Three Women by Lisa Taddeo is an unusual book in that it is a factual study of three women’s lives, but it reads like a novel. I was loaned this book some years ago by my son’s partner and I didn’t get very far with it, returning it unfinished. Another copy arrived with my monthly second-hand subscription and I thought that I would try again – it has lingered for a year or two and I have used this challenge to have another go. I did manage to read it all the way through this time, but it took a while to adjust to the way in which it is written.
The author tells the story of three ordinary American women. She concentrates on their sexual awakening and the relationships they have. She writes in detail, so this is not a book for the squeamish, and includes their experiences of rape, coercive control, gender-based violence and inappropriate relationships. All the women acknowledge their need for physical love and connections, and this causes them to make mistakes in relationships but also to experiment with situations which meet their particular needs.
This heartbreaking thing about this book is that in trying to satisfy their own desires they are let down, abused and taken advantage of by the men in their lives, and also, often, by the women. Sadly, this includes when they are much younger. None of them comes from a settled background and their adult lives also reflect this. By the end of the book they have mostly come to terms with the lives they now live but it is difficult to say that any of them is happy. The message seems to be that women’s desires lead only to sorrow and difficulty.
The author acts as a narrative voice in this book. She describes the women’s lives in detail, including what they said and what they felt at various times. She speaks to the reader, warning them that all is not as it seems and also explaining why the women have acted as they have. There are a lot of metaphors and similes, and the prose seems so descriptive that it is difficult to believe that the three women have such detailed and analytical recall of the events in their lives, although the author assures us that she has spoken with them frequently and used documents such as diaries and police reports to back up what she has written.
This is a book that was published to some acclaim, and which has some significant endorsements on the cover from feminist writers. Sadly, I didn’t enjoy it. I thought that the style got in the way of the story and made it seem unreal. I found it depressing to read and easy to put down. I shall not be keeping this copy but will pass it along to Oxfam in the hope that the next reader will enjoy it more than I did.
Anne Is Reading 