Gut Symmetries

This book changed my view on what great literature can be. Previously I thought plot drove the reader to keep going - reading this I was driven forward by the beauty of the words that Winterson uses, sometimes not understanding, or paying attention to the action, often reading several times to revel in the flavours of her prose. I looked with regret at the dwindling number of pages as I approached the end, wanting to stay longer in the drunken, passionate language of this wonderful book.

______________________________________________ Fluff or Not? No matter - you won't be disappointed. ______________________________________________ ----- Comments ----- This was my first foray into Winterson. I picked up this book by accident and almost missed out. This is a work in which to revel, wallow, and mark up - not to overanalyze, psychoanalyze, or moralize. It is not the plot, or even the intermingling of epic scientific theories as parallels for love, but it is purely the words. It is the magic that occurs when a word you've seen hundreds of times is set beside another ordinary word to form a string that is simply profound and surprisingly beautiful. Any writer able to wow with words like Winterson deserves an unequivocal thumbs up. Don't pass this up - you'd be missing out. ---- What I liked ----- beautiful prose, unconventional plot and method, interesting characters, human and scientific dilemmas ----- What was unusual ---- highly irregular rhythm and method, just be prepared to forsake the ordinary

If you have ever had any doubts, "Gut Symmetries" is proof that Wintersen's fiction demands an educated, intelligent reader who is serious about reading. Call me a snob if you will, but I have no sympathy for anyone who thinks this book is too hard to read or doesn't get the story. This isn't a book that a reader can race through, discarding lyric passages and descriptions wily-nily, picking out the events in chronological order, and hurrying to finish.In many ways the metaphor is the message. If you want basic "plot" handed to you on a platter, then this book will probably not agree with you. This plot is not constructed in the run-of-the-mill, straightforward, linear plot structure that we have come to expect from television, movies, and mainstream fiction. It does not pander to the modern sense of impatience. Instead, the telling of the story relies on three different narrators, and the story is told using a non-linear episodic plot structure. Like Wintersen's other books, notably "Sexing the Cherry," the reader must rely on subtle clues to connect the pieces of the story together.As for content, I got so involved in the story that I actually yelled at one of the characters when the "plot twist" (mentioned in the prior reviews) arose. (As well as at two other passages, at least.) Ah but again, perhaps with an eye towards metaphor the message changes...Reading this book takes a little more effort than the average paperback. You've got to engage your mind (and perhaps, at times, your dictionary) to stay on top of it. In my opinion, it's well worth the read--a fine addition to any modern fiction library.

As a student of the art of fiction, I have been increasingly depressed by the state of "literature" today...reading Gut Symmetries was a revelation! Move over, Gabriel Garcia-Marquez; there's a new kid on your block. Jeanette Winterson's masterful use of tropes and contextualization of unfamiliar terminology draw the reader into a web of magical reality where new voices demand your attention. Color me impressed.

Winterson's writing is so powerful that when I read her books,I have a pencil and a pad of yellow "stick-ums" at my side, so I canmark particularly moving or powerful passages. My copy of Gut Symmetries is now full of yellow tags. Winterson is one of the few writers I know who can repeatedly effectively convey complex thoughts and emotions in simple, witty, powerful language. Whenever I re-read the sections of Gut Symmetries I have marked, I am awed by Winterson's ability with the language. If you have enjoyed other books by Winterson, you will enjoy this one. If you have not read Winterson before, you might try reading The Passion first. The Passion has a stronger/easier to follow story line.