Unusual Company

by Margaret Erhart

Book by Erhart, Margaret

Genres: Fiction, LGBT, Queer, Lesbian, Lesbian Fiction

225 pages, Paperback

First published December 7, 1987

Reviews

[Bandit · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an instance of a book that should have been better than it was. The writing was good and the characters were very interesting and complex, but neither particularly likeable nor (more importantly) relatable. It's nice to see lesbian fiction which isn't a cheesy mystery or a cheap romance, but actually can pass for a quality literature, but general character weirdness prevented it from being a fun or very enjoyable read.

[emilia · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Tonie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book at a store a long time ago and finally decided to finish it this year. It was funny because I will never forget that I had mentioned I wanted to find a very good lesbian book and two seconds later picked this one up without even reading what it was about. I had read a few chapters after I bought it, but I just chose to finish it this year. Which for context, I have been struggling with my sexuality and where to go on my path, and this book fit perfectly in my heart when I needed it the most. I thought it was a somewhat complicated read, but I always love the ones I have to read several times to decode. I thought the characters were likable, and also the sex scenes weren’t just there for sexual appeal, but also to highlight the attachments of the story. I thought the way she wrote about sex was very beautiful, and talked about a lot of emotions that fall into it that a lot of people (at least me) can’t put into words. As a gay woman who struggles with jealousy and an anxious attachment, I saw a lot of me in Franny (minus the violence, but even then I understand the build up of emotions). The only thing that I would have to critique about the book is the timeline and also describing the events more straightforward. I adored the spiritual and artistic aspects of the book, but sometimes it could’ve been a little bit more straight to the point. The dialogue was also a bit confusing when it was between Franny and Claire, but I know that Claire was meant to be interpreted, not understood. I found myself getting lost and re reading parts several times. The violence also felt very random, and I didn’t like the romanticized abuse. If the main character wasn’t abusive towards Claire and it wasn’t praised in the way it was, then it would be probably a classic piece of queer literature in my opinion. Other than that, I 100 percent recommend this book, especially to the younger adult queer audience. I feel it’s a great book to read and relate to, especially in your early 20s because it’s all about the main characters journey of finding her identity + sexuality.

[T.C. Mill · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

A dreamlike erotic odyssey (though some of the most memorable scenes aren't about sex, nor is this erotica by genre) as a young woman comes of age as a lesbian and travels the country before finding her place.