"Then Inna told Bilhah to take Rachel's place so she could catch the baby; perhaps the birth blood would rouse Rachel's womb to fill again, too. And so Rachel washed in the river of life."
-- The Red Tent by Anita Diamant.
Ack! It's passages like this -- and there are lots of them -- that make me squirm like a pre-pubescent girl in junior high health class. Apparently I am not mature enough or enough in touch with my womanhood to enjoy this book.
I find that if I skim over all the parts about childbirth and menstruation, the story is very interesting. But a lot of the book is about childbirth and menstruation. It's hard to avoid. That's what the whole "Red Tent" thing is all about -- where the women go to breed and bleed.
And I thought the Old Testiment itself was gruesome.
Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.
Interesting teaser - but I think I will pass on the book. I must be squeamish too.
ReplyDeleteHere is my Tuesday Teaser for Hard Magic.
i look forward to a full review :)
ReplyDeletemy interest has been piqued!
Kathy -- Lots of people love this book, so don't go just by my reaction. Thanks for the link!
ReplyDeleteErisian -- Maybe I'll come to like the book when the women get older and stop birthing so many babies and celebrating their "moon blood." :)
You know, a lot of people love The Red Tent, but I just couldn't warm up to it.
ReplyDeleteagoodstoppingpoint -- I'm going in fits and starts. Parts are really very inciting, but then parts just make me roll my eyes.
ReplyDeleteYour reaction is funny!
ReplyDeleteYou've convinced me to get this.
Mine
I didn't realise that the topic of the book was more menstruation and childbirth. I was looking forward to reading it, but I think I might be a bit too squirmish for it.
ReplyDeleteNot one of my favorites!
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed that I finished this one. It's pretty primitive and visceral--not up my alley. But I couldn't put it down. And I even cried at the end. I still have really mixed feelings about it.
ReplyDeleteI read this with a book club and could just not force myself to like what I ended up referring to as "The Big Book of Biblical Bleeding and Birthing". Lots of folks love this one, but not me.
ReplyDeleteDoes it refer to the characters' naughty bits as "his sex" and "her sex"? I HATE IT SO MUCH when books do that.
ReplyDeleteI liked The Red Tent when I read years ago, but you definitely have to be in the right mood. It does have a very exotic, other world feel to it.
ReplyDeleteBrooke -- I'm glad I didn't scare you away!
ReplyDeleteVivienne -- If you can do the reading version of covering your ears and saying "la, la, la, I can't hear you" when you get to the bloody bits, the rest of it is very good.
Bybee -- I'm glad to hear I am not alone.
Shelley -- I'm like you. I can't stop reading it and am enthralled by parts of it, but I definitely have mixed feelings.
Emma -- Thanks for visiting and leaving a link!
SuziQ -- Oh my gosh! I barked with laughter when I read your line. I'll be stealing that for book club!
Jenny -- You got that one right! "His sex," "his little sex" for babies, etc. Occasionally, "his member." Good grief!
Jane -- I am practicing my frame of mind so that I can enjoy the non-bloody parts.
If you ask me, too much blood in any context is never a good thing.
ReplyDeleteInteresting teaser! Definitely caught my attention ;) Not too sure if I'll delve into the book yet...
ReplyDelete