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FICTION
The show must go on
By Annabel Gutterman
elizabeTh gilberT’s 2006 memoir structures City of Girls as Vivian’s re-
Eat, Pray, Love inspired countless sponse to a letter she receives at the
women to pursue their own journeys of age of 89. But the narration falters after
self- discovery even while drawing criti- Vivian’s big falling-out with the the-
NONFICTION cism for its insular brand of feminism. ater and the dissolution of her life in
In her new novel, City of Girls, Gilbert New York. As the novel speeds up, al-
Free her
sets her sights on a 20th century self- lowing years of Vivian’s life to flash by,
love story, an uneven yet the story telling can’t keep up
speech
decadently told tale about with the emotional weight it’s
In Wordslut, linguist and being a woman in a time ‘Sometimes meant to carry. By fleshing
reporter Amanda Montell when there was only one ac- it takes a very out the journey of Vivian’s
delves into the complex long while
relationships women have ceptable way to behave. life, Gilbert distracts from
It’s the summer of 1940, to figure the strength of the coming-
with words—both the ones
they can be criticized for using and Vivian Morris, 19, has things out.’ of-age story and the descrip-
too often (like, you know and been kicked out of college VIVIAN, in City of Girls tive power of her prose when
kind of) and the ones used to and is moving in with her she lingers on a moment.
diminish them (bitch, slut and Aunt Peg, who runs a shambly theater Still, she paints a compelling por-
whore). Men, Montell argues, in New York City. World War II is loom- trait of young Vivian’s plight and, in
have determined the meaning ing, but Vivian is focused on costumes, so doing, works with themes of free-
of our shared vocabulary for dancing and losing her virginity. She dom, responsibility and empower-
centuries. Now it’s time for becomes fast friends with a showgirl ment that feel both timeless and timely.
women to claim their verbal named Celia; their relationship, the In a moment when women’s desires
authority. most captivating in the book by far, are still being governed, this is a story
In sharp and energetic tests Vivian’s privilege (which Gilbert about a woman who recognizes—and
prose, Wordslut makes acknowledges by nodding to the char- embraces —hers.
readable deep dives into acter’s family wealth) and
vocabulary. Montell traces the naivete as Celia teaches her
roots of words now seen as
to explore her sexuality. The
offensive to their innocuous writing may be nostalgic—
origins (slut, for example, illuminated by Gilbert’s
was once synonymous with
glowing descriptions of city
untidy) and unpacks the
many valuable uses of filler sidewalks and glitzy fashion—
phrases. And she doesn’t stop yet Vivian and Celia’s con-
with words themselves—she versations predict the more
also examines their delivery. modern idea that pleasure
If a woman wants to nail a shouldn’t be shameful. But
job interview or debate, for as a new show opens at the
example, she’s often told to theater, Vivian becomes em-
avoid uptalk and vocal fry. But broiled in a sex scandal that
according to Montell, that’s just jeopardizes the entire produc-
a needless way to police her tion and ruptures her friend-
speech; in some languages, ship with Celia.
vocal fry helpfully changes the Gilbert, who has written
meaning of a word. three well-received previous
Learning more about works of fiction in addition
our words can improve our
to her best-selling nonfiction,
communication—and allow
women to express themselves
more freely. Montell
encourages readers to enter Gilbert’s new
a “less judgmental linguistic novel examines
future” by suggesting that a woman’s
there should be no standard for empowerment
how we speak. ÑA.G. over a lifetime
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