The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson

The Argonauts

by Maggie Nelson

A genre-bending memoir that offers fierce and fresh reflections on motherhood, desire, identity and feminism. At the centre is a love-story, between Nelson and the artist Harry Dodge, who is undergoing gender reassignment, while Nelson undergoes the transformations of pregnancy. Personal, honest and wide-ranging, Nelson explores the challenges and complexities that make up a modern family.

Reviewed by lovelybookshelf on

3 of 5 stars

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Whoa, The Argonauts is philosophical and deep. I expected this to read more like a typical memoir, but Nelson actually dives heavily into feminism and gender theory. It took me a few pages to get into it, but once I got my bearings it was…interesting. It’s very short, but not exactly a quick read; it requires a lot of thought and attention. Many things struck a chord with me - there are sticky notes all throughout my copy. After I finished reading, I found myself turning the themes over and over in my mind. Powerful little book even though the writing style wasn't quite the right fit for me. 3 1/2 stars.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 26 April, 2015: Finished reading
  • 26 April, 2015: Reviewed