Video: Book Review: The Mothers by Brit Bennett
- Read my full review of Brit Bennett’s The Mothers here.
- Watch this and other booktube / youtube videos here.
Possible light spoilers
I’ve already given The Mothers a write-up, so here, I’ll just talk about the controversy.
THE CONTROVERRRRRSY!
It’s crazy how many strong feelings accompany this book. A bit mystifying, but when you throw in the subject of abortion, people get riled up.
The comment section alone of The Morning News” bracket judgment was incendiary and inspired a follow-up statement from the editors a few days later. To be fair, the write-up arguably deserved all the ire it got. Read it and be annoyed here.
Still, I can’t help but think of the days of Thelma and Louise. When that movie came out, it was a loud, violent fist against injustice. People were aggressive in expressing their opinions either for or against the movie.
The Mothers in comparison is a much quieter book. It isn’t courting controversy. It’s just a story of a girl struggling to find her way (in my humble opinion, of course). But the vitriol I see reminds me much of that which accompanied Thelma and Louise, a movie that practically begged, “ARGUE ABOUT MEEEEEEEE!”
A book that stirs great passions is an impressive feat indeed. It means the book touched people (or punched them) right in the brain guts. Metaphorically, of course.
And with a lot more eloquent verbiage than “brain guts.”
