Five stars for compelling writing and a good story that moves quickly while giving readers plenty to consider about resistance and revolution, love and living. Life changes in an instant for Vida, and although such an abrupt turn was always a possibility she understood and was committed to, its consequences are serious and become a controlling force in her life. The characters are fully developed and interesting, and the nurturing relationship that develops and persists between Vida and her sister was one of my favorite layers of the book.The romantic elements of the story held my interest a bit less than they might have ordinarily, perhaps owing to most of the characters' unwillingness to care for their partners as much as they cared about politics or the power they held within their inner circle. There was a staunch sentiment of non-commitment, which is perhaps a reflection of the times. It does not make the characters unlikable, but it wasn't a beneficial addition to the high-risk activist lifestyles that the characters had chosen. Perhaps there is a lesson in there - not about monogamy or marriage but about the pitfalls of human emotions in the pursuit of political change via radical means. Piercy does a wonderful job of creating vivid settings for her action and moving seamlessly into her character's innermost thoughts and back out again without lingering too long. The political history and ideas of the book that required explanation and were key parts of the book's context were woven into the action well enough to avoid becoming long-winded or bland. The decades during which some of the action take place were crucial times in the peace movement and emergence of feminism and equal rights. I am interested in reading about that era; however, readers who are more knowledgeable about the political landscape of those times may find that the story stalls a bit in places where these details are inserted.Not to be discounted are the suspense and continued dedication of the activists to their cause. These are the engines of the story. It's usually not difficult to convince me to root for political underdogs, and this book is no exception. The struggle is inspiring, the stakes are high, the acts daring. I liked that the protagonist was female.I was fully immersed in this story, and I found myself wishing and hoping for an ending that the book does not —- and perhaps could not -— deliver. The ending Piercy writes is in many ways more satisfying, though, because it more accurately portrays the reality for activists like Vida and present-day fringe activists whose activities are considered "terrorism." The choices are few for those forced underground and dogged by the arbiters of a system that, to remain profitable and safeguard the inequality on which it rests, must pound down any nails that rise from the boards of the status quo. The ending then, albeit accurate, was discomforting.Are radical actions effective? What is the likelihood of political revolution? Can we turn the tables on the corrupt economic system and injustices that threaten people and planet?
I found this book in a second-hand bookshop and read it over four or five days, most of the time unsure as to why I kept reading it. But that is probably why I have given it four stars - whatever I felt about the character and her story it did absorb me and I had to finish the book. Possibly my biggest problem was ... actually I'm not sure. I was going to say that I disliked the character but perhaps I just couldn't relate to the seriousness of her politics and priorities.Also I have to blame the typeface in my book (published by The Women's Press), it was tiny and bleak - I'd even go as far as to describe it as cold and it definitely got between me and story. Vida felt distant to me even though she appears on every single page. It was not a relaxing read in that you were carried along, at ferocious pace, with Vida and her constant need to watch her back, her desperation regarding the lack of money, trustworthy contacts, shelter ... and her rather impressive history of lovers and, well, shagging. Now I was born in 1969 so perhaps that explains why I found the politics and the sacrifice of everything for any number of causes to be quaint. For a political novel - if that's what it is - I lost count of how many times I had to read how gorgeous and thin Vida was ... although, quite frankly, there's no way she could be fat after all that sex.How anyone could be expected to believe in the relationship that instantly develops between her and the whining, sulky, annoying Joel is beyond me but perhaps he's the child she never wanted? In any case Piercy uses his qualities for her ending. But it did hinder my respect or belief in Vida when she tells him, over and over again, that she loves him. Then again nobody was presented in too positive a light, not one of her army of males lovers seemed remotely decent. Right, I've said more than I thought I would. I had to finish it and it did suck me into her anxious-ridden life on the run ... it just felt dated to me but still deserved the four stars. I think.
What do You think about Vida (1985)?
I read this book in spurts over the past 6 or 8 months and really liked it a lot. Marge Piercy is an incredibly talented writer. In this book she demonstrates this by blending a deep knowledge of anti-war organizing in the late 1960s/early 1970s. The parallels to organizing today are incredible. On many pages I thought you could simply remove names from decades ago with names from today's context and the story would read very similarly.In a nutshell, this book is about a woman named Vida who protested against the Vietnam war and progressively radicalized as she did so. She became a leading organizer and eventually part of a group that resorted to some violence and went underground as a result (modeled on the Weather Underground, presumably). The story focuses on Vida's personal experiences, and her attempts to relate to family and loved ones all the way through. A number of other characters become regulars throughout the book as well, including Cointelpro operatives, etc. The ending was a surprise to me - not what I had envisioned.I liked this book a good deal and recommend it to others--particularly if you have experience in anti-war organizing or are familiar with or interested in radical politics.
—Elaine
Vida, is a gritty,realistic and claustrophobic book about Vida, an anti war/anti capitalist activist turned fugitive. You learn in the course of the book about the actions that have led to her being a fugitive and the heavy price that she pays. You meet The Network, a group activists,whose personalities and politics have resulted in the decline of what they all once stood for. Replaced by in fighting and personal disagreements this book tracks how they formed and it's eventual decline. It's a good book, but the relentless pressure Vida is under to avoid detection, yet still remain politically active is exhausting both for her and the reader too.
—Pip
Maybe it's because I didn't choose the life of a radical revolutionary that I often find myself fascinated by narratives with such figures--particularly women who not only think "fuck the man" but make bombs. Which is not to say that I have or ever wanted to make bombs. If you allow yourself to go deep enough into Piercy's narrative about Vida, you can certainly become just as paranoid as Vida about who may be listening to or watching you. In fact, Vida's family, friends and lovers must remember NOT to call her Vida. They can call her Peregrine, Vinny, or one of her other code names, Vida, needless to say, is on the run: forced to go underground after one of the original members of "the Network," an anti-war Leninist-Marxist group of radicals that Vida becomes apart of in the 60s, turns out to be a police informer. But this novel isn't just about Vida's activities as a revolutionary, it's also a convoluted love story as Vida encounters old and new lovers. Indeed how do such things as intimacy and sex contribute to the revolution? Such a question emphasizes the way in which the body, one's material presence, intersects with politics, the economy, the government, the military . . . The narrative alternates between the past (late 1960s) and present (early 1980s), ending on an abrupt and fairly negative note about the effectiveness and sustainability of radical, revolutionary endeavors (which actually worked for me instead of befuddling or disappointing me--maybe because I am the cynical academic type that the book occasionally pokes fun at). I appreciate Piercy's ability to construct complex and convincing characters as well as her meticulous attention to historical and social detail. Yet, I probably wouldn't recommend this fairly long book to anyone who wasn't particularly interested in the political and feminist landscape of the US in the 1960s or who, like me, can't get enough of reading about women on the run from the law and who blow shit up. As a side note, I think this book could be interestingly and rewardingly compared to Doris Lessing's The Good Terrorist (about a British Leninist-Marxist female radical in the 1980s).
—Gina
