Judith

by Aritha van Herk

Book by Van Herk, Aritha

Genres: Canada, Fiction

181 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Aritha van Herk is a Canadian writer, critic, editor, and university professor.

Her parents and elder siblings immigrated to Canada from the Netherlands before she was born. She grew up in a bilingual home, speaking English and Dutch. In 1974, she married Robert Jay Sharp, who is a geologist. Van Herk studied Canadian literature and Creative Writing at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, graduating with a B.A. Honours in 1976, and an M.A. in 1978. Since 1983, Aritha van Herk has been teaching at the University of Calgary. She teaches Creative Writing, Canadian Literature, and Contemporary Narrative.

Reviews

[David]

A bizarre little story that shifts in time frequently without formal divisions in the narrative. It is essential to follow closely in order to know what part of Judith's past we're in, as well as when we're in her present. Ultimately, it seems to stop mattering. The theme seems to be "Men: can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em" -- which the character Mina actually says more or less verbatim toward the end of the story. Judith's independence is hard-fought and hard-won and hard-yielded and hard to follow. On the whole, I found this one less satisfying than No Fixed Address, though that may be because I find selling women's underwear a more palatable job than pig farming! In short, the limits are at least as much mine as they are the fault of the narrative.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Visceral writing style that I felt in my core. I could feel the cold, smell the barn and was with the pigs and Judith through all the motions. Simple and a quiet sort of storytelling that really moved me. Second wave feminist/gender ideas that are explored below the surface, but that continuously carry the story along. Rural prairie Canadiana I can get behind. Now I need to find out whatever happened to this author? Highly recommend.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aritha Van Herk has done an amazing job in her novel depicting a restless secretary feeling pale and burned out under the fluorescent lights of her office bathroom who transforms herself into a pig farmer. Slowly, and with great skill, the author brings out Judith. It is a simple but powerful story of a woman. Loved it.

[Paul Heidebrecht · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was first novel by young Dutch-Canadian woman in Canada back in 1978. She obviously had some bad experiences with men and this story of a young woman running her own pig farm by herself contains strong feminist themes. But she was a superb writer and I hope to read more of her work.

[Joan Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

love, love, loved it! will reread! Third time reading and love it still!

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ughhh this book was so boring. I hated Judith, did not care about her at all or understand her. I thought she was an ass to everyone and they just keep being nice to her? I get it’s the 70s and men are awful, but she was also mean to other women. I didn’t care about the pigs, and I got really sick of reading about their glowing eyes and weird knowledge of people. And how many times is she going to mention “female smell” or whatever?

While I can appreciate what the author was trying to do when she switches from talking about one person in one time to a totally different person in another time, it had the effect of being confusing, and I felt annoyed by how many times I had to go back and read sections before I figured out what was going on.

This was a book that was part of my “read every book I already own in 2023” quest, and I am very glad it’s over. I think it’s telling that it took me 2 months to read a mere 180 pages, and I skimmed (using that word generously here) the last 40 or so.

[Alex Maz · Rating 4 out of 5]

big big fan of the writing style as it kept weaving past and present events!!

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

You have made a terrible mistake and you are going to fail. This is the refrain that runs though Judith's head as she leaves her secretarial position, her boss-boyfriend, and her small apartment to return to her family's pig-farming roots. It was her father's wish that she take over with their pigs when he retired, but her parents wanted her to get some experience in the city first so she could be sure farming was what she really wanted. Parents of adult children the world over will be unsurprised to learn that when the time came she had lost interest in farming. The farm was sold to strangers. Van Herk melds past and present to great effect in the novel, abruptly flinging readers decades backward as Judith's memories transport her to the blissful, cherished safety of her childhood or the crawling remorse of the decisions she wishes she made differently, but it does make tracking the timeline a little challenging. At some point Judith changes her mind about her chosen future and abandons her life in the city for a herd of female pigs and a small farm not far from her childhood home. As you may have guessed from the opening line, she carries a lot of self-doubt about this choice. About every choice. Judith has a few emotional issues to work through. Some of those issues need content warnings, like the numerous, sketch-tastic sexual encounters. Animal loving readers may also struggle with the nitty-gritty details of pig farming, including a detailed account of castration. Van Herk's familiarity with farming practices and secretarial life are, with the creative timeline, what transports this book from an entertaining but forgettable read into one I hunted down in used book stores (it's been out of print for a while now) so I can re-read it whenever I want.

[Leona · Rating 4 out of 5]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12964980

[Margo · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can do a lot worse than this for a quick read.
It seems cosy but has a unsentimental lilt of anger throughout.