The Hungry Woman: A Mexican Medea Heart of the Earth: A Popul Vuh Story by Cherríe L. Moraga

The Hungry Woman: A Mexican Medea Heart of the Earth: A Popul Vuh Story Reviews

• 
  Camryn

  Read for class, but I really loved how queer this was, especially the family structure; there was a mom and a dad and then another mother like figure, Luna, who was probably the best parent there. I loved that everyone seemed to be gay, and even if they weren't "gay" they were still queer in some way. The death kinda is a bummer lol.
  
  
• 
  Fran

  ''But the road I must walk is sadder still.''
  
  2.5
  I must admit this play was tough to read because I wasn't quite sure where the plot was heading, like, all the time. It was a mix of greek and mesoamerican mythology intertwined with other folk stories such as La Llorona, but the lack of knowing these stories in advance added to how they were all put in the play was really confusing. Nonetheless, the language used and the queerness within was something fascinating to read.
• 
  ML Character

  It freaks me out when things that sound like longtime classics turn out to have been written when I was already in college- practically *graduating* from college, but so it is. I have been slow to love Greek tragedies and slower still to love adaptations, but this one is pretty great- the Mexica overlay fits so well and the fact that there is then ALSO a dystopian near-future sci-fi angle- well, that's a lot. And Heart of the Earth is great too. I really need to see the puppets.
• 
  Tallon Kennedy

  This is such an incredibly moving and thought-provoking retelling of the original Medea myth, rife with Aztec culture/myth and steeped in the trials of motherhood and a queer identity politics. 8/10
  
  "There's nothing more personal than the love between a mother and child. You wouldn't know. You are childless, a dull mule who can't reproduce. I will always be more woman than you."
• 
  Kaitlin

  This was very interesting. Kind of hard to wrap your head around, and I don't think plays have ever really been my kind of thing. But I am glad I read it, it definitely invoked some emotion in me.
• 
  Miami University Libraries

  King Library (2nd floor) | PS3563.O753 H86 2001
• 
  Ava

  (Note that I only read The Hungry Woman)
  
  I enjoyed the play, I enjoy Chicano adaptations of Greek tragedy in general (Law Chavez’s Señora de la Pinta comes to mind) but this one was a bit too speculative for me. Some parts were outstanding and some were just confusing. Would probably be more like 4 stars if I could watch a production.
• 
  Heather Montes Ireland

  Moraga is quite masterful here, as she imagines what movements for social justice look like when they reify the marginalization of women. She constructs a bleak future dystopia where a woman must choose between her nation and her humanity. Utilizing mythology from Western and pre-Hispanic tradition, this is a cautionary tale, a warning to head feminist calls for intersectionality in our pursuits of justice.
• 
  Jonathan

  This book is an infusion of all things that I love and am coming to love. It tells the story of minorities, it tells the story of women, it tells the story of the LGBT community. It has mythology. It has adaptation of those myths. The language of this play is poetic, heartbreaking, and as the title implies, full of longing and hunger. I highly recommend this for reading and to see if you are fortunate enough to have a company performing it in your area.
• 
  Ashley

  Very interesting read. I never would have read it if it were not for my Contemporary Latinas Literature class. We had the extreme honor of having Moraga come to speak in our class before she gave a presentation to Oregon State. With little to no back ground in Latina or Queer studies I believe this was a great introduction which united struggle with emotion.
• 
  Rebecca

  4.5!
• 
  Laurel

  Very strange this play. Very very odd. I have read Euripides Madea, so seeing the translation of characters and plot was interesting. But I mostly just found it very strange.
• 
  Derek Sands

  Review only for The Hungry Woman
  
  One of the craziest plays I've read. Incredibly gripping. Combining queer identity and motherhood, the Greek myth of Medea, Aztec mythology and rituals, La Llorona folk horror, and Blade Runner post apocalypse, and a whole bunch of other things. Something for everyone!
• 
  Macy Connor

  I don't like plays. Had to read for a class and it sucked lol.
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  Christine

  Teaching this play in conjunction with Medea (Theatre History 1)
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  Charlotte

  Read this for my theatre perspectives class. It was interesting, and I liked the symbolism, but the story felt fractured, which even though I believe was the point is something I didn’t like.
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  Irma Mayorga

  Read again this year, as the year before.