Welcome to your July read, Girlbeast by Cecilie Lind, translated by Hazel Evans.
When I read that this was a retelling of Lolita – albeit from a girl’s perspective – I approached this book with trepidation. I wasn’t ready to love it as much as I did.
At a sentence level, the prose is precise, beautiful, and sharp. Tiny but delectable paragraphs might trip you over, mirroring the disorienting experience of growing up – I hesitate to say ‘coming of age’ in this context, as it begs the question ‘of age for what’.
The protagonist is a young girl discovering her relationship with sex, desire, and her body. She discovers the contradictions in what’s expected of her by boys and men. She finds that she is both powerful and not.
It’s a story so many of us have lived, and one that stands out in a sea of similar narratives and perspectives. It’s a voice that deserves a platform, and a story handled with care.
Cat and Tim