Motherhood
Exploring the complexities of choice and identity in motherhood
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Vintage Publishing
Published:30th May '19
Should be back in stock very soon
This thought-provoking book delves into the complexities of motherhood and the choices women face, making it a significant literary work on the subject.
In Motherhood, the narrator grapples with the pressing question of whether to become a mother, a dilemma that resonates deeply as many of her peers embark on that journey. Over several years, influenced by her partner, her own body, family, friends, and the unpredictable nature of life, she seeks to navigate the complexities of making a moral and meaningful decision about motherhood. This exploration is not just personal; it reflects broader societal pressures and expectations surrounding femininity and motherhood.
The narrative unfolds in a style that beautifully intertwines elements of both the novel and essay, allowing for a profound examination of womanhood and the choices that come with it. The author raises essential questions about what it means to live authentically and for whom those choices are ultimately made. The work challenges traditional narratives and encourages readers to reflect on their own beliefs and experiences regarding parenthood.
Critics have praised Motherhood as a groundbreaking exploration of its themes, calling it a defining literary work on the subject. It is described as courageous and visionary, touching on the intersection of art and the complexities of mothering. This book not only resonates with those contemplating motherhood but also engages anyone interested in the broader conversations about identity and societal expectations.
Likely to become the defining literary work on the subject. * Guardian *
Probing, psychologically unafraid, witty. -- Catherine Taylor * Financial Times *
If you are an underliner, as I am, your pen may go dry . . . Indeed, Heti always seems to be drawing from a paranormally deep well. -- Dwight Garner * The New York Times *
Brave and funny... Heti demonstrates the contradictions between freedom and the tyranny of choice and how impossible it is for anyone to ever make the 'right' decision. -- Chris Kraus * The White Review Books of the Year *
A brilliant, radical, and moving book, it is sure to cause the cultural riot her earlier work has . . . There's a new quality to Heti's writing in Motherhood. The only way I can describe it is tenderness . . . Beautiful . . . Surprising. -- Claudia Dey * The Paris Review *
Heti thinks clearly and originally -- Adam Kirsch * Times Literary Supplement, **Books of the Year** *
Motherhood confronts the philosophical questions raised by childbearing and womanhood... Heti's narrator wants to create - specifically, to create something that will honour the memory of her mother and grandmother... Motherhood both documents that desire and fulfils it. -- Sally Rooney * London Review of Books *
Motherhood is a poetic, innovative book. It is groundbreaking in its fluidity, in its recognition of the unrecognizability of desire, and in its scrutiny of expectation… she introduces a critical, exhilarating freedom. -- Rebecca Watson * Spectator *
This inquiry into the modern woman’s moral, social and psychological relationship to procreation is an illumination, a provocation, and a response - finally - to the new norms of femininity, formulated from the deepest reaches of female intellectual authority. It is unlike anything else I’ve read. Sheila Heti has broken new ground, both in her maturity as an artist and in the possibilities of the female discourse itself. -- Rachel Cusk
Motherhood is subtitled A Novel, though it's one in which the boundaries between fiction and memoir are porous and constantly shifting… Heti is experimenting with literary form even as she wrestles with the form her adult life should take -- Stephanie Merritt * Guardian *
ISBN: 9780099592846
Dimensions: 197mm x 128mm x 19mm
Weight: 212g
304 pages