847. Written on the Body

Written on the Body
Jeanette Winterson
1992
Around 190 pages

Jeanette Winterson could have had one novel on this List, and that would have been enogugh. But the List likes to overexpose certain authors to keep their ranks tight. So she ended up getting four novels on this blog. And since this is her last entry, we are due a ranking. 

1. The Passion
2. Written on the Body
3. Oranges are Not the Only Fruit
4. Sexing the Cherry

Truthfully, the two of us never clicked, so I'm not attached to this order. Written on the Body is a story of an affair between a married woman with cancer and an unnamed narrator, whose gender is not disclosed. I don't like it when major plot points in romantic stories hinge on one character deciding what's "best" for the other person, and they withhold major information and rob the other one of any agency. It's not necessarily a sin of the story, it's just annoying.

But I do applaud Winterson for writing a story like this and not coming across as overly sentimental or sappy. Another okay, but not particularly memorable work. 

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

In 2012, Winterson succeeded Colm Tóibín as Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Manchester. 

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