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Woman on the Edge of Time

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'Woman on the Edge of Time' by Marge Piercy is a feminist science fiction novel that follows the story of Connie Ramos, a woman of color who is wrongly committed to a mental institution. Despite her struggles, Connie begins having visions of the future, where she communicates with a utopian society that contrasts sharply with her bleak reality. The book delves into themes of domestic violence, oppression, mental illness, and societal inequalities, offering a thought-provoking exploration of different worlds and timelines.

Characters:

The characters are richly developed, demonstrating a range of societal challenges, with Connie as a sympathetic yet flawed protagonist navigating oppressive systems.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is vivid and emotive, intertwining social critique with immersive descriptions, effectively capturing the protagonist's turmoil and aspirations.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot revolves around Consuela Ramos, who is unjustly committed to a mental institution and experiences psychic travel to a possible future while grappling with heavy social issues.

Setting:

The novel traverses a stark 1970s mental health system and an envisioned utopia, contrasting oppressive and progressive societal structures.

Pacing:

Pacing is uneven, fluctuating between intense emotional moments and detailed world-building, which can challenge readability.
“Momentito.” Connie fumbled with the bolt, the police lock, finally swinging the door wide. Dolly fell in past her, her face bloody. Connie clutched at Dolly, trying to see how badly she was hurt. “Qu...

Notes:

The novel tackles a wide range of themes including environmentalism, feminism, child rearing, mental illness, socialism, criminal justice, war, racial prejudice, and genetic engineering.
Consuela Ramos, the protagonist, has a history of violence and is committed to a mental institution in New York.
She psychically travels to a utopian future around the year 2137, where many social issues have been addressed.
The story raises questions about the reliability of mental health diagnoses, particularly for marginalized individuals.
Marge Piercy uses time travel as a device but leaves details ambiguous, creating a sense of uncertainty.
The future depicted is environmentally conscious, communal, and gender-inclusive, promoting equality among races and sexes.
The book is considered a classic of feminist science fiction, credited as influencing the cyberpunk genre.
It contrasts Connie's grim reality in the 1970s with a hopeful, yet complex future society.
Some readers find the book emotionally intense due to its portrayal of the mental health care system's abuses in that era.
It explores the protagonist's struggles against societal systems that oppress the poor and mentally ill.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include themes of mental illness, abuse, trauma, systemic oppression, violence, and discussions around child welfare.

From The Publisher:

Hailed as a classic of speculative fiction, Marge Piercy's landmark novel is a transformative vision of two futures-and what it takes to will one or the other into reality. Harrowing and prescient, Woman on the Edge of Time speaks to a new generation on whom these choices weigh more heavily than ever before.

Connie Ramos is a Mexican American woman living on the streets of New York. Once ambitious and proud, she has lost her child, her husband, her dignity-and now they want to take her sanity. After being unjustly committed to a mental institution, Connie is contacted by an envoy from the year 2137, who shows her a time of sexual and racial equality, environmental purity, and unprecedented self-actualization. But Connie also bears witness to another potential outcome: a society of grotesque exploitation in which the barrier between person and commodity has finally been eroded. One will become our world. And Connie herself may strike the decisive blow.

Praise for Woman on the Edge of Time

"This is one of those rare novels that leave us different people at the end than we were at the beginning. Whether you are reading Marge Piercy's great work again or for the first time, it will remind you that we are creating the future with every choice we make."-Gloria Steinem

"An ambitious, unusual novel about the possibilities for moral courage in contemporary society."-The Philadelphia Inquirer

"A stunning, even astonishing novel . . . marvelous and compelling."-Publishers Weekly

"Connie Ramos's world is cuttingly real."-Newsweek

"Absorbing and exciting."-The New York Times Book Review

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About the Author:

MARGE PIERCY is the author of nineteen previous poetry collections, a memoir, seventeen novels, five nonfiction books, and a book of short stories. Her work has been translated into twenty-three languages, and she has received many honors, including the Golden…

 
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