Buy Book "Field research on Ukrainian sex" in Ukrainian

This book is my first acquaintance with the author. To be honest, before reading this book, I knew nothing about the author or the book. And after reading the title, I expected to see a lot of sex in it, but it wasn’t. Of course, there is sex, but that’s not what the book is about. I will not try to retell the plot, because in my opinion it is impossible, you need to read it yourself. I will add that the book is not entirely easy to read. At some points, I put it down to reflect on what I had read. The book has only 114 pages, but there is really something to think about.

I read this book at a fairly young age, and I don’t regret it, but it would be better to postpone it until I was more mature.

If this is the first time you’ve heard of Oksana Zabuzhko, why? How is that possible? Well, it happens. Then start your acquaintance with her with this book. Even if, say, you are not a big fan of reading, this book will not scare you with its thickness))) It is very thin. It was my perfect girlfriend for Saturday night! Well, and a little wine) Humor and sarcasm were played with in “Salki. I was laughing and worried, and then laughing again and wondering how, how can you write about feminism like that? I was even sorry that the book ended so quickly. But there is still a lot more to read from Zabuzhko)))

The previous reviews probably say it all. However, their authors expressed their negative opinions about Zabuzhko’s work in a very veiled manner. But it’s clear that they read the book, mocking themselves and trying to get to the end, despite the fact that they didn’t like it. After all, they were told that this was a work of an important author for Ukrainian literature. But I do not treat O. Zabuzhko as a cult figure. So I can write what I think.

I did not like the book at all. A sentence about a page long – what do you think? A disorderly jumble of thoughts, a kind of stream of consciousness, is for whom? To catch the author’s thought, one must not just strain one’s brain – that would be normal. You have to wade through the thicket of very specific and strange thinking. You can only understand it if you are on the same wavelength as the author. But that wave is definitely not mine.

I couldn’t read it to the end, because it was a pity to waste my time, which could be spent with greater benefit. I could not understand the author’s thoughts or the plot in this set of words. Of course, I also failed to enjoy the Ukrainian language.

So, I think this thing is very overrated and absolutely uninteresting. I cannot recommend it for reading.

It was the first time I got acquainted with Oksana Zabuzhko’s work, and it was hard. Especially the first forty pages were perceived as a set of words that were NOT interesting to read, and then it got more lively. Although I love intellectual literature, as well as wading through it. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any reading pleasure from this book, but I will continue to read it, because no matter what, she writes and does a lot for Ukraine. I appreciate it.

The book is filled with allusions and important topics: identity, feminism, relationships with parents, and language. The heroine doesn’t choose one side or the other in manifesting her feelings and actions towards her, but reflects on them and lives them. I learned a lot from this book. I reinforced what I had read with an interview with the writer.

I bought this book because I like listening to Ms. Zabuzhko on television. But in the program “Countdown” dedicated to the Holodomor, I did not understand her behavior and discussion with Vitalii Portnykov. So I thought that I would like to know what kind of person she is. And I decided to get to know her through her most famous book.

In general, this book is really important in the history of modern Ukrainian literature. No wonder it was included in the list of the Top 30 books of independence. Because in 1994, no one had ever reflected so loudly on the Soviet mentality, Gogol’s affiliation, the lack of understanding of Ukraine as a country on the world map, not a black spot, the impossibility of building a cultural future here, and so on. In other words, in 1994 the author touched upon the topics that we are still discussing today. And this is a remarkable achievement.

As for the writing itself, it is very complex. I’m not a fan of literature where the author tries to supply all the words from Grinchenko’s dictionary. I like it when it is written in simple and understandable language. Because then it is natural, alive. I also didn’t like the selection of some English words in the Ukrainian way. I don’t see the point in it. But this is the author’s style, this is the author’s vision, so it is not for me to tell her what and how to write.

Further, as for the characterization of this opus, it is a novel. I have read a lot of novels in my life, and somehow I have developed a more or less clear understanding of what a novel is. There are at least several characters and several storylines. And in Field Studies, there are no more than two characters, and the storyline is quite straightforward. It’s more of an essay than a novel.

To summarize, the book is worth reading, at least for the sake of it, because it is a significant work that is studied in literary studies courses. But I did not enjoy reading it. Most likely because I read it in 2022, where the topics touched upon by the author were not surprising.

Anyway, I respect her a lot as a cultural figure and wish her new achievements.

P.S.: I concluded from the book that the author is a very controversial person. This probably explains her dispute with Portnikov.