POOR COW

Skinny book. Not as gripping a story as I'd hoped it would be. It should have been read in 2 days but I'm dragging it out as its not that interesting. I bought it on a favourite Canadian author's suggestion. Next time I'll use my own judgement!

This was the story of a young and lonely new mother whose husband went to prison. She and her baby were cared for by a man, she lived with her Auntie and had to take work in a photography studio.

In my opinion "Poor Cow" would be Nell Dunn's best work. As I said in another review, whereas her Up The Junction is overshadowed somewhat by an excellent movie, in this case quite the reverse is true.Poor Cow is about a young woman's life when her man is sent to prison. It amounts to a really engaging book.

Meraviglioso. Acquistato per un esame di letteratura inglese. Lingua abbastanza difficile per chi non ha dimistichezza con l’inglese. Lo consiglio alle femministe!

Vivid depiction of the life limitations of impoverished and frequently dependent women in 60s London who resort to prostitution when necessary, and sometimes when not. The main character Joy desperately seeks love and safety while managing to somehow create it in doses for her young son. Joy’s mother love for her joy is pure and deep even while her dreamy dreams carry her forward and back. Narration in dialect and slang with words spelled phonetically and shifts in first and third person contribute to this slice of life portrayal of the “poor cows” and their rough lives.