Carmen DogEmshwiller stretches a conceit past the breaking point in this uneven allegory. Women are degenerating into various animals, and female animals are acquiring human characteristics. The men are puzzled, but don't much mind; animals, they realize, are ideal companions ("Relationships and responsibilities were less confining. After all, they merely involved dumb animals who were not worth consideration, politeness, time, effort, gifts"). Her fantastic premise allows Emshwiller canny and frequently hilarious insights into the damaging sex-role stereotypes both men and women perpetuate (a dog's visit to a psychologist is a highlight). But she juggles too many genres here--the plot turns on mad scientists, academic conspiracies, formula romances--without sustaining the reader's interest in the central story of human/animal metamorphoses. Eventually the social critique is swallowed by increasingly silly scenarios. --Publishers Weekly. |
From inside the book
Results 1-3 of 35
Page 21
... voice . Her voice alone ! She could feel it . She would try that now . It might help them all . She begins rather tentatively with " Elle a fui , la tourterelle ! " gaining confidence with every note , for the others become silent ...
... voice . Her voice alone ! She could feel it . She would try that now . It might help them all . She begins rather tentatively with " Elle a fui , la tourterelle ! " gaining confidence with every note , for the others become silent ...
Page 54
... voice , though , 107's was . Powerful . A bit strange . Music . Used to like it . Beethoven . What they say about menstrual and estrous might be useful . Somewhat . Try to find their most vulnerable times of the month or year as the ...
... voice , though , 107's was . Powerful . A bit strange . Music . Used to like it . Beethoven . What they say about menstrual and estrous might be useful . Somewhat . Try to find their most vulnerable times of the month or year as the ...
Page 144
... voice , and only a little higher than a normal human voice could go . The " Bell Song " from Lakmé , and here comes a group of opera singers on a float pulled by two huge Clydesdale mares . Each mare wears a wide - brimmed blue floppy ...
... voice , and only a little higher than a normal human voice could go . The " Bell Song " from Lakmé , and here comes a group of opera singers on a float pulled by two huge Clydesdale mares . Each mare wears a wide - brimmed blue floppy ...
Contents
Contents | 1 |
and Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated | 23 |
Chapter IV | 30 |
Copyright | |
6 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Academy of Motherhood already animal anyway arms baby baby's basement Basenji begins better bite cage Carmen CAROL EMSHWILLER certainly CHAPTER Chloe comes course creatures Cucumber dare doctor door dressed ears eyes feathers feels females Friedrich Nietzsche haiku hand hard head hopes howls human Isabel kazoo keep kibbles kind Lincoln Center look Marcus Aurelius master mistress mother mouth neck never nice night obbligato Olaf Stapledon opera orangutan Perhaps Phillip poem police policemen Pooch knows Pooch thinks Pooch wonders pound psychologist psychotherapist realizes Richard Brinsley Sheridan Robert Graves Rosemary brown Rosemary mask says seems shouts side sing sleep smell smile smock snapping turtle someone soon sort sounds spite stop street sure teeth tell there's things thought trying turns Valdoviccini voice wearing whisper wolverine words York City Opera young