Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

This is a Buddy Read for The Power by Naomi Alderman starting on October 30, 2023.


Happy Reading!

Excited for this!

Starting! Through Track 6--I heard "9 years to go" 11% in. (view spoiler)[I wasn't expecting everyone's power to be the same thing... I thought it would be more like superpowers, where everyone gets something different.

I also wasn't expecting it to be primarily a reaction to sexual predation. Only 10% in, multiple women shown developing their powers, and they all seem to be in reaction to rape, rough play, or someone else getting raped in front of them...

And a voice too... that's creepy. (hide spoiler)]

Through Track 10--"8 years to go" 23% in--this is reminding me of The Measure--(view spoiler)[in that it's jumping around the world and giving us snapshots of this "what if" and how it is affecting the world... but it it isn't actually following individual women as much as using them as springboards to follow that "what if". On audio, it's especially hard to keep them all separate... and since we're jumping in and out of their lives at different parts, it almost doesn't matter.

The whole "no women with the power can hold political office..." yeah, I don't see that lasting for long. Or better not. (hide spoiler)]

Through Track 20--"5 years to go" actually, not sure if these are saying "to go" or "ago" but I guess it's the same... (view spoiler)[The candidate saying he "can't get angry"--that's what is usually said to women... "calm down, you're getting emotional..."--this was used earlier too.

I wish there wasn't so much sex in it, but I can see how it is necessary to the thought experiment... (hide spoiler)]

Through Track 27--"one year" 67% complete--(view spoiler)[I find it interesting how at the beginning, I am full of rage, and eager for these women to take their vengeance out on the men. Then again, the men at the beginning are all rapists and gropers etc.

But by this point, power corrupts, and the male parallels are becoming stronger... the women are becoming the worst aspects of male power in our society, and beginning to use their positions to sexually exploit men.

Then there's the girl whose skein isn't coming in fully... I wonder if this is a parallel for impotence? Balls not dropping? Or trans, or gay, or something... not manly enough? Not womanly enough? (hide spoiler)]

Woah!! I will start today :)

Nirkatze you're flying through this! I'll probably start tomorrow.

I'm only near the start, 10 years to go (view spoiler)[ but I like the way it's framed at the beginning with that man wanting to write a RADICAL story about MEN!
Enjoying the snapshots of different girls/women developing their power. (hide spoiler)]

Was worried the audiobook would be hard to follow when it started quite all over the place but I think I'm with it!

I mentioned in one of my spoilers--but it reminds me a lot of The Measure in the way it is a thought experiment that checks in on different characters over time... but it feels less like following individual stories and more using those individual's lives to show a different aspect of this reality.

Siobhan wrote: "I'm only near the start, 10 years to go..."

You know, I forgot that that was how it started... but the ending makes more sense now, lol.

I'm only 4 tracks in but it's a great start! (view spoiler)[ Good observation Nirkatze about the sexual assault thing. The powers definitely seem like a reaction to male threat.

I want to know what caused them to actually manifest in the population, like the source of the power. something in the water, divine intervention, spider bite, I just want an answer lol. (hide spoiler)]

re: source--later on... there's some speculation about this... (view spoiler)[mostly, I think, that historically the Power existed, and and then died out... so like, dormant genes resurfacing? But nothing deeper than that.... (hide spoiler)]

Also, for the literary reasons, there's a horrific scene near the end which made me realize, ah--that's why the power is specifically (view spoiler)[electricity... it's a sort of natural way to control movement... basically, if the author wanted to make male rape possibly even when unable to have an erection, electricity would be necessary--outside of magic. (hide spoiler)]

Nirkatze wrote: "Through Track 20--"5 years to go"

I like the parallels (view spoiler)[ between how the men act/ are treated in the book compared to how women act/ are treated in the real world.

Women have literal power and are automatically classed as a threat to the 'innocent male population' so all of a sudden boys need self defense classes, boys need separate busses, separate classes etc.

Funny how when men feel threatened, the whole world bends to accommodate them.

The whole, no woman with power can work in politics, education or with the public thing... holy fucking shit.

All the men's rights bullshit is horrifying and sadly, very reflective of reality, Some young girl told a boy that God wants him to be subservient and everyone loses their minds. Like they haven't been telling women the same thing for 1000s of years. Talking about women needing to 'know their place', the awful hatred and violence they're spewing because they're no longer allowed to abuse and subjugate women is just so vile.

This book is so full of feminine rage and I'm here for it. (hide spoiler)]

You put it so well, Charlie... it actually makes me think a lot of the Barbie movie, but that was humorous and fairly sedate, and like you said, this is full of feminine rage...

I definitely see the Barbie comparisons, this is just less polite.

Nirkatze wrote: "Through Track 27--"one year" 67% complete--I find it interesting how at the beginning,."

I completely agree, the women are starting to mirror the men that once oppressed them and it's getting out of hand. I'm starting to get really disturbed by (view spoiler)[ that foreign queen and her followers. The way she made that servant lick the glass covered floor was sick.

I think the message here is that no-one should be abused or mistreated, regardless of gender. But of course the characters, being human, will continue to repeat the same mistakes over and over.

The way those poor people were murdered in the woods was also horriffic.

I'm also really enjoying the way this story is told, with the jolts back to the future and the museum. I'm looking forward to seeing how we get there. Got about 2 hours of audio left. (hide spoiler)]

Yeah, I thought that switch-around was really well done... and very shocking...

Charlie wrote: "Nirkatze wrote: "Through Track 27--"one year" 67% complete--I find it interesting how at the beginning,."

I completely agree, the women are starting to mirror the men that once oppressed them and ..."

I'm exactly where you were here, Charlie. Track 37, about 2 hours left. (view spoiler)[ Tunde the journalist found out this is no laughing matter anymore when he got his passport took off him in Maldova. And then the cult in the woods, god. I'm glad Roxy found him and saved him, but he thinks she still has her power. What her brother and dad did to her was fucking disgusting. I hoped it would kill him honestly.
I hope Roxy gets her power back. Some women have gone absolutely mad with power though. This got so dark! Even though it started dark ha. (hide spoiler)]

Siobhan wrote: "


Agreed! Started dark and just keeps getting darker. (view spoiler)[ I guess it shows that women, like everyone else, can also be easily corrupted by power.

I really wanted to brother to be killed by the transplant, like it would hurt him if he tried to use it since it wasn't meant for him.

I am so rooting for Roxy to get her power back!

I also thunk maybe Mother Eve should just take over the world :D (hide spoiler)]

Okay so I finished and this was just so cool! (view spoiler)[ The fact that the story was told from the perspective that it was a fictional interpretation of a historical event/ time is just genius honestly.

This book is basically reflecting modern society but gender flipped.

I felt the feminine rage in this so hard and it really spoke to me.

The comments at the end about gender norms, genetic dispositions and cultural shaping of men and women, while a bit on the nose, were so on point. I particularly liked the references to men staying at home and being caregivers, they're non confrontational because they're physically weaker, their voice is often marginalised and ignored for no good reason and of course, the idea that if they ruled society, it would be peaceful and equal.

Apart from showing that humans of all genders are just people, and thus are destined to make the same mistakes over and over, regardless of the lessons of history, Alderman has explored the idea that it's not gender as an inherent thing that makes the power imbalance of our society unfair, it's the fact that in any social structure, one side feels the NEED to seize that power, lest they themselves become the marginalised. And I think that idea is pretty spot on.

I also just found the entire premise of this book really freaking cool. As someone who studied sociology at uni, societal power structures, in particular, those related to gender, absolutely fascinate me and I'm so glad I read this book. It really scratched a brain itch.

For me, Alderman is now right up there alongside Margaret Atwood, Lousie O'Neill and Christina Dalcher, authors who write speculative fiction that explore gendered power structures in their many potential forms, in really interesting and thought provoking ways, while still being super readable.

I can't wait for the next book this author puts out, I'm now a huge fan! (hide spoiler)]

Grats on the finish, Charlie! I love how you put everything so succinctly, especially the bit about how social structure encourages a "side" to grab power...

Also felt all that feminine rage from the start...

Thanks! The rage hit me hard!

Yeah! And then I started feeling uncomfortable, (view spoiler)[when the rage of many in the book turned toward becoming just as bad as the people they raged against... (hide spoiler)]

Absolutely, it was super uncomfortable to read.

I've got about half an hour left, it's took a really uncomfortable turn, if that's even possible at this point :'(

Yeah--but I do like how the uncomfortableness is super thought-provoking...

What a POWERFUL ending! Loved that.

LOL nice word-play...

Siobhan wrote: "What a POWERFUL ending! Loved that."

I know right!? It was just, wow. I wasn't expecting it honestly.

I saw that she has a new book, The Future, on the GR Choice awards list... I'm both... curious... and trepidatious... not sure if I used that word right, but what I'm feeling is best described as "trepidation"

I'm worried it's going to feel like more of the same. Or that all she can write is angry bitterness. But I'm also intrigued.

I think it sounds great honestly. I think she's gonna be like Christina Dalcher where she writes these super dark, but so realistic dystopias.

The book this reminded me the most of is The Measure which was on last years' GR choice lists--if you liked this thought experiment, I'd recommend it.

Nirkatze wrote: "The book this reminded me the most of is The Measure which was on last years' GR choice lists--if you liked this thought experiment, I'd recommend it."

Thanks it's on my TBR!

Ooh! I always love it when someone recommends something I was already eyeing. Makes me feel more comfortable about picking it up.