Cultural boxes

[juliet]

I read 'Waiting to Exhale' by Terry Macmillan last week (picked up at the hostel in Brisbane). And noticed this review, from the Literary Review, in the front:

"Just as Amy Tan's stories from San Francisco's Chinatown speak of and to mothers and daughters everywhere, so Waiting To Exhale transcends its location to tell the story of disappointed women the world over."

What struck me about this was the subtext of the comparison of a story about African Americans to a story about Chinese Americans. Because, y'know, universality of experience is *surely* restricted only to stories about white people!

[sigh]

Comments

Eeqpblhu

[(Anonymous)]

b44xKZ

[ladyjulian.livejournal.com]

It's a valid comparison because both write about wimmin, meaning that it must be shared experience and it will appeal to women. All women. Everywhere.

Because regardless of background, history, culture or anything else, you can always find commonality in possession of a womb.

[shared sigh*]

*Maybe this is why it's called Waiting to Exhale.

PS Is it any good? Not read it...