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Motherhood

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Motherhood

By: Sheila Heti
Narrated by: Sheila Heti
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About this listen

Motherhood treats one of the most consequential decisions of early adulthood - whether or not to have children - with the intelligence, wit and originality that have won Sheila Heti international acclaim.

Having reached an age when most of her peers are asking themselves when they will become mothers, Heti’s narrator considers, with the same urgency, the question of whether she will do so at all. Over the course of several years, under the influence of her partner, her body, her family, mysticism and chance, Heti's narrator struggles to make a wise and meaningful choice.

In the semi-diaristic mode of a woman in conversation with herself, Motherhood raises radical and essential questions, including whether this pivotal decision can even be considered ‘a decision’ at all.

©2018 Sheila Heti (P)2018 Macmillan Audio Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Women's Fiction

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All stars
Most relevant  
Considering the internal monologue she she has with herself for the entirety of the book I found the ending to be quite unexpected. This is a love letter to her (no spoilers here)

I loved it

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I enjoyed listening to this book, it was so interesting to hear the views on Motherhood and women's life. The voice reading the book was very pleasant and expressive making it very enjoyable experience.

I loved it

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what a wonderful book, filled with every question that woman of this era face. I'm at the age where I'm seen as prime child bearing age, but I'm still not sure if that's something I should act on or want. Every question and thought she had I have also had. It was very comforting to know that there is another person on the same journey of asking whether they want to enter motherhood, and it's not just a question of when.

Raw honest and relatable

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although I can relate to the subject and I did feel like certain parts of the book were profound/well written/interesting, overall I just didn't particularly enjoy the experience of reading this book

I did enjoy some passages but overall it wasn't for me

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Self-involved, fretful, whining, and boring as hell. I was very much looking forward to this book but have thrown in the towel. Apologies to all who have enjoyed it, as many of my friends have.

Not Interesting, reads like a hipster novel.

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Pay attention to the reviews instead. There’s a discrepancy between the two. The readers are right.

Don’t be fooled by the publisher blurb and accolades

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I don't know what I was hoping for with this. I'd vaguely heard about it through book chats and motherhood is something I talk about a lot with friends - to do it - not to do it - etc - and I think I was hoping for something useful, engaging and balanced.
Instead, I found myself longing for it to end because it is a hugely boring winge winge winge. Perhaps it shouldn't have been read by the author. Not all authors are also voice actors (in fact, quite few) but I think even if I had read this I would have just come away with a slightly depressive vision of someone who hasn't got a lot to say.

What a winge

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This book reads like a guy from the 1940s wrote it. A cis white passing woman in a hetero relationship worrying she isn't a 'real enough woman' to have children, and going on and on about the value of women's lives being dependent on their children made my skin crawl. If anyone but her had written this, it would be seen as incredibly misogynistic. To me it still does feel that way. I really thought I would find comfort in this book as someone who is of the age to be thinking about having children and who is undecided, but I feel insulted by this absolute garbage. it feels incredibly backwards and navel gazing, self involved whining. So sad that this has received so much attention

Did not finish

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I rarely write bad reviews, but this book wound me up so much! I really could not finish it. I have heard that some of Sheila Heti's other work is very good, but I'm not sure she needed to share this endless, negative monologue with the world.

Could not finish

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