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Moving Forward Sideways Like A Crab (2014)

by Shani Mootoo(Favorite Author)

3.51 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0385676220 (ISBN13: 9780385676229)

languge

English

genre

Fiction

publisher

Doubleday Canada

review 1: I loved this novel! It's a nuanced, evocative account of family and acceptance, and how we seek to account for our parents' decisions. The main part of the book is told by Jonathan, a man who never quite got over his abandonment by Siddhani, one of his two mothers. He knows this abandonment has stunted him emotionally, yet searches for her--and for an explanation. When he finds her, she has become a man. He is shocked, and a little repelled, but pushes himself to understand. Siddhani--now Sidney--skirts around her/his reasons, both for leaving, and for his decision to change himself. Mootoo doesn't fall into the single explanation,i.e., that a person is trapped in the wrong body. Sid's reasons are complex, and include the alienation of the immigrant, and guilt for his fail... moreure to save a close childhood friend. But Jonathan must himself create meaning from Sydney's words and, in a sense, enter Sydney's voice and experience to do so, cobbling together an understanding from the things Sydney has said, as well as from letters and Jonathan's own experiences. I found that Mootoo's handling of the different voices worked very well, because Sydney's story is always mediated through Jonathan's understanding. Inevitably, the voices begin to merge. How can any of us ever really understand a parent's choices, given that we see them through the lens of our own experience and need? In the end, we must all make a conscious choice--as Jonathan did-- to see the truth under the facts, a truth that is nuanced and multi-layered. In the end, Jonathan's journey to acceptance heals him. The ending is emotional, but what stuck with me the most is Jonathan's struggle to rise above his own pettiness, which he does out of love for the parent he once lost. I also liked that it's not simply a story with a direct plotline, but is an interesting read for the way it's written and constructed. Intellectually stimulating AND very moving!
review 2: I love a good mystery as much as the next person. Not sure this was intended to be a mystery. The mystery at the beginning of the novel actually had me confused. Once things became clear the story was interesting. The POV change was very confusing as it wasn't clearly shown in a sectioned format. The author shares her knowledge of Trinidad and its traditions in great detail, which I liked. The relationships are unique but very current in today's society. less

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