Customer Reviews

Kinflicks: 20th Anniversary Edition

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Alther's literary creation is 'feminist' in the most salutory sense of the word, but it doesn't contain the mandatory man-bashing that became so common a few years later. Instead, Alther invokes an avalance of wit and sharp observation that will provoke a healthy nostalgia in the over-40s, a realistic warts-and-all view of that decade in the under-40s, and a pretty darn good look at that pivotal time for young adult readers who pick up the book. (Perhaps you know an older teen who's 'into' the 1960s?) The plot takes our (at least partly autobiographical) heroine from little 'Hullsport' (read: Kingsport) Tennessee Up North to a good college, and gets her into the Sixties just at the point they get hot, hot, hot. Of the many virtues of this novel, two stand out to me: (1) Alther narrates the story in a moderate point-of-view, avoiding the twin perils of getting too immersed in the subject or too distant and 'snooty'; and (2) related to this, her lead character's voice (which reflects her personality) is good, clear and steady, no whining here. Not to mention the fact that the book is witty as all get-out.

As you probably know by now, this kind of witty and zestful Baby Boomer's coming-of-age story is a glut on the literary market but in my opinion "Kinflicks" is *far* above the norm in quality. You probably already have your own favorite coming-of-age-in-the-Sixties novels; try "Kinflicks" and add another to your list.

PS: Oh, Mr. Publisher!! Have you noticed that eight of us or so have gone to the trouble to review "Kinflicks," even though it's difficult to find through normal distribution channels? How about a reprint? I don't think you'd regret doing so.

charless@ync.net

Like many women of her generation (the 50s and 60s), Ginny Babcock is searching for her identity in an age when much is expected of women, but few opportunities and little direction is available. Being a wife and a mother is no longer the expected (and supposedly fulfilling) goal of all women of Ginny's generation, but what to choose instead . . .? Ginny tries a little bit of everything as she seeks for a role that thoroughly expresses her as a woman. Most of Ginny's experiments seem silly from the outside and end up as dissatisfactions and dead-ends, but often that's the only way we find our way through life. Counterposed with this is the lingering death of Ginny's mother and the struggle of the two women to bridge generational gap of two different generations and find some common ground. Ginny longs for some wisdom about life from her mother, but eventually sees that the only lesson available comes from simply living your life. I found this novel completely absorbing and sat up most of a night reading it. The relationship of Ginny and her mother touched a chord and has stayed with me.

Ginny Babcock is the ultimate slacker, years before it became fashionable, or worse yet a media term to wrap a journalistic flag around. This book follows Ginny's misadventures, recorded with wry accuracy by the protagonist. A woman who is very intelligent but unable to make a niche for herself. What makes it so poignant to watch as she careens around from role to role is the hard fact that her mother dies slowly and is unable to provide Ginny with any profound relevations as the turbelence in her life grows to epic proportions. With the conclusion, one gets a strong sense that Ginny eventually straightens herself out.

A friend gave me this book as a gift. I felt obliged to read it as he was so enamoured of it. I kept putting it off until one time when I was lying sick on the couch for a week and had nothing else to read. At first I thought it was just too weird for my liking - all that obsession with death. But the book grew on me and I was glad I persevered to the point where the story immersed me instead of bewildering me. My friend says he doesn't read novels anymore because he can't find one that matches the heart in this book. I can't say I fell in love quite that deeply with KINFLICKS, but it certainly takes your brain out of some mental ruts. Alther does not use the conventional Hollywood formulas of story structure; she writes in the tempo of her era.

Few books have captured the traumas, random absurdities, and tender moments in a life like Kinflicks. In Lisa Alther's hands, you get to witness Ginny Babcock grow from a little girl into a middle-aged woman, and you experience the death of her mother at an early age. Some may find it unusual that, as a male, I've read this book repeatedly over the years. It's has something for everyone.

Kinflicks is one of the few novels I reread regularly, because it always seems fresh and insightful and humorous. Lisa Alther, sadly, for all her gifts, has never been able to quite match this stellar achievement of her very first novel--an expertly woven narrative of past and present, of trauma and lessons learned and cycles yet to unravel. I'm also mystified as to why this book has never been made into a movie, since it contains numerous cinematic moments, compelling characters, and a gripping narrative. Critics in the other Amazon reviews don't seem to "get it"; both the humor and the lessons of the novel appear to be lost on them. My advice to everyone is to go find this book, used or in the library or wherever, and enjoy one of the finest novels of the last thirty years.

And I don't care what the rest of you think, I think this is one terrific book by one terrific writer. Well written and the characters were so well-fleshed, they were real. Real enough for that great escape! I'm glad they re-released it as my previously published dog-eared copy had about had it. Pure entertainment. If only I could write like this...

Ms. Alther does a fabulous job of showing how a young woman, confused about her purpose in life, remolds herself completely to the principles and goals and even the appearance of whomever she finds admirable at any point in her life.

Searching for something or someone to show her own value, Ginny doesn't give lip service to the persona she adopts. She gives that persona her whole heart. In each instance, the fallacy of trying to be something she isn't is revealed - sometimes tragically.

On occasion hysterically funny, Kinflicks provides a movie of the growing pains that can also cause sorrow.

The writing is tremendous. I found Ginny to be both courageous and weak. I found her to be very like myself.

Excellent novel.

DL

"Kinflicks" is a large book that I ended up loathing. It tells the story of Ginny Babcock, a native Tennesseean who ends up going to New England to escape her overbearing parents. She comes back to Tenessee when her mother is dying from an inability to clot. Meanwhile, we see overdone, lurid flashbacks to Ginny's sex life, where she's both spineless and a hypocrite. The "relationship" that I hated the worst was the overt lesbain relationship because of the lengths of hypocrisy that the two woman had(live off the land, and try to convert the lcoals, but then suck at farming and antagonize the locals that DO live off the land, and the psychotic dynamic that they had. Ginny winds having a child with a Vermont farmer, and then..has a stupid affair and abandons her child. I sense this is supposed to be feminist and empowering to women, but blech. This is nothing but overwrited, oversexed drivel about a selfish woman who has to leach on to other people to have her own life.

Ms. Alther's books vary a lot. Some I have read and truly liked, others I've read and felt the exact opposite.

Kinflicks, unfortunately, was one of the latter.

At 503 pages the book is grossly overwritten. Few authors have that much interesting to say.

The main character, Ginny Babcock careens through one brainwashing relationship after another, only to arrive close to where she started. She still knows nothing and has no idea where she is going, or even what she wants.

The only persons she somewhat connects with and has semi-successful relationships with are the two women with whom she becomes involved. One relationship overtly lesbian, one not.

This book, however, will be a vast disappointment for anyone wanting to read about a positive lesbian relationship. Its not allowed to happen. Not that any heterosexual postive relationships happen either.

Her neglect of her child to the point of endangering her daughter's life was the last straw for me. After that, any feelings of liking the character were totally gone.

Only read this if you are locked in a room for several months and this is the only book available to you.