James Miranda Barry
5 journalers for this copy...
From the blurb:
The Amazon.co.uk Review says:
"Patricia Duncker's third book is an elegant exploration of the way gender and identity shape a life. The starring role is given to James Miranda Barry, a 19th century society figure, who enrolled as a student at Edinburgh and carved out an illustrious medical career on three continents. Nothing too strange about that, except that James Miranda Barry lived life as a man but was actually a woman.
Duncker has created "an imaginative exploration" of the real Barry's life, adjusting facts and adding figures to transform a story of love and adventure into a masque of sexual identity, where the hero is really the leading lady and the love interest is a kitchen maid, turned actress, who relishes "the breeches parts" in Shakespeare's plays.
It's an enthralling, strange tale, peopled with actors and soldiers, artists and revolutionary generals. Illicit liaisons, adultery, confused paternity, colonial history and family secrets provide the transgressive background to Barry's disorientating transformation into someone who was "neither man nor woman but partook of both", who combined "a woman's delicacy and grace" with "the courage and skill of a man."
Duncker's literary skills are equally adept and disorienting. Her prose is cool and clean, shot through with lush descriptions of flowers and landscape (her decadence seems to be saved for the glories of nature). Although Alice Jones the kitchen maid actress can proclaim to Barry: "You are who the world says you are. And the world says you're a man" but with Duncker it isn't quite that simple. Barry's manly charade is played out with the subtle, startling awareness of his (sic) womanly identity. It makes for a very sophisticated narrative where all surfaces are deceptive and all experiences are dual. "--Eithne Farry
"Patricia Duncker's third book is an elegant exploration of the way gender and identity shape a life. The starring role is given to James Miranda Barry, a 19th century society figure, who enrolled as a student at Edinburgh and carved out an illustrious medical career on three continents. Nothing too strange about that, except that James Miranda Barry lived life as a man but was actually a woman.
Duncker has created "an imaginative exploration" of the real Barry's life, adjusting facts and adding figures to transform a story of love and adventure into a masque of sexual identity, where the hero is really the leading lady and the love interest is a kitchen maid, turned actress, who relishes "the breeches parts" in Shakespeare's plays.
It's an enthralling, strange tale, peopled with actors and soldiers, artists and revolutionary generals. Illicit liaisons, adultery, confused paternity, colonial history and family secrets provide the transgressive background to Barry's disorientating transformation into someone who was "neither man nor woman but partook of both", who combined "a woman's delicacy and grace" with "the courage and skill of a man."
Duncker's literary skills are equally adept and disorienting. Her prose is cool and clean, shot through with lush descriptions of flowers and landscape (her decadence seems to be saved for the glories of nature). Although Alice Jones the kitchen maid actress can proclaim to Barry: "You are who the world says you are. And the world says you're a man" but with Duncker it isn't quite that simple. Barry's manly charade is played out with the subtle, startling awareness of his (sic) womanly identity. It makes for a very sophisticated narrative where all surfaces are deceptive and all experiences are dual. "--Eithne Farry
Uit de doos Nieuwe deugdzaamheid gehaald. Ik was destijds onder de indruk van Hallucinating Foucault, dus ik werd nieuwsgierig toen ik dit boek zag in de doos.
Journal Entry 4 by Hellehond at Strandpaviljoen Zoomers in Castricum, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Sunday, June 20, 2010
Released 13 yrs ago (6/20/2010 UTC) at Strandpaviljoen Zoomers in Castricum, Noord-Holland Netherlands
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
Voor de Castricum-meeting.
Journal Entry 5 by janna2 at Coffee Plaza Westerpark in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Monday, December 13, 2010
Released 13 yrs ago (12/13/2010 UTC) at Coffee Plaza Westerpark in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland Netherlands
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
Een donatie uit mijn boekenvoorraad ten behoeve van de voorraad van de nieuwe OBZC.
Hallo daar, vinder! Als je dit leest, heb je een boek gevonden. Gefeliciteerd! Hopelijk is het iets dat je leuk vindt; zo niet, dan heeft het je toch tenminste hier gebracht en dat is ook wat waard. Je mag het boek gerust doorgeven aan iemand anders, of zomaar ergens achterlaten. Ondertussen was je toch maar mooi nieuwsgierig genoeg om op deze site te komen kijken. Kijk gerust wat rond. Veel plezier! Als je het boek ook wilt volgen dan kun je je het beste aanmelden als nieuwe bookcrosser (Engelse pagina). Ik zou het erg leuk vinden als je mijn naam (janna2) wilt invullen als Referring Member, dan kan ik zien dat je ook een geregistreerde bookcrosser bent geworden.Oh ja, er is ook een Nederlandse website voor als je nog meer wilt weten over bookcrossing: www.bookcrossing.nl.
Hallo daar, vinder! Als je dit leest, heb je een boek gevonden. Gefeliciteerd! Hopelijk is het iets dat je leuk vindt; zo niet, dan heeft het je toch tenminste hier gebracht en dat is ook wat waard. Je mag het boek gerust doorgeven aan iemand anders, of zomaar ergens achterlaten. Ondertussen was je toch maar mooi nieuwsgierig genoeg om op deze site te komen kijken. Kijk gerust wat rond. Veel plezier! Als je het boek ook wilt volgen dan kun je je het beste aanmelden als nieuwe bookcrosser (Engelse pagina). Ik zou het erg leuk vinden als je mijn naam (janna2) wilt invullen als Referring Member, dan kan ik zien dat je ook een geregistreerde bookcrosser bent geworden.Oh ja, er is ook een Nederlandse website voor als je nog meer wilt weten over bookcrossing: www.bookcrossing.nl.
Journal Entry 6 by OBCZ-Westerpark at Amsterdam, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Friday, January 14, 2011
staat vanaf morgen daadwerkelijk op de plank!
Journal Entry 7 by amsterdammertje at Westerpark, Amsterdam, OBCZ -- Controlled Releases on Monday, October 31, 2011
I didn't realise this was a novel rather than a biography when I picked it up. I may not read it, but we'll see ...