruote, è buffo e straniante allo stesso tempo: pare una maschera per nascondere un dolore lancinante che si fa palpabile sin dalla prima pagina.
Estremamente delirante.
March 6, 2019
There are days when I revel in the fact that some authors I read have writing backgrounds, formal university education in the field. I can usually expect much from them, as long as their academic institution is reputable (to be defined by someone other than me) and their professors somewhat cognizant of what they are doing. I was eager to see what Glass had to say in this novella, her first piece of published writing (from what I could tell). Thereafter, like a crate of rotten fruit, things began to stink and turned my stomach. This piece, if one can call it more than a jumble of words, is best read when under the influence of many intoxicants, though one might presume it was also written in that state. It meanders around, pertaining to something or someone named Peach and there is some sort of sexual assault that may or may not yield a pregnancy. I did not care by that point and worry that others might waste their time and effort trying to see if there is something more to this piece.
Three cheers for a wasted education!
Three cheers for a wasted education!
October 28, 2023
I received an early release copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, for the book, that is what I am going to be, HONEST.
This book was very disappointing. The description sounded interesting and powerful. It wasn't only the stream of consciousness writing style that I found let the story down.
I understand there are times when that writing style can be very impactful, but you should still be able to piece together what is actually going on.
This book was so strange that you couldn't tell what was real and what was imagined by the main character, Peach.
The other characters in the story were all so strange it was laughable. Luckily, it was very short so I made it through the whole thing.
Overall, I found it confusing, disturbing and pointless. I cannot imagine to whom they are going to market this book.
Unfortunately, for the book, that is what I am going to be, HONEST.
This book was very disappointing. The description sounded interesting and powerful. It wasn't only the stream of consciousness writing style that I found let the story down.
I understand there are times when that writing style can be very impactful, but you should still be able to piece together what is actually going on.
This book was so strange that you couldn't tell what was real and what was imagined by the main character, Peach.
The other characters in the story were all so strange it was laughable. Luckily, it was very short so I made it through the whole thing.
Overall, I found it confusing, disturbing and pointless. I cannot imagine to whom they are going to market this book.
November 3, 2018
I don’t know exactly what I just read but oh.my.god. This book is...different. Unique. Graphic. Stomach churning and unsettling. A book with a modern interpretative prose. I already know I will have to have a second reading to wrap my head around this book. A perfect book to spark discussion.
February 8, 2018
What did I just read? How did this make it past editors?
As confused and jumbled as its main character, Peach, this novella felt contrived. While Glass's story presents a girl in pain from her sexual assault, it removed key elements that may her pain palatable. I must admit that most of the time, I had no clue to the story's occurrences. I had to read passages doubly or thrice to nail what happened.
Who is she? Is she in high school? Is she younger than that? Who sent the letter? Why are her parents so sexual in front of her? Setting? Scene transitions? Cannibalism? Why so crude (Realism's great, being crude for its sake isn't)?
Sometimes, I think authors take on heavy subjects without proper expertise. There are better writers handling rape and its painful aftermath. See Speak, Asking For It, The Way I Used to Be, The Female of the Species, and All the Rage. These books grant its readers responsible takes on the topic without sensationalism.
Far from a prude and a survivor myself, I take books on the topic seriously. Maybe this novella should have remained in an experimental writing workshop.
However, I did like the moments when Peach said how she felt about her rape and what he took from her. But, those minute grains could not cover the mess.
1.5/5 WTFs I recommend those books I've listed instead.
As confused and jumbled as its main character, Peach, this novella felt contrived. While Glass's story presents a girl in pain from her sexual assault, it removed key elements that may her pain palatable. I must admit that most of the time, I had no clue to the story's occurrences. I had to read passages doubly or thrice to nail what happened.
Who is she? Is she in high school? Is she younger than that? Who sent the letter? Why are her parents so sexual in front of her? Setting? Scene transitions? Cannibalism? Why so crude (Realism's great, being crude for its sake isn't)?
Sometimes, I think authors take on heavy subjects without proper expertise. There are better writers handling rape and its painful aftermath. See Speak, Asking For It, The Way I Used to Be, The Female of the Species, and All the Rage. These books grant its readers responsible takes on the topic without sensationalism.
Far from a prude and a survivor myself, I take books on the topic seriously. Maybe this novella should have remained in an experimental writing workshop.
However, I did like the moments when Peach said how she felt about her rape and what he took from her. But, those minute grains could not cover the mess.
1.5/5 WTFs I recommend those books I've listed instead.
December 15, 2017
This is definitely worth a read, as Glass' approach to creative writing is to be admired, but due warnings for the graphic content and harrowing story-line.
In short, this book is a surreal exploration of a life lived after tragedy. As the synopsis states: "Something has happened to Peach. Blood runs down her legs and the scent of charred meat lingers on her flesh."
Due to the subject matter, this is a profoundly harrowing read, and the graphic nature used to depict some scenes only adds to this. This is a novella that is steeped in imagery, both metaphorical and realistic, that are painted with an evocative vibrancy so jarring as to feel like a slap across the reader's face, on times. Whilst I did find that this added to the poignancy of the piece, it did make this also a painful read.
The surreal and abstract narrative-style used reflects the disjointed thoughts of the protagonists, as do the almost stream of consciousness style prose. Traditional grammar has been freed from its constraints and Glass has taken liberties with language to directly correlate with the atmosphere of the story. I appreciate books of this style, as I love to see language explored in various ways that differ from the norm. This experimental approach was brave but also one that started to break down, I felt, as the story-line was expanded.
I initially found this completely absorbing and loved having to scavenge for the truth in amongst the fantastical metaphors. But the imagery I earlier appreciated started to dominate the message portrayed and this caused a late and ultimate dissonance between myself and the harrowing story-line.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Emma Glass, and the publisher, Bloomsbury Publishing, for this opportunity.
In short, this book is a surreal exploration of a life lived after tragedy. As the synopsis states: "Something has happened to Peach. Blood runs down her legs and the scent of charred meat lingers on her flesh."
Due to the subject matter, this is a profoundly harrowing read, and the graphic nature used to depict some scenes only adds to this. This is a novella that is steeped in imagery, both metaphorical and realistic, that are painted with an evocative vibrancy so jarring as to feel like a slap across the reader's face, on times. Whilst I did find that this added to the poignancy of the piece, it did make this also a painful read.
The surreal and abstract narrative-style used reflects the disjointed thoughts of the protagonists, as do the almost stream of consciousness style prose. Traditional grammar has been freed from its constraints and Glass has taken liberties with language to directly correlate with the atmosphere of the story. I appreciate books of this style, as I love to see language explored in various ways that differ from the norm. This experimental approach was brave but also one that started to break down, I felt, as the story-line was expanded.
I initially found this completely absorbing and loved having to scavenge for the truth in amongst the fantastical metaphors. But the imagery I earlier appreciated started to dominate the message portrayed and this caused a late and ultimate dissonance between myself and the harrowing story-line.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Emma Glass, and the publisher, Bloomsbury Publishing, for this opportunity.
Read
October 19, 2023I was not a fan, not because the story was about trauma, but because the story never seemed to say anything about trauma, or to say anything at all, except: 'trauma, trauma, trauma!' over and over again in slightly different words and then the end came.
May 20, 2021
What. The fuck. Did I just read.
February 20, 2018
I can see why this isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I loved it. It's not really a novel, it's its own strange new thing. It reads like prose poetry, stream of consciousness, word association, and some deeply weird allegory. The subject matter, a young woman dealing with the after effects of a brutal sexual assault, is not easy, but most of the details are only alluded to or are abstract enough that I didn't feel overwhelmed by it. This was incredibly dark, but I was just hypnotized by the whole thing.
February 6, 2025
Una narrazione cruda, il racconto di uno stupro ma a subirlo è una pesca e a perpetrarlo una salsiccia; ma ciò non rende l’atto meno violento e brutale, e le conseguenze sulla psiche della vittima meno devastanti.
March 12, 2023
Forse sarà l'ultima lettura dell'anno così "STRANA".
Shock. Rabbia. Orrore. Dolore. Viscere. Vendetta
Una fiaba moderna, un incubo delirante che vede la povera pesca vittima di stupro da parte di salsiccia....si avete letto bene una pesca ed una salsiccia sono i protagonisti principali del racconto, accompagnati da budini che fanno i professori, bambini di gelatina e fidanzati broccolo (almeno credo, comunque un vegetale ).
Pesca non parla a nessuno della violenza subita e questo provoca in lei il seme dell'odio, della vendetta. Cresce dentro di lei fino a consumarla e a rovinarle la vita.
Non è una lettura semplice per il tema trattato, non è un libro per tutti per il modo in cui la Glass lo ha scritto, scaturisce sensazioni ed emozioni contrastanti.
Non ho empatizzato a pieno con la dolce pesca che alla fine tanto dolce non sarà e questo mi ha portato a dare solo tre stelle.
Però, se cercate qualcosa di strano ed estraniante, un viaggio in un mondo tutto particolare che nemmeno con un trip riusciresti a ricreare,beh allora LA CARNE è il libro giusto.
Shock. Rabbia. Orrore. Dolore. Viscere. Vendetta
Una fiaba moderna, un incubo delirante che vede la povera pesca vittima di stupro da parte di salsiccia....si avete letto bene una pesca ed una salsiccia sono i protagonisti principali del racconto, accompagnati da budini che fanno i professori, bambini di gelatina e fidanzati broccolo (almeno credo, comunque un vegetale ).
Pesca non parla a nessuno della violenza subita e questo provoca in lei il seme dell'odio, della vendetta. Cresce dentro di lei fino a consumarla e a rovinarle la vita.
Non è una lettura semplice per il tema trattato, non è un libro per tutti per il modo in cui la Glass lo ha scritto, scaturisce sensazioni ed emozioni contrastanti.
Non ho empatizzato a pieno con la dolce pesca che alla fine tanto dolce non sarà e questo mi ha portato a dare solo tre stelle.
Però, se cercate qualcosa di strano ed estraniante, un viaggio in un mondo tutto particolare che nemmeno con un trip riusciresti a ricreare,beh allora LA CARNE è il libro giusto.
December 27, 2022
This book irritated me.
Any potential it had is quickly destroyed by an obnoxious writing style. I can't even describe what that style is, because it is just so hideously weird, but I'll give a few examples. Keep in mind, I'm quoting it verbatim, with exactly the same punctuation as is written in the book...
"His body vibrates in my arms. Wiggling skin. Sticky. Jelly. Jelly Baby. Baby. He gurgles."
"Gulp in greasy water so greasy, tastes so meaty. Terrifying. Tangy on my tongue, the memory comes flooding back, flowing, flooding flood in my lungs, stopped up, tight fright water-tight. Coming up. Cough. For. Cough up for. Cough. Air. Cough up. Cough cough. Coughing."
"On my knees I survey the destruction. Limp lifeless loathsome. Love. Love, he said. Love he said. I lack. I lack. No comprehension. My body goes slack."
"Liquid outside, liquid in, back to sticky, back to thick fluid sugar-syrup-tasting juice, tastes like fruit rotten. The bad seed the bad fruit soft sour like road kill rotten in a hedge the fuzz the fur, I buzz with final breaths."
Do not tell me that makes ANY fucking sense!
My take is that this is supposed to be some type of experimental poetic prose. And that's fine, I'm not adverse to experimental or unique writing styles. Split Tooth by Tanya Tagaq is a great example of this being done well. Even Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin could fall into that same category, and succeeds well at it. But this... this was difficult to discern. And I know I am not an unintelligent person - I am capable of following ambitious or even complex literature, so this wasn't difficult to discern in the sense of not knowing what was happening. I understood all that quite easily; it was more of an 'I don't know what you're doing' sort of thing. Because I feel like, if you're going to go the experimental route in fiction, you still have to make sure it all makes sense and that you're not just stringing interesting words together for the sake of aesthetic or edginess. Make it so evoking that the reader will intuitively feel what you mean. Peach felt arty and avante-garde to the point of nonsensical.
This is a book about the aftermath of a sexual assault. And as I said when I first began this review, there is a great story hidden within it. Something forceful and stirring, provocative and moving. I don't know the author's story, what she may have gone through herself, but I know for me, as someone who has dealt with assault in the past, the writing here was really off-putting. A book like this should be evocative in one way or another, but this evoked nothing from me. Nothing but annoyance.
There are blurbs on the back of the book from various authors, who refer to this book as "a work of genius", "fierce and mesmerizing", and even, "the new Jane Eyre". These things are all subjective, of course. My opinion of the book is simply my opinion. But that last one, 'the new Jane Eyre'... I have to say that I absolutely cannot disagree with that statement more.
Everything about this book felt contrived to me. Pseudo-edgy, pretentious, weird for the sake of being weird and therefore with the expectation that it won't be criticized because the go-to defense would be, "well, you clearly didn't get it then". No, I got it. And I thought it was bad.
Any potential it had is quickly destroyed by an obnoxious writing style. I can't even describe what that style is, because it is just so hideously weird, but I'll give a few examples. Keep in mind, I'm quoting it verbatim, with exactly the same punctuation as is written in the book...
"His body vibrates in my arms. Wiggling skin. Sticky. Jelly. Jelly Baby. Baby. He gurgles."
"Gulp in greasy water so greasy, tastes so meaty. Terrifying. Tangy on my tongue, the memory comes flooding back, flowing, flooding flood in my lungs, stopped up, tight fright water-tight. Coming up. Cough. For. Cough up for. Cough. Air. Cough up. Cough cough. Coughing."
"On my knees I survey the destruction. Limp lifeless loathsome. Love. Love, he said. Love he said. I lack. I lack. No comprehension. My body goes slack."
"Liquid outside, liquid in, back to sticky, back to thick fluid sugar-syrup-tasting juice, tastes like fruit rotten. The bad seed the bad fruit soft sour like road kill rotten in a hedge the fuzz the fur, I buzz with final breaths."
Do not tell me that makes ANY fucking sense!
My take is that this is supposed to be some type of experimental poetic prose. And that's fine, I'm not adverse to experimental or unique writing styles. Split Tooth by Tanya Tagaq is a great example of this being done well. Even Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin could fall into that same category, and succeeds well at it. But this... this was difficult to discern. And I know I am not an unintelligent person - I am capable of following ambitious or even complex literature, so this wasn't difficult to discern in the sense of not knowing what was happening. I understood all that quite easily; it was more of an 'I don't know what you're doing' sort of thing. Because I feel like, if you're going to go the experimental route in fiction, you still have to make sure it all makes sense and that you're not just stringing interesting words together for the sake of aesthetic or edginess. Make it so evoking that the reader will intuitively feel what you mean. Peach felt arty and avante-garde to the point of nonsensical.
This is a book about the aftermath of a sexual assault. And as I said when I first began this review, there is a great story hidden within it. Something forceful and stirring, provocative and moving. I don't know the author's story, what she may have gone through herself, but I know for me, as someone who has dealt with assault in the past, the writing here was really off-putting. A book like this should be evocative in one way or another, but this evoked nothing from me. Nothing but annoyance.
There are blurbs on the back of the book from various authors, who refer to this book as "a work of genius", "fierce and mesmerizing", and even, "the new Jane Eyre". These things are all subjective, of course. My opinion of the book is simply my opinion. But that last one, 'the new Jane Eyre'... I have to say that I absolutely cannot disagree with that statement more.
Everything about this book felt contrived to me. Pseudo-edgy, pretentious, weird for the sake of being weird and therefore with the expectation that it won't be criticized because the go-to defense would be, "well, you clearly didn't get it then". No, I got it. And I thought it was bad.
July 10, 2022
I finished this earlier on today as it was fairly short, and I'm still wondering what it was exactly that I've read. I didn't like this, but that's ok, because I didn't spend any money on it. Instead, I saw this at the library, and took a risk.
This book was a mess from the onset. The writing style was awfully frustrating to read, and with each page, it only seemed to worsen. This is a story that centers on a rape, and for a subject such as that, I expected more compassion in the writing, not total pretentiousness.
My belief is that this was an experiment for some new poetic style prose, and I'm all for reading new styles of writing, but this, this one made no sense at all. For example;
'Gulp in greasy water so greasy, tastes so meaty. Terrifying. Tangy on my tongue, the memory comes flooding back, flowing, flooding flood in my lungs, stopped up, tight fright water-tight. Coming up. Cough. For. Cough up for. Cough. Air. Cough up. Cough cough. Coughing'
I'm just. Not sure. How. I'm. Supposed. To. Feel. Here. And honestly? One word sentences upset me. They upset me a lot, and the story continued like this until the very last page.
And when one looks at the back of the book and critics have said it is 'The new Jane Eyre' one should just simply just stick it back on the shelf.
I appreciate authors that write about rape, because it certainly isn't easy to do, but when it is written in such a flippant and careless way, it is hard to rate that book any higher.
This book was a mess from the onset. The writing style was awfully frustrating to read, and with each page, it only seemed to worsen. This is a story that centers on a rape, and for a subject such as that, I expected more compassion in the writing, not total pretentiousness.
My belief is that this was an experiment for some new poetic style prose, and I'm all for reading new styles of writing, but this, this one made no sense at all. For example;
'Gulp in greasy water so greasy, tastes so meaty. Terrifying. Tangy on my tongue, the memory comes flooding back, flowing, flooding flood in my lungs, stopped up, tight fright water-tight. Coming up. Cough. For. Cough up for. Cough. Air. Cough up. Cough cough. Coughing'
I'm just. Not sure. How. I'm. Supposed. To. Feel. Here. And honestly? One word sentences upset me. They upset me a lot, and the story continued like this until the very last page.
And when one looks at the back of the book and critics have said it is 'The new Jane Eyre' one should just simply just stick it back on the shelf.
I appreciate authors that write about rape, because it certainly isn't easy to do, but when it is written in such a flippant and careless way, it is hard to rate that book any higher.
August 7, 2023
2.5 stars
Hmm, I'm not really sure how to feel about this one.
Peach follows this young woman named Peach (surprise) just after her brutal sexual assault. It's a short little novella (only 97 pages) and explores her trauma as she tries to find a way to recover and heal from what has happened to her.
I though that Emma Glass did an amazing job of conveying Peach's fear and all of her emotions could be felt through the page. The book is essentially a stream of consciousness and reads like poetry at certain points.
The writing itself was where it was a little off for me though, which I wasn't really expecting. It felt like it was trying way too hard to be unique and original but ended up being really bad at points. That's not to say that it didn't have it's moments, but it overall was just not very good.
The story was haunting and disturbing but confusing at times. It was hard for me to identify which aspects were Peach's hallucinations and strange perceptions of the world around her (as she begins to lose her mind) and what parts were actually real. I think that Glass did this intentionally, but I wasn't a fan.
Overall, it wasn't terrible but also wasn't great. I read it in a couple hours on a rainy summer day and it was an interesting way to pass the time. If you like unsettling books like this, it might be a nice one to check out but it’s not one I’d recommend to many people. 2.5 stars.
Hmm, I'm not really sure how to feel about this one.
Peach follows this young woman named Peach (surprise) just after her brutal sexual assault. It's a short little novella (only 97 pages) and explores her trauma as she tries to find a way to recover and heal from what has happened to her.
I though that Emma Glass did an amazing job of conveying Peach's fear and all of her emotions could be felt through the page. The book is essentially a stream of consciousness and reads like poetry at certain points.
The writing itself was where it was a little off for me though, which I wasn't really expecting. It felt like it was trying way too hard to be unique and original but ended up being really bad at points. That's not to say that it didn't have it's moments, but it overall was just not very good.
The story was haunting and disturbing but confusing at times. It was hard for me to identify which aspects were Peach's hallucinations and strange perceptions of the world around her (as she begins to lose her mind) and what parts were actually real. I think that Glass did this intentionally, but I wasn't a fan.
Overall, it wasn't terrible but also wasn't great. I read it in a couple hours on a rainy summer day and it was an interesting way to pass the time. If you like unsettling books like this, it might be a nice one to check out but it’s not one I’d recommend to many people. 2.5 stars.
March 18, 2018
Nb: This is MY book. I paid for it & the companion audio. As always, it's my opinion, which has only gotten stronger since I first listened, then read and read again.
Peach is a seemingly normal young woman. She's a "good girl" by her mother's estimation, a college student with a steady boyfriend who lives with her oddly sexual parents and her baby brother whom she adores. She's even a vegetarian. But the reader never meets that Peach. She meets Peach staggering home -- perseverating, incoherent, bloody, vomiting and in horrible pain.
This entire slim novel is present tense, stream-of-consciousness, and told to us by an extremely traumatized girl who sounds a lot like James Joyce (the author notes this herself at the end.) Joycean or no, it's a good portrayal of the way human brains deal with interpersonal trauma. Getting through the mundane "Get dressed, socks first...push swing door open, hear it swing shut -- swoosh", noticing the weather: "cold" -- detached from everything -- in complete survival mode, telling herself she will just "forget this" and move on.
I found her playing with sounds and repetitions of words interestingly poetic, though it's really just another way someone copes with an overloaded brain-body connection. It's much better than, say - muteness, for a book. and not unrealistic. The brain is a majestic thing that will do whatever it takes to get us through things nobody should have to live through.
"I want to say things but I don't know how to order the words. Sentences slither around my brain. Scattered words, scatterbrain, scattered semantics, scattered seeds..."
Peach denies herself any help - even medical - refusing to be "a cliche or victim," and we witness a young woman spiraling: instantly distant from her parents and boyfriend; uncomfortable with even the touch of her pet at times, then overwhelmed with love for these same beings she can't share her pain with. She lies to cover for her physical injuries; wishes she could tell her boyfriend Green, but can't get the words out; holds in bile, fakes having fun, tries to make her face look like it "should," goes through the motions of normal life while holding herself together literally and figuratively.
The damage doesn't end there. Her perpetrator, Lincoln, is not finished with Peach. He stalks her, professing his "love" in letters cut from tabloid papers. He feels completely entitled to come to her home, insist on his love for her, demand she not run away, remind her that he's watching, lingering outside her classes, barrage her with creepy letters and much worse. She starts to see him everywhere, but is this post-traumatic stress, or is he real? Peach imagines him as a greasy sausage, smells his putrid odor in the air, sees his greasy slime lingering in the air, on surfaces, windows and feels this greasy meaty mess invading her senses and body. She wonders if others can see what she sees, if her boyfriend hears her heart banging against her ribs?
She begins to see everyone as food stuffs (her very kind professor shakes his face, "showering the first row with splatters of custard" and proceeds to tell the class he's not "set yet." He is the only person who is sweet enough -- my word -- to notice she's in some sort of trouble, but she lets the opening slip past.) Her friend Sandy also notices something is wrong, but she's busy berating herself and wondering why he doesn't see her as she now does. She somaticizes her pain into a hard stone in her ever-distending stomach. This makes her instantly "fat" and never stops growing. (like a peach pit -- see?) She physically feels the sniggers of her classmates, she chokes on smells, she can't look at her teacher because he's "bright yellow and very shiny" custard. She's constantly being assaulted by her senses - another very real portrayal of trauma. Even the weather is constantly changing and unreliable.
Traumatic process is the entirety of this book, and it leaves the reader as discombobulated as the narrator. It's an extremely effective method to show how shock throws the mind into a complete tornado, despite outwardly being so "normal" that nobody else notices. Because she is acutely post-trauma, we are never sure how reliable this narrator is. We only have her word for what she is experiencing. This is especially true at the end of the novel. It feels like pure fantasy that Peach has devolved into, but since she's telling it, we know she believes it is true. And if it is, it's mighty macabre.
At first I didn't like the distance, then it just clicked -- oh, we're experiencing the same off-kilter perception/reality horror that happens to almost anyone who has just been shaken to their very core. Not everyone will have the same exact experience as Peach, but everyone will have their own unique experience. After I cottoned on to this, I was impressed with the way Emma Glass was able to sneak that past me. Lots of reviews have been unforgiving of this novel. I can see how it might seem contrived, but it feels very realistic to me, even if the events aren't "real" at all.
I'd imagine, if the novel had continued, what we'd see is some sort of eventual collapse, hospitalization and years of therapy. Maybe after all of that, we'd know what was real, but I doubt it, and frankly, I don't want to read all of that. This book is not really a book -- it's an experience.
Peach is a seemingly normal young woman. She's a "good girl" by her mother's estimation, a college student with a steady boyfriend who lives with her oddly sexual parents and her baby brother whom she adores. She's even a vegetarian. But the reader never meets that Peach. She meets Peach staggering home -- perseverating, incoherent, bloody, vomiting and in horrible pain.
This entire slim novel is present tense, stream-of-consciousness, and told to us by an extremely traumatized girl who sounds a lot like James Joyce (the author notes this herself at the end.) Joycean or no, it's a good portrayal of the way human brains deal with interpersonal trauma. Getting through the mundane "Get dressed, socks first...push swing door open, hear it swing shut -- swoosh", noticing the weather: "cold" -- detached from everything -- in complete survival mode, telling herself she will just "forget this" and move on.
I found her playing with sounds and repetitions of words interestingly poetic, though it's really just another way someone copes with an overloaded brain-body connection. It's much better than, say - muteness, for a book. and not unrealistic. The brain is a majestic thing that will do whatever it takes to get us through things nobody should have to live through.
"I want to say things but I don't know how to order the words. Sentences slither around my brain. Scattered words, scatterbrain, scattered semantics, scattered seeds..."
Peach denies herself any help - even medical - refusing to be "a cliche or victim," and we witness a young woman spiraling: instantly distant from her parents and boyfriend; uncomfortable with even the touch of her pet at times, then overwhelmed with love for these same beings she can't share her pain with. She lies to cover for her physical injuries; wishes she could tell her boyfriend Green, but can't get the words out; holds in bile, fakes having fun, tries to make her face look like it "should," goes through the motions of normal life while holding herself together literally and figuratively.
The damage doesn't end there. Her perpetrator, Lincoln, is not finished with Peach. He stalks her, professing his "love" in letters cut from tabloid papers. He feels completely entitled to come to her home, insist on his love for her, demand she not run away, remind her that he's watching, lingering outside her classes, barrage her with creepy letters and much worse. She starts to see him everywhere, but is this post-traumatic stress, or is he real? Peach imagines him as a greasy sausage, smells his putrid odor in the air, sees his greasy slime lingering in the air, on surfaces, windows and feels this greasy meaty mess invading her senses and body. She wonders if others can see what she sees, if her boyfriend hears her heart banging against her ribs?
She begins to see everyone as food stuffs (her very kind professor shakes his face, "showering the first row with splatters of custard" and proceeds to tell the class he's not "set yet." He is the only person who is sweet enough -- my word -- to notice she's in some sort of trouble, but she lets the opening slip past.) Her friend Sandy also notices something is wrong, but she's busy berating herself and wondering why he doesn't see her as she now does. She somaticizes her pain into a hard stone in her ever-distending stomach. This makes her instantly "fat" and never stops growing. (like a peach pit -- see?) She physically feels the sniggers of her classmates, she chokes on smells, she can't look at her teacher because he's "bright yellow and very shiny" custard. She's constantly being assaulted by her senses - another very real portrayal of trauma. Even the weather is constantly changing and unreliable.
Traumatic process is the entirety of this book, and it leaves the reader as discombobulated as the narrator. It's an extremely effective method to show how shock throws the mind into a complete tornado, despite outwardly being so "normal" that nobody else notices. Because she is acutely post-trauma, we are never sure how reliable this narrator is. We only have her word for what she is experiencing. This is especially true at the end of the novel. It feels like pure fantasy that Peach has devolved into, but since she's telling it, we know she believes it is true. And if it is, it's mighty macabre.
At first I didn't like the distance, then it just clicked -- oh, we're experiencing the same off-kilter perception/reality horror that happens to almost anyone who has just been shaken to their very core. Not everyone will have the same exact experience as Peach, but everyone will have their own unique experience. After I cottoned on to this, I was impressed with the way Emma Glass was able to sneak that past me. Lots of reviews have been unforgiving of this novel. I can see how it might seem contrived, but it feels very realistic to me, even if the events aren't "real" at all.
I'd imagine, if the novel had continued, what we'd see is some sort of eventual collapse, hospitalization and years of therapy. Maybe after all of that, we'd know what was real, but I doubt it, and frankly, I don't want to read all of that. This book is not really a book -- it's an experience.
February 1, 2018
While this short novella is certainly powerful and surreally strange, the warnings about the graphic content should not be taken lightly. Aside from the bizarre storyline, which reaches stomach-churning grotesquerie frequently, I thought it strained too hard to be clever - with an annoying reliance on alliteration and onomatopoeia when the shocks don't suffice to keep one's attention.
January 31, 2018
Emma Glass's debut novel Peach is contemporary fiction told in a wholly original way. It's a challenging read both because of the form it is written in and the graphic descriptions.
High school student Peach is brutally assaulted and manages to make her way home where her pain goes unnoticed by her family. She decides to carry on with life - stitches herself up, goes to school and meets up with her boyfriend. However, she is plagued by the attack - the jarring memories of smell, taste and touch. The reader is left with no doubt of Peach's pain, damaged psyche, and the ultimate consequences to follow.
The author's use of imagery and language is both clever and chilling.
Unlike anything I've ever read, and I read many genres, this novel left me confused and squeamish.
Many have loved this novel, it just wasn't for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for an arc of this novel in excahnge for my honest review.
High school student Peach is brutally assaulted and manages to make her way home where her pain goes unnoticed by her family. She decides to carry on with life - stitches herself up, goes to school and meets up with her boyfriend. However, she is plagued by the attack - the jarring memories of smell, taste and touch. The reader is left with no doubt of Peach's pain, damaged psyche, and the ultimate consequences to follow.
The author's use of imagery and language is both clever and chilling.
Unlike anything I've ever read, and I read many genres, this novel left me confused and squeamish.
Many have loved this novel, it just wasn't for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for an arc of this novel in excahnge for my honest review.
January 27, 2018
Well, that was an experience.
More like a 96-page poem than a novel, Peach is a visceral and surreal stream-of-consciousness narrative about a woman who has just experienced a horrific sexual assault.
The imagery is vivid, abstract, gruesome and harrowing. Glass plays around a lot with language, including lots of alliteration and repetition. Here's an example of her prose style:
"Snip. Don't slip. Snip. Don't slip. Snip. Snip. Slip and I will shear and that's the fear the fear the fear."
I get what she was going for, but I felt too much like I was reading something written by a recent graduate who's trying too hard. Which is to say, it didn't really work for me.
Still, I have a feeling certain images are going to stay with me for quite some time—not just because of how disturbing they are, but because of how Glass wrote them. There's something to be said for that.
More like a 96-page poem than a novel, Peach is a visceral and surreal stream-of-consciousness narrative about a woman who has just experienced a horrific sexual assault.
The imagery is vivid, abstract, gruesome and harrowing. Glass plays around a lot with language, including lots of alliteration and repetition. Here's an example of her prose style:
"Snip. Don't slip. Snip. Don't slip. Snip. Snip. Slip and I will shear and that's the fear the fear the fear."
I get what she was going for, but I felt too much like I was reading something written by a recent graduate who's trying too hard. Which is to say, it didn't really work for me.
Still, I have a feeling certain images are going to stay with me for quite some time—not just because of how disturbing they are, but because of how Glass wrote them. There's something to be said for that.
January 10, 2018
Trigger warning: Abuse, sexual assault, rape, self harm
Emma Glass has a way with words, that's a fact. Her verse is so well polished that I felt every word dripping into my body and soul. The plot of the book felt a tiny bit off just because it it paced so differently than a normal novel. The story is so raw, harsh and honest and I appreciate the fact that Glass does not sugar coat assault, which we all shouldn't. Her raw emotion and feeling behind the words was just so powerful that I couldn't put it down.
Emma Glass has a way with words, that's a fact. Her verse is so well polished that I felt every word dripping into my body and soul. The plot of the book felt a tiny bit off just because it it paced so differently than a normal novel. The story is so raw, harsh and honest and I appreciate the fact that Glass does not sugar coat assault, which we all shouldn't. Her raw emotion and feeling behind the words was just so powerful that I couldn't put it down.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2024
Terminato in occasione della Giornata mondiale contro la violenza sulle donne - #nonènormalechesianormale 2018.
“La carne” , pubblicato da Il Saggiatore nel marzo 2018, è il romanzo d'esordio di Emma Glass che sta rapidamente catturando l'attenzione del pubblico. Il genere che abbraccia è quello della narrativa contemporanea, ma vi echeggiano anche richiami fiabeschi - dalle tinte decisamente dark - e al new-weird.Protagonista del libro è Peach che, come ci suggerisce il nome, ha le sembianze di una rosea pesca. Non sappiamo con esattezza in quale luogo ci troviamo né l’epoca esatta, ma da alcuni indizi sparsi per il romanzo è chiaro che è ambientato ai giorni nostri.
Una sera in cui Peach ha rincasato un po’ più tardi del solito diventa vittima impotente di un brutale stupro ad opera di un viscido uomo-salsiccia. Un episodio che la sconvolge nel profondo e la ferisce non solo fisicamente ma anche emotivamente; ciò nonostante sceglie di tacere e tenersi tutto dentro, eppure se già è difficile a priori fronteggiare una situazione del genere, diventa ancora più arduo quando ha la piena consapevolezza che lo stupratore non ha smesso di ossessionarla e anzi la pedina spudoratamente. E sarà allora, per sfuggire a quel continuo doversi guardare le spalle e all’opprimente sensazione di essere in trappola, che Peach prenderà una decisione che cambierà irrimediabilmente la sua esistenza…
Lo stile della Glass spicca per la sua essenzialità: punteggiatura ridotta allo stretto necessario, ripetizioni ad effetto e proposizioni brevissime e brusche formate, a volte, anche solo da un’unica parola. Tuttavia la forza del romanzo sta proprio nel linguaggio che fa capo ad un lessico amplissimo, caratterizzato dalla presenza di numerose allitterazioni e accostamenti linguistici che vanno a conferire una sorta di gradevole musicalità ed un ritmo spedito all’intero esposto.
Una menzione d’onore va alla traduttrice – Franca Cavagnoli - che è riuscita, egregiamente, a preservare anche nell’edizione italiana quest’armonia di suoni.
La lettura di "La carne" si è rivelata un'avventura intellettuale piuttosto impegnativa, non tanto per il tema delicato quanto per la difficoltà iniziale nel comprendere la vera natura dei personaggi. La confusione tra esseri inanimati dotati di umanità e persone in carne ed ossa ha pervaso la mia esperienza fino a metà del libro, donando alla storia un tono surreale e straniante, quasi grottesco. Valutare questo romanzo è una sfida: da un lato, l'originalità e la pertinenza del tema trattato sono indiscutibili e rendono l'opera estremamente attuale; dall'altro, non posso fare a meno di esprimere il mio disaccordo con alcune scelte della protagonista, che mi hanno impedito di stabilire un legame empatico con lei o con gli altri personaggi.
L’autrice mette il lettore davanti al fatto compiuto presentando gli avvenimenti nella maniera più cruda e spietata possibile, senza giri di parole ma in prima persona dalla viva voce della nostra Peach.
In questo libro non esiste redenzione .
Il romanzo si è rivelato una lettura che ho trovato piacevole, anche se mancava di alcuni aspetti che avrebbero potuto dare maggior profondità alla storia. Lo raccomando vivamente a chi è in cerca di un'esperienza letteraria fuori dal comune, che non teme di esplorare tematiche dure e sperimentazioni narrative audaci.
Read
March 23, 2018- After Reading -
Yeah... so the whole time I was reading this, I thought "what the hell am I reading?" and now that I'm finished this hasn't changed much, except moving from present to past tense. What the hell did I just read?
I get the feeling this was a mental break for the main character, and a way of processing what happened to her. In order to make the most extreme of fantasies of what she would like to do to her rapist, she had to also dream up a world in which people are made up of various food and/or objects.
There is a lot of ambiguity throughout... what is real, what is imagined, and how does it all wrap up?
I suspect that the ending means
- During Reading -
So... just so I can keep it straight:
Lincoln (rapist) = sausage man
Baby (little brother) = icing sugar dusted jelly baby?
Peach (MC) = an actual peach?
Green (boyfriend) = a tree
Hair Netty = a yeti wearing a hair net, who also works in the cafeteria?
Sandy = Peach's best friend who is made of beach sand (because he smells salty)
Mr. Custard = their biology teacher... who is also made of custard...
Spud = Green's friend. A literal potato.
Peach’s parents are sex mad, but not sure what they actually physically look like/if they’re non-human... especially given they have one child who is made of jelly and the other might be a literal peach.
Still not sure if allegory or if the MC is having a mental breakdown.
Yeah... so the whole time I was reading this, I thought "what the hell am I reading?" and now that I'm finished this hasn't changed much, except moving from present to past tense. What the hell did I just read?
I get the feeling this was a mental break for the main character, and a way of processing what happened to her. In order to make the most extreme of fantasies of what she would like to do to her rapist, she had to also dream up a world in which people are made up of various food and/or objects.
There is a lot of ambiguity throughout... what is real, what is imagined, and how does it all wrap up?
I suspect that the ending means
- During Reading -
So... just so I can keep it straight:
Lincoln (rapist) = sausage man
Baby (little brother) = icing sugar dusted jelly baby?
Peach (MC) = an actual peach?
Green (boyfriend) = a tree
Hair Netty = a yeti wearing a hair net, who also works in the cafeteria?
Sandy = Peach's best friend who is made of beach sand (because he smells salty)
Mr. Custard = their biology teacher... who is also made of custard...
Spud = Green's friend. A literal potato.
Peach’s parents are sex mad, but not sure what they actually physically look like/if they’re non-human... especially given they have one child who is made of jelly and the other might be a literal peach.
Still not sure if allegory or if the MC is having a mental breakdown.
December 10, 2017
There will be a lot of hype for this slip of a novella next year but it fell well short of the mark for me. The beggining felt derivative of Eimear McBride’s A GIRL IS A HALF-FORMED THING but then it got a bit better only to stumble at the end. At 100-pages in length there wasn’t room for the narrative to settle. The imagery Glass conjures will stay with me but only because it was so disturbingly graphic.
May 15, 2018
Dass es sich hierbei um ein Erstlingswerk handelt, mag man angesichts der sprachlichen Kraft kaum glauben. "Peach" ist kein Buch, das locker-leicht daherkommt. Es rüttelt, es sticht, es brennt, es tut weh.
In einer lyrischen, rhythmischen Prosa schreibt die Autorin von der Schülerin Peach, deren Leben durch Vergewaltigung aus den Fugen gerät. Blut strömt ihre Beine herab, „[p]lump klebt klebrig nasse Wolle“ an ihrer Haut, [d]er Geruch von verbranntem Fett verstopft [ihre] Nasenlöcher“ und trotzdem wankt sie nach Hause. Nach Hause, zu ihren Eltern. Zu ihren Eltern, die nichts bemerken. Die nichts bemerken, weil sie zu sehr mit sich selbst beschäftigt sind. Peach muss sich allein helfen, um wieder zur Schule zu gehen, um ihren Freund Grün zu treffen, um zu funktionieren – und dabei stellt sie fest: einfach so wieder zu funktionieren, sich wieder Ganz zu fühlen ist unmöglich, wenn einen nachts die Bilder verfolgen, wenn der Geruch von verbranntem Fett in der Nase aufquillt, wenn der Bauch vermeintlich immer praller wird. Gedemütigt und verängstigt fasst sie einen grausamen Entschluss.
Nie wird explizit ausformuliert, was passiert ist, es geht immer um das Danach, aber das beschreibt die Autorin in einer kraftvollen, poetischen und lautmalerischen Sprache, die am ganzen Körper vibriert und einem schier den Boden unter den Füßen wegzieht. Noch stärker wirken die Worte laut ausgesprochen, dabei garantiert schon alleine der Anfang Gänsehaut:
„Plump klebt klebrig nasse Wolle. Klebt. Windet sich um Wunden, schließt Schnitt um Schnitt mit jedem Schritt, an der Wand entlang; meine Hand, behandschuht, schrammt daran.“ Hier entfaltet sich auf wenigen Zeilen eine ganze Welt um ein schreckliches Erlebnis, das beim Leser eine enorme Bandbreite an Emotionen hervorruft, welche sich schwer in Worte fassen lässt. Dabei gelingt es Sabine Kray, der Übersetzerin des Textes, den Rhythmus und die Dynamik der Autorin genau einzufangen, sodass die sprachliche Eigenart auch übersetzt wirken kann. Es ist ein düsteres Thema, über das Emma Glass schreibt, das wird auch in ihren Formulierungen deutlich, die sehr intensiv sind und den Leser teilweise an seine Grenzen bringen, aber eines, das nicht im Dunkeln bleiben darf. Fantasie und Realität verschwimmen, der Leser taucht tief in die persönlichen, oft sehr wirren, Gedankengänge von Peach ein – und das ist nicht immer leicht. Manchmal ist es sogar ekelhaft, aber das ist wichtig und richtig und gut. Sicher ist diese Art des Schreibens eine spezielle, die nicht jedem gefallen wird, aber für mich ist es trotz leichter inhaltlicher Schwäche im Mittelteil eines der großartigsten Bücher, das ich seit langem gelesen habe.
In einer lyrischen, rhythmischen Prosa schreibt die Autorin von der Schülerin Peach, deren Leben durch Vergewaltigung aus den Fugen gerät. Blut strömt ihre Beine herab, „[p]lump klebt klebrig nasse Wolle“ an ihrer Haut, [d]er Geruch von verbranntem Fett verstopft [ihre] Nasenlöcher“ und trotzdem wankt sie nach Hause. Nach Hause, zu ihren Eltern. Zu ihren Eltern, die nichts bemerken. Die nichts bemerken, weil sie zu sehr mit sich selbst beschäftigt sind. Peach muss sich allein helfen, um wieder zur Schule zu gehen, um ihren Freund Grün zu treffen, um zu funktionieren – und dabei stellt sie fest: einfach so wieder zu funktionieren, sich wieder Ganz zu fühlen ist unmöglich, wenn einen nachts die Bilder verfolgen, wenn der Geruch von verbranntem Fett in der Nase aufquillt, wenn der Bauch vermeintlich immer praller wird. Gedemütigt und verängstigt fasst sie einen grausamen Entschluss.
Nie wird explizit ausformuliert, was passiert ist, es geht immer um das Danach, aber das beschreibt die Autorin in einer kraftvollen, poetischen und lautmalerischen Sprache, die am ganzen Körper vibriert und einem schier den Boden unter den Füßen wegzieht. Noch stärker wirken die Worte laut ausgesprochen, dabei garantiert schon alleine der Anfang Gänsehaut:
„Plump klebt klebrig nasse Wolle. Klebt. Windet sich um Wunden, schließt Schnitt um Schnitt mit jedem Schritt, an der Wand entlang; meine Hand, behandschuht, schrammt daran.“ Hier entfaltet sich auf wenigen Zeilen eine ganze Welt um ein schreckliches Erlebnis, das beim Leser eine enorme Bandbreite an Emotionen hervorruft, welche sich schwer in Worte fassen lässt. Dabei gelingt es Sabine Kray, der Übersetzerin des Textes, den Rhythmus und die Dynamik der Autorin genau einzufangen, sodass die sprachliche Eigenart auch übersetzt wirken kann. Es ist ein düsteres Thema, über das Emma Glass schreibt, das wird auch in ihren Formulierungen deutlich, die sehr intensiv sind und den Leser teilweise an seine Grenzen bringen, aber eines, das nicht im Dunkeln bleiben darf. Fantasie und Realität verschwimmen, der Leser taucht tief in die persönlichen, oft sehr wirren, Gedankengänge von Peach ein – und das ist nicht immer leicht. Manchmal ist es sogar ekelhaft, aber das ist wichtig und richtig und gut. Sicher ist diese Art des Schreibens eine spezielle, die nicht jedem gefallen wird, aber für mich ist es trotz leichter inhaltlicher Schwäche im Mittelteil eines der großartigsten Bücher, das ich seit langem gelesen habe.
February 12, 2018
Sometimes reading quotes by authors I admire on the jackets of new books can very accurately indicate the experience I’m about to have. In this case, Emma Glass’ debut “Peach” comes festooned with a string of quotes by prominent authors from George Saunders who calls this a “dark poetic myth” to Laline Paull who describes how this book “shares literary DNA with Gertrude Stein, Herbert Selby Jr and Eimear McBride.” These get at the unusual quality of Glass’ writing, but this book’s radical style and approach to characters is wholly unique. It’s at once cartoonish and deadly serious. The story opens with Peach who has experienced a massive trauma and follows her in the proceeding days as she attempts to return to a state of normalcy. In doing so, Glass uses some shockingly innovative methods for getting at painful emotions and actions that can’t be described in a straightforward way.
Read my full review of Peach by Emma Glass on LonesomeReader
Read my full review of Peach by Emma Glass on LonesomeReader
December 12, 2017
The fear washes away. heart stops pumping. heart stops. Veins drain. Gut-wrenched, I spit from the pit of my stomach, rising up guttural and raw, a mournful moan, ragged and broken. Ragged and broken. When my heart restarts, blood does not flow. I am filled I am saturated with hate.
If anything about the above sentences bother you as a reader then I'd advise that you stay far away from this book. The entire book has a kind of stream of consciousness vibe that isn't going to be for everyone. But for me, it works. I found this book to be dark, disturbing, and incredibly violent. My heart aches for Peach who is the victim of rape. Rather than telling anyone she keeps it to herself because she just wants everything to be normal again. Only life doesn't work that way as Peach soon finds out.
This is not for the faint of heart, I assure you, but it is absolutely compelling and very, very sad.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
If anything about the above sentences bother you as a reader then I'd advise that you stay far away from this book. The entire book has a kind of stream of consciousness vibe that isn't going to be for everyone. But for me, it works. I found this book to be dark, disturbing, and incredibly violent. My heart aches for Peach who is the victim of rape. Rather than telling anyone she keeps it to herself because she just wants everything to be normal again. Only life doesn't work that way as Peach soon finds out.
This is not for the faint of heart, I assure you, but it is absolutely compelling and very, very sad.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
March 25, 2018
I’ve been thinking for a couple of days about how to describe why I felt like this was a whole lot of nope book. I finished Peach because it is very short and I really didn’t want to hate it. I kept waiting for it to have a moment of true emotional connection or a brilliant moment but it never gave.
The Topic
Peach is about a teen girl who is raped. An obvious difficult and important topic to accurately portray. Unlike books, like Long Way Down, there is zero literary finesse to Peach. Instead of taking a tough topic and breaking it down to hit all the right emotional cues, Emma Glass takes rape and throws it in your face...
Shock Rock
Those of you who remember the original shock rock stars like Alice Cooper, Ozzy Ozbourne or the later 90s versions like Marilyn Manson and Gwar will maybe know what I mean by this. It’s like Peach is a shock book. (Not near as catchy as shock rock, I know).
So, what’s a shock book (and yes I just made this up)?
Glass takes a disturbing, shocking, uncomfortable topic and throws it in your face. She shoves it down your throat, or otherwise tries to make you stumble back hoping you will be disturbed, disgusted or terrified. The thing about this tactic these days is it generally has less effect on the reader than a carefully crafted, emotionally charged and passionate literary story. Gruesome, descriptive and downright gross just doesn’t make me want to do anything other than put the a book down.
In our desensitized world brutal descriptions just don’t evict emotions other than disgust or perhaps even a lack of connection due to constant barrage of media like this.
Past the Introduction
Had the opening chapters been graphic and the rest of our story well written I likely would have understood the intent of the shocking opening. But this is not how Peach goes.
Instead it continues into a realm of bizarre, and frankly annoying, rhetoric by our lead gal. I almost never felt bad for her and instead just wanted to yell at her to be smarter or less of a narcissist. I never really connected to our lead gal and found myself, (obviously incorrectly) judging her a lot; which is definitely not how we should feel about an abused teen girl.
An Example of Poor Emotional Content
I know what you’re thinking... ‘Mel how dare you blame the sexually assaulted girl, do you lack sympathy’? But this is honestly how poorly the situation, and our lead gals emotions and feelings were portrayed. I felt like I wanted to scream at her to be less dumb and annoying. Not because what was written wasn’t perhaps totally true to a sexual assault victims thoughts, motivations or experience; but because it was written so poorly I just didn’t have any connection with this gal. And don’t even start me on her weird bloated stomach and whatever symbolism it was supposed to have. I can’t even express how dumb I found it by the end of the story.
Overall
A truly good book about a tough topic will make you feel like the character does. It will evict an understanding and emotion in you that you’ve maybe never felt before. Sadly Peach misses on all cues.
Reading a book like Long Way Down (also a short story), where a character I have nothing in common with (black male teen in a low end neighbourhood), can evoke an emotional and mental response from me, means I know it can be done.
I did have some emotions by the end of Peach; but they were disappointment in the quality of story and major annoyance at the continuing use of shock writing.
For this and more of my reviews please visit my blog at: Epic Reading
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
The Topic
Peach is about a teen girl who is raped. An obvious difficult and important topic to accurately portray. Unlike books, like Long Way Down, there is zero literary finesse to Peach. Instead of taking a tough topic and breaking it down to hit all the right emotional cues, Emma Glass takes rape and throws it in your face...
Shock Rock
Those of you who remember the original shock rock stars like Alice Cooper, Ozzy Ozbourne or the later 90s versions like Marilyn Manson and Gwar will maybe know what I mean by this. It’s like Peach is a shock book. (Not near as catchy as shock rock, I know).
So, what’s a shock book (and yes I just made this up)?
Glass takes a disturbing, shocking, uncomfortable topic and throws it in your face. She shoves it down your throat, or otherwise tries to make you stumble back hoping you will be disturbed, disgusted or terrified. The thing about this tactic these days is it generally has less effect on the reader than a carefully crafted, emotionally charged and passionate literary story. Gruesome, descriptive and downright gross just doesn’t make me want to do anything other than put the a book down.
In our desensitized world brutal descriptions just don’t evict emotions other than disgust or perhaps even a lack of connection due to constant barrage of media like this.
Past the Introduction
Had the opening chapters been graphic and the rest of our story well written I likely would have understood the intent of the shocking opening. But this is not how Peach goes.
Instead it continues into a realm of bizarre, and frankly annoying, rhetoric by our lead gal. I almost never felt bad for her and instead just wanted to yell at her to be smarter or less of a narcissist. I never really connected to our lead gal and found myself, (obviously incorrectly) judging her a lot; which is definitely not how we should feel about an abused teen girl.
An Example of Poor Emotional Content
I know what you’re thinking... ‘Mel how dare you blame the sexually assaulted girl, do you lack sympathy’? But this is honestly how poorly the situation, and our lead gals emotions and feelings were portrayed. I felt like I wanted to scream at her to be less dumb and annoying. Not because what was written wasn’t perhaps totally true to a sexual assault victims thoughts, motivations or experience; but because it was written so poorly I just didn’t have any connection with this gal. And don’t even start me on her weird bloated stomach and whatever symbolism it was supposed to have. I can’t even express how dumb I found it by the end of the story.
Overall
A truly good book about a tough topic will make you feel like the character does. It will evict an understanding and emotion in you that you’ve maybe never felt before. Sadly Peach misses on all cues.
Reading a book like Long Way Down (also a short story), where a character I have nothing in common with (black male teen in a low end neighbourhood), can evoke an emotional and mental response from me, means I know it can be done.
I did have some emotions by the end of Peach; but they were disappointment in the quality of story and major annoyance at the continuing use of shock writing.
For this and more of my reviews please visit my blog at: Epic Reading
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
September 22, 2017
Such despair and violence, most of it graphic, is present in this short novella, but it is compelling from beginning to end. There is such an urgency to both its prose and its storyline. The characters, particularly Peach, are complex and strange; they make such peculiar decisions at times, but this serves only to make them feel more human. Emma Glass' use of wordplay within Peach is masterful. Unsettling and markedly interesting, Peach is a strange novella, but such a memorable one.
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