bazhsw
10/7/2016
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. In a near-future a virus spreads dramatically and quickly through the human race. 99% of people die whereas some are immune or recover from the effects of the virus. As well as almost wiping out humanity a further complication is that the virus kills off women far more than men. A ratio of 10 to 1 means women become scarce. Compounding this is that when women become pregnant in the new world they are highly likely to die in childbirth and no children ever survive. Is this the end of the human race?
The protagonist of the story is an unnamed woman, who, when the world was normal was a midwife. Very early on in the novel it is apparent that being a woman alone in a changed world is very dangerous indeed. In a world where women are scarce there is a threat of sexual violence everywhere. In this near future, society has broken down and survival is the primary instinct, followed by the need for sex. The few women around are largely kept as sex slaves by groups of men and their orifices are effectively traded for other resources. It is not a pleasant read by any means.
The reader does need to get their head around the idea that if society broken down and women were scarce that men would go around raping them and keeping them, trading them where necessary. In the novel not all men become slavers and not all men are scumbags but these groups of horrible men are not rare by any means. I'm not sure if there would be gangs of rapists roaming the streets quite so quickly (we're talking days / weeks / months after the virus kicks in). That said, I do think there would be changes in how men would view their relationships to women, especially if they had 'one' in their group. I can see how there would be a need to 'keep', 'protect' a woman. It isn't too much of a stretch to imagine treating a woman as a commodity rather than a person in her own right. It isn't too much of a stretch to see how roles could easily slip into 'I got you this food so now you should fuck me'. It's quite unsettling to read as a man thinking how quickly we could degenerate into thinking and acting based on our dick only. It must be terrifying for a woman to imagine.
Our protagonist realises she needs to get out of the city and quickly disguises herself as a man to survive. We follow her road trip North. She meets some scumbags, she meets some nice people too. She meets people who are different to her. It's an unsettling, grim read. I felt quite threatened when the main character was threatened. I felt her unease whenever new people entered her story. It's not an easy read at all.
Now I know near future apocalypses are ten a penny these days but I did get a real 'Dawn of the Dead' vibe from this (the original one youngsters!). The idea that we are slaves to consumerism is prevalent through the book. It is explored just how dependent we are on technology and 'stuff'. It's interesting that our mobile technology for instance would be completely worthless once the electric went out. I loved the idea that one character craved DVDs for instance. We even have the odd trip to the mall...
Not all women are kept as slaves, there are a few instances of 'hives'. These are communities where a single woman 'keeps' a group of men and is effectively worshipped - the men go out and 'get the stuff' in exchange for sex. Pretty much in every scenario though women are having sex with lots of men - the difference is the power relations at work. In the 'hive' the woman is in charge and 'bestowing favours' willingly and isn't brutalised, as a slave she is bought sold and raped. One could argue that essentially the choice is 'be in charge and sell sex' or 'be a victim and sell sex' - is that really a choice? It is rare to see a woman have her own identity outside of possessing a vagina. I'm not convinced men are solely controlled by their penis either...
The book does embrace LGBT issues and identities. The central character is bisexual and I loved the line, when questioned about her sexuality, 'I like people, the bodies come with them'. I can really embrace this thinking. I also liked the notion that in a world where women were scarce that more men would be gay. At times the book is quite harrowing, at other times it is quite erotic.
I wouldn't say this was a novel of hope, it crushes hope at times. However, I really enjoyed the quest for intimacy, the longing for human contact - both physical and emotional. I loved the scene where two characters spoon. It is just so tender.
I also liked the section where our protagonist discovers a thriving community. The community is a religious one and I think some really notable ideas are explored. I was pondering if I would be happy to stay in a religious, patriarchal community if it was the safest around for miles. Even there though religions constraints on gender and sexuality whilst being more nominally safe for women still effectively imprison women just in different ways.
Great book.