After Sappho

By Selby Wynn Schwartz

In this novel, Schwartz brings us through history by exploring the lives of notable female authors, poets, actors and artists. I think it’s a really cool exploration of societal standards – as the title suggests, some of the main topics are feminism and lesbianism. I tried really hard to like this book but I think in some aspects it fell short? There are certainly excerpts of really good writing, and more than one sentence or phrase stuck with me after reading the book. The concept of short scenes pieced together is really interesting, but I think the execution made it a little confusing to keep up with, and I didn’t feel like I got to connect with any of the characters much. Nevertheless, the novel did a great job of giving some historical context, and hopefully I’ll appreciate it a bit more if I ever give it a second read!