Wednesday, May 30, 2018

The Power

By Naomi Alderman

It's a world turned upside down when women suddenly develop the power of the electric eel: the power of the electric shock. Now gangs of electrified women roam the streets, looking for wayward males to torture and even murder. A new religion is born, with a new leader, Mother Eve. The scriptures are rewritten, with the women elevated and the Holy Father now the Holy Mother. And the men are running scared, plotting in back rooms and with deposed tyrants to take back their ancient reign over womankind. But the women are not going to bow down again, even if they have to bring the whole world crashing down.

Sounds like an exciting premise, but overall it was a pretty dull read. It heats up toward the end but mostly it just drags along, repeating over and over that, once the women have the power, they become just like their overbearing and cruel former masters, the men.
The author is probably right about how the women become abusers just like their former abusers, since enormous power does corrupt all except the most centered and strong-willed. And that the men would not take their new status lightly. But somehow, the story just never grabbed me.

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