I remember forever from when I was 14, I thought it was so romantic and so sophisticated…my experience reading it as a 44 (ekk) year old was so different! I can’t remember if being quite so risqué, I remember it was about sex, but I think a lot went over my head? I had no self confidence as a 14 year old and I know I assumed I would at 18 like Katherine, I definitely could have benefited from her role modelling in self assertion; I think maybe I was too young for it.
And now maybe too old.. as an adult I read it as a book about sex. I didn’t buy the love between Katherine and Michael; in lust absolutely but not love. I don’t want to judge a 1970s novel by 2022 standards, but there is definitely some grey area in terms of consent. I obviously 2000% applaud this novel for the exploration of a teenage girl enjoying sex and nothing detrimental happening, but maybe for me it doesn’t get the gold star
