When I Hit You: Or, A Portrait of the Writer as a Young Wife | 
pickThis was a tough read and even though it‘s quite a short book it took me a while to get through it. You know in the beginning that the narrator gets out of her abusive marriage in the end but that barely takes the edge off it. It shows very well how “why didn‘t you just leave him” is never as simple as it sounds like it should be.
November's #bookspin went pretty well, five books finished including the two selected ones, and the tagged one still in progress. That'll do me nicely, thank you.
pickThis is an important book, and one that needed to be written. It's not a pleasant book, as you might hsve guessed. Read it anyway! Face the reality of so many women and children (also men!) out there, suffering. It's aweful, therefore it must be faced and fought. By us all.
@TheAromaofBooks #BookSpinBingo
pickHow to review this? How to dissect and have opinions on someone's pain poured out on the page. Though this is presented as a novel, it quickly became clear that this is largely autobiographical (I googled to confirm after I finished it).
This is the first-person narrative of a woman in an increasingly abusive marriage. The physical and emotional abuse are not shied away from, and may be quite triggering, but are also not dwelt on. Instead 👇🏼
New episode of ‘Books on the Go‘ is up! 🎧 ‘When I Hit You ‘ -by @meenakandasamy - every bit as searing as they said; virtuosic - one of my books of the year. ❤️
pickExcellent. An account of a woman trapped in a violent marriage, told in stunning prose with honesty & strength. It reads as a fast-paved novel but feels true & autobiographical. Many confronting moments - eg her parents telling her to stay - & she has self-awareness & great insight into why women stay (or rather, why they can‘t leave). But it‘s also poetic & satirical - she mixes it up so it‘s not unrelenting violence. Shocking - but too common.
This is an autobiographical novel about domestic violence. A week ago I fell resulting in 22 stitches to my face, a very black eye and visible bruising to my chest and lower left arm. While shopping with my husband, several women serving in stores gave my husband hard looks and asked me about my injuries. I was grateful for their, misplaced, concern and several friends revealed their own experiences & how they would‘ve appreciated such concern...
pickAbusers say the same things in every language. Meena is a young Indian writer who survives and escapes an incredibly abusive marriage. Beautifully and poetically written.
⚠️Major trigger warning for domestic and sexual violence.
The conversation that I never have, but always rehearse within my head: I am a tough bitch, I can take it, I am happy you asked me if you could help. I did not deserve this sadness. I do not know if I deserve this love either.
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
“Some men leave me with memories, a secret language, unfinished poems, frayed old T-shirts, half-told anecdotes... books defaced with dog-ears and underlinings, swear words, a taste for grunge singers, abandoned promises of holiday plans.
Some men leave me with a thousand kisses, but these kisses are contagious, and once I have caught them, it is a curse— they keep me awake, feverish, and I cannot sleep night after night after night.”
pickI'm unsure of my opinion on this, but I did enjoy it. Several quotes bowled me over w/ their intensity & poignant truths. Also a poet, Kandasamy has a firm grasp on crafting delightful & dark strings of words though as a whole I found it lacking a lot of concrete detail that would have made this a supreme work of fiction. It might have to do with the fact that this heartbreaking story of marital abuse and rape is an experience she actually lived.
pickThis was a rough read emotionally. It's a semi-autobiographical novel about an unnamed woman's experiences in an abusive marriage. Kandasamy leverages her skill as a poet -- writing beautifully about a brutal situation. The essay at the end by a reviewer is as strong and impactful as the novel. Highly recommend (with trigger warnings for all types of abuse)
Litsy, I've missed you! Feel like I've been treading water the last few weeks, trying not to let anxiety take me under. We all have our moments, right?
It was such a lovely, welcome, perfectly timed surprise to receive your package today @batsy! The Kandasamy is one of those books I added to my tbr and then promptly forgot about. I'm so excited to have a copy! The Carrington sounds great as well, and I love the postcard and bookmark. Thank you! ❤
There is such brutal honesty in this book and I love it. This has me thinking of all the “why didn‘t she just leave him?” questions/attacks and the damaging reality of how hard it is for woman to do so.
Starting this tonight
Eager to start this one. I‘ve never read this author before but I feel as though she‘s someone I‘m going to admire. #currentlyreading
pickDon‘t let people remove you from your own story. Be ruthless!!!
pickA powerful, heartbreaking, uncompromising, fierce story of abuse that examines the experience and the story without flinching. Kandasamy ruthlessly interrogates the attitudes towards violence against women from within and without, from her husband's self-justification to the world's judgements. And the wonderful writing i Sears right down to the bone. Don't miss the appended chapter 'A List of People You Should Give This Book To.'
pickAmazing writing. Difficult subject but powerfully written. I am excited to read more of her work.
4 🌟!!
pickWhat a powerfulbook and so well written. This is a story of an intelligent, feminist Indian writer/poet who becomes trapped in an abusive, violent marriage. To survive, she has to bury her beliefs, her personality, her past, her dreams and her desire to retaliate.The response of her family and friends is truly shocking but all too believable. Women suffer appalling domestic abuse while the world looks away
One of the best books I have ever read.
pickBook 16: There's fire in Meena Kandasamy. And there's passion is this heart wrenching story of a woman trapped in a violent and abusive marriage. It's a story of entrapment and self liberation. But one that navigates through true horror that too many women have to endure before they are able to be freed. A striking and powerful book.
pickStunning, heart shattering, brave. To read a book so utterly beautiful about actions so cruel and controlling. Meena‘s honesty about her abusive husband and her ultimate survival is powerful. Read this book! (But do it when your emotions are strong).
A reading break at Mt.Rainier😍
pickWow!! A powerful read. Despite the topic the writing is very poetic. It was a book that flowed for me as far as the writing goes. I‘m guessing this has happened to her. So glad I read it even though I‘m still not too sure how I got it! 😊
Not surprised she is listed for prizes. @MrsMalaprop
??????????? Do you ever get book mail and its a mystery? I can‘t remember ordering this book . Only thing I can think of is , I saw that it was short listed. However a mystery book. Has anyone reading this read it or heard of it? @MrsMalaprop
pickThis is a must read for every woman. Not that we will expect something like that (hopefully never) but to understand. To never judge a woman that has been a victim of violence. #feminism #violenceagainstwomen #womensprize #bookly
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was a tough read of that there is no doubt. The title is fierce and the writing while beautifully poetic and darkly humorous is also uncompromising and raw. It leaves you with a portrait of the lives of women in India which is frankly horrific.
This book seems to me the kind of work the Woman's Prize absolutely excels at promoting and without it's deserved shortlisting I probably would not have stumbled across it.
This book is tough but there is some wonderful writing and imagery to be found here. Good choice for the Woman‘s Prize shortlist.
pickThis is an incredibly written book, combining poetic writing and poetry with horrible depictions of domestic abuse. There is a point 2 thirds in when the author talks abt marital rape & i despaired abt the way men treat women and the future for my daughters.But this is a strong woman who survives but is damaged and the afterword enhances the rd as we learn it's a novel based on fact. This is a powerful read but both depressing + uplifting, 5*
On a day of royal wedding fever i am reading an incredibly written book about domestic violence and control of a woman by her husband which is on the women's prize shortlist - each chapter begins with a poem and they are similarly evocative.
The two books ive read from the shortlist so far have been 5* reads and this is similarly.
pickShortlisted for the Women‘s Prize (formerly Bailey‘s, formerly Orange Prize) in Fiction. This is a novel, a fact I had to remind myself frequently while rooting for the narrator to get out of her abusive marriage. The writing style is simple, but deceptive- there is nothing simple in this family drama. Really well done. TRIGGER WARNINGS: all of them.
This is a very intimate, compelling and poetic read. I‘m very impressed with it.
Thanks @kezzlou85 for the tag!
Today I am going to dance round a mechanical spider with DJs inside it's head playing amazing tunes!
Don't think I've ever had a cake pop...
Two so far, tagged book was brilliant.
Sunshine!
Tag anyone late to the party like me!
@jesshowbooks
#friyayintro
pickThere are so many layers to this book about a writer whose recent marriage has turn violent. Every sentence is carved out so perfectly that it made the air inside of me disappear. Domestic violence can happen to anyone and anywhere and this poet explores how tiny one feels and how the politics of being a woman allows for such abuse. More importantly, I wish I could sit with the author and buy her coffee. To thank her for writing this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
pickHailey needs a hug.
I‘ve been stewing on this book for about an hour, and I‘m still thinking about how beautiful her prose is in juxtaposition with how horrible the events of the book are. This novel is stunning and heartbreaking, and elicited a HUGE emotional response from me which isn‘t hard, but it didn‘t feel like that was the cheap purpose.
I climb into the incredible sadness of silence...
Will I be betrayed by these words I choose?
This book is going to destroy me. For a short(ish) book it‘s taking me a while to read because I have to stop and take it in. The writing though, it‘s so beautiful and darkly funny.
...would have slept with him had I not been underage and had he not been long dead."
Ha!
pickI found this a sad depressing read. A highly educated young Indian woman marries Marxist University Professor, instead of the marriage of love she expects he immediately starts abusing her mentally and physically, cutting her off from the world, raping and beating her. She endures it for 4 months before finding the inner strength to leave him. Based on the authors own experience of the brutality women still suffer in modern India.
#shelfie sort of 😂 I came home from work the other day to books on my floor and I was so confused. That wasn‘t where I left them! I need to go through and get rid of some that were just meh, or be honest and get rid of what I‘m never going to read. 🤷♀️ ooooops. Book tagged is current read.
