Kinflicks

There are many reasons the current direction of the publishing industry is a shame, but one of the biggest is that it means fewer of sprawling, epic novels will be published (unless, of course, they are written by someone like Tom Wolfe, which is an even bigger shame.) As a result, a novel like Kinf......more

It's hard to believe that it's been 30 years since this book was first published. I remember reading reviews of it at the time. It does not deserve to be forgotten, and with luck, will be discovered by a new generation of readers. It is a long book--Lisa Alther takes her time--but at tleast the reade......more

Before I start my review of Alther’s debut triumphant novel, let me put a list of novels with the same theme together with their publication date and some commentaries. Fear of Flying by Erica Jong. (1973) Kinflicks by Lisa Alther. (1975) The World According to Garp by John Irving. (1978) Parachutes an......more

Smart and sassy. Bold and brassy. And that's just the first chapter. This (long) book has it all. And I mean it. Teenage sex. Lesbian sex. Heterosexual sex (married and extramarital). Incredible, detailed and (almost boring) descriptions of biology, philosophy and even the science of sex. (Yeah, the......more

Having re-read it after 30 odd years I am delighted to say I still give it 5 stars. A witty ( and at times uproariously funny) 'feminist' text, it is also an interesting social commentary on US society in the 50s and 60s. (Actually the era was one of "Women's Liberation" rather than 'feminist'). Al......more