Mut@tus

by Joan Barbara Simon

Miss Virginia Mendes stumbles from the bourgeois bliss of her brittle marriage into the world of virtual romance, convinced that He must be out there, somewhere... A woman who learns to know her mind and sheds her qualms about giving the world a piece of it. Of her sensuality, her philosophy, her triumphs and her pitfalls... all the Woman she is. A voracious depiction of liberty, goaded by a click of the mouse; at times a war cry, at times a wry embrace of the female quotidian. Magnificently compelling, the irresistible power of Simon's writing opens the door to our better Self.

284 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Nikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although some of the language is beautiful and the concept is interesting, overall this book is just not my cup of tea. Unusually for me, I have given up after 100 pages (so I did try!).

[Dan Holloway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laid out in part like a twenty-first century play, in part like a modern epistolary novel, Mut@tus is both lyrical and raw, rich, layered, and utterly visceral. It masterfully uses distancing mediums of communication to take us deeper into the protagonist’s psyche so that we discover the layers of Gini’s character as she does. This is a glorious tribute to what the novel, and langugae itself is capable of doing. But most of all it is a remarkable portrait of a remarkable woman.

[Irma Walter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not one to delve into the female psyche... but this one grew on me. It's sort of a feat to clothe our deepest instincts in words, and as a general feeling, words are never enough. Joan has, however, broken the limits: she goes way beyond words, speech or written lines. She keeps on crossing boundaries, turning words into sculptured art and using the stuff that life is made of to create a stunning female metamorphosis.