Book Review: Wetlands by Charlotte Roche

 

 

Shock-Unbelief-Horror-Appalled-Curious-Captivated-Enthralled-Uncomfortable-Engrossed-GrossedOut-Thoughtful-Uneased-Impressed

This is the general order of emotions that I went through while reading the new book, “Wetlands” by Charlotte Roche, published by HarperCollins Canada Ltd.  This fictional novel (although it is rumored to be loosely autobiographical) follows a young woman (Helene, 18 years old) through her stay at a hospital because of a self inflicted anal wound.  We are taken into her mind and her nymphomaniac-type personality.  Helene’s take on hygiene and sex are extreme, and most people will be taken aback by the utter honesty of her thoughts and actions.  There is no censorship and the reader will be continually shocked at what he/she is reading and feel somewhat like they have found a dirty novel nicely camouflaged in a bight pink feel-good cover.  However, at the base of all these actions lies a basic truth to the human character…we’ve all been in positions that we would never want to be recorded for public viewing.  This book is a testament to the sexual constraints that have been put onto the younger generation and the sexual repression that makes some people feel abnormal in their wants and desires.  Although you will squirm and sometimes yell out in astonishment when reading this book, you will be reluctant to put it down.  Charlotte Roche has accomplished an amazing feat by getting inside the mind of this young woman and being unabashfull in publishing this extremely racy novel.  

Check out the reactions of these people

The book has been translated from German to English.  The german version has sold in the millions (highly rare unless your last name is Rowling) and HarperCollins is hopeful that it will see the same results in Canada.  However, will the Canadian populace be too reserved to appreciate the book as literature, or will they classify it as smut?

What do you think?  Have you read the book? Do you think it is literature or smut?