Siempre me asombro cuando termino un libro muy rápido.
Vamos por el comienzo, este libro me dejó con grandes sentimientos encontrados, para empezar quiero agradecer al Moicy que hizo llegar a mi las portadas de estos libros, para empezar no tiene nada que ver el contenido con la portada y solo puedo imaginar a la gente pajera comprando esto esperando encontrar altas escenas sexuales cuando esto no tiene ni una gota de tinta rosa intenso.

La crítica principal la quiero dar con una frase de Laura hacia Beth: "En esa vida que te espera hay un hombre, unos hijos y un título universitario". Eso me llevó directo a los inicios de mi adolescencia y a lo mucho que repetian esa frase en nuestros oídos porque claro, eso era lo politicamente correcto. Laura es todo lo que define mis temores, al comienzo sientes que das riendas suelta a la pasión y te dejas llevar con simples palabras lindas olvidando la realidad y lo malo que es el sentir amor por alguien de tu mismo sexo, el prejuicio, los valores y así un montón de cosas que el amor te hacen olvidar. No asimismo pasa con Beth, que es todo aquello que uno espera, pero que la perfección no puede ser encontrada en ninguna parte. Me sentí como Laura, me enamoré de Beth y de su encanto en particular, pero así como Laura sufrió a mares, Beth también me partió el corazón, supongo que siempre tendremos una Beth en nuestras vidas y claro, critico mucho el cliche de que la pareja de lesbianas no se puede quedar junta. Es cierto que actualmente el tema no da para pensar en fatalidades y aquí quiero aplaudir a Ann Bannon por atreverse a intentar caminar en un camino diferente, se fue en contra todas las fatalidades de sus colegas (que acaban con muertes o el suicidio de alguna chica) y realiza una fuerte crítica al sistema, en este caso habla mucho del odio al sistema universitario, a los prejuicios y los conflictos que se podian cargar si las veían juntas y sobre todo, el sistema en como Beth hace creer a Laura que todo va bien cuando no es así. Más que una crítica al sistema propiamente tal, Bannon hace una crítica a su propio sistema y aquí agradezco enormemente la introducción del libro y Ann diciendo que no podía dar otro rumbo al libro o no la iban a publicar, que no podía normalizar estas cosas y vamos, la publicaron porque ella les dio en el gusto de darles el final triste, pero sin antes recalcarlos en la cara que se podía ser feliz sin un hombre y de esto ya se hablaba hace casi 40 años atrás.

Soy un Bicho Raro es eso, el sentirte como Laura extraña frente al amor, a la atracción por otra chica, a los mismos prejuicios de ser hija de una familia disfuncional, sentirte un bicho raro por no salir a fiesta o no hablar con hombres, sentirte raro por hacer lo que las demás no hacen. Sentirte raro por ser tú mismo y no asumirlo. Gracias Ann Bannon por escribir esto, creo que tengo ese agradecimiento que sentían las mujeres de familias conservadores que sentía algo de libertad en sus textos.

Capaz leo el resto de los libros sin antes seguir mentalizada a lo que la editorial le pedía y lo enojada que me pondré cuando lea que nada puede resultar de la mejor manera, pero la perdono.
Gracias a mi polola que me consiguió el libro. ( )

My first foray into the world of lesbian pulp fiction is an interesting and unexpected experience. With expectations set aside for the sake of amusement alone, it's a surprise to find something insightful and satisfying in Odd Girl Out's pages. How the first words that often trail the phrase "pulp fiction" are "perverse" and "smut" make most people stay away from the genre. But the only perversity found in Odd Girl Out is the insistence of men almost without consent (a hand creeping up your thighs with no warning) and the consistent disregard of a character towards another's feelings. Set and published in the 1950s, this is a piece of lesbian history in its own right; lesbianism is believed to be a mental illness by some of the characters if not an ordinary fad most women should grow out of.

Odd Girl Out is the story of college freshie Laura Landon who is instantly enamoured by a senior in her sorority. What is initially and supposedly just a strong girl crush develops into an intense infatuation. But no affection is strengthened without being fed of its hunger. And so ensue the maddening push-and-pull of such forbidden and confusing feelings on both sides. Certainty can't blend with ambivalence; and when commitment is a game for one but a future for another, it obviously spells heartbreak. Yet no character here is completely vilified and there is more or less a reason, be it personal trauma or upbringing (this doesn’t necessarily excuse anyone but rather a chance for understanding their actions), for their motivations; for their selfishness and anger. And whilst the struggle with sexual orientation and first love against someone's experimentation is delineated in a grey area and not in black-and-whites—what a relief that is—it's quite an observation to read the descriptive sexual parts between men and women compared to the restrained and even enigmatic parts between two women. Perhaps this is a cautious reflection of the author's experience in itself who wrote this whilst she was still married, raising two children, and was questioning her own sexuality. She isn't called the "Queen of Lesbian Pulp Fiction" for nothing.

This novel is not written for pleasures of men nor for tragedies, it presents homosexuality in a positive light hence defying the common lesbian tropes and beliefs at the time. And what makes it an absolute outlier is its non-tragic ending (see also: Highsmith's classic The Price of Salt). Bannon's prose is straightforward and simple but she does a fine job of communicating her characters’ emotions if not for some dangling, sudden subplots and awkwardly worded phrases here and there. A necessary read for those interested with the history of lesbianism in literature. ( )

Lesbian classic first published in 1957 - the book that launched the lesbian pulp fiction genre

The plot line of this book was almost unbelievable, and terribly slow going. None of the characters are particularly happy, and none of them act at all in their own best interest. Makes for a frustrating read. There also isn't nearly enough lesbian action... a lot of time is wasted with Charlie/Beth and Bud/Emma. ( )

I love this book. Even though it was published before even my mother was born, this book impacted my life in a way that I can't put into words adequately. I was seventeen years old, queer and miserable and living in an extremely rural and insular area, and I felt that I was the only girl in the world who was attracted to other girls. This was pre-internet, of course. I knew that there were men who were attracted to men (my best friend was one of them), but I had never (knowingly) met a woman attracted to another woman.

I was on vacation in Maine, and I found a little used bookstore. I started looking through the titles, and for some reason "Odd Girl Out" caught my eye. And then...the cover. Oh man, the cover. It was the Naiad Press version, the one with two girls kissing in silhouette, and my heart literally felt as if it came to a stop. I had to buy this book. It took me almost a half hour to gather up the courage to take it up to the counter, and the entire time I was afraid that my family would come find me and I'd have to put the book down and leave it behind. I remember reading that book that night, in the dark, the pages illuminated by a flashlight. I was terrified of being caught, but I HAD to read this in one sitting. And I did.

And even though it's not a particularly happy ending, Laura resonated with me. I was Laura. There were other Lauras out there; I only had to find them. And a year later, I discovered the internet and chat rooms and my life was irrevocably changed for the better, but this book validated me. This book told me that I wasn't alone. I still have the Naiad Press version, tattered and creased and well-loved and -read, sitting beside the newer Cleis Press version. If I had to pick one book that impacted my life above all others, this is probably the one that I'd choose. ( )