|
 The
Bitch Goddess Notebook, By Martha O' Connor
(ORION BOOKS, RS. 324)
"Rennie's heart is pounding so hard her chest is
going to burst in a minute. She floats her tongue over
her lips as her student teacher, Bay, tosses aside the
pillow. He knots his hands in her hair, dips down for
a kiss, and they fall together onto the bed. Thighs
aching, she spreads her legs and wraps her arms around
his warm brown back. Each movement presses away her
literary agent's critique of her novel chapters:
Don't open with a sex scene, Wren. Readers will lose
sympathy for your heroine.
She tightens her legs around her lover, grabs his ass.
Fuck me.
The word 'cunt' in a novel aimed at women? Probably
not a good idea…"
These are the opening paragraphs of this explosive,
dark, haunting novel. The literary agent's voice in
the background tells you, first and foremost, that if
you think this is a girly book, judging by the cover,
you're mistaken! What a mind-blowing piece of work by
this fantastically gifted novelist! The sex scenes are
erotic and violent, the self-harming is disturbing,
the language is hard hitting.
Three girls, the Bitch Posse, are best friends in 1988.
Rennie, aka, The Virgin Mary, Girl Genius, loses her
virginity to her married teacher Rob. Amy struggles
with her family and their inability to cope with her
handicapped sister. Cherry is the irresponsible juvenile
delinquent, who mothers her junkie mother. The intense
friendship is one we all dream of as teenagers - understanding,
loyal, supportive and free. This friendship drives them
to doing something… that each of them struggles
to come to terms with 15 years on.
That thing, their secret, looms over the novel like
humidity over Mumbai in June. If you're not inspired
to read this book till the end by the breath-taking
language (unlikely!), then curiosity will surely drive
you there! The effective 'hook' has you clinging from
page to page, waiting for the revelation.
There are problems with the novel, sure. The characters
all stem from one person. Connor has been unable to
make their language or personalities remarkably distinct
or distinctive, especially in the 1988 narrativ. But
then, aren't we all similar as teenagers - and don't
we try to be clones of our best friends?
- TARA KAUSHAL
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