In the book “Woman Eating” by Clair Kohda we follow 23 year old Lydia, a Malaysian-English vampire who moved out of a home, shared with her mother, to London where she is to be an intern at a gallery, known as the “Otter”.
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I originally thought “Woman Eating” would be a cliché book: a teenage vampire facing fantastical adversaries in her life that she would overcome. How wrong I was…
Lydia does face adversaries, but not of the mythical nor fantastical kind. Though she was a vampire Lydia faced normal and, in some cases, unfortunately common adversaries such as: hunger, loss, new friendships, homesickness, collapse of beliefs and estranged relationships.
Much like her English father, Lydia was an artist, and throughout the book we are introduced to the artists around her, who express themselves through various mediums: clocks, sculptures and performance art.
Through the artists Lydia meets we are shown the different stages of an artist's career. We are introduced to the progression of how, initially, artists create to express themselves, to express a need but later, down the line, the creations lose their meaning to their creator. They become a means to an end, an order to fulfil. Objects only to be hung up on a wall, never to be seen again until the possessor's passing. It was eye opening and disheartening, to say the least.
As I learned more about Lydia and her life, I couldn’t help but feel heartbroken. The “guidance” she received under her mother’s care had affected her relationship with her “food” and her perception of her vampiric half. Using food influencer videos she sates her curiosity about human food, as well as to comfort herself. As the story progresses Lydia feels a greater need to escape from her bleak reality and distracts herself ever more frequently in this way.
After losing her internal struggle, trying to deny the vampiric part of her, and letting go of the harmful mindset her mother had imposed on her, Lydia finds herself and becomes ever more powerful.
I feel it was a fitting ending. We do not know what happened after Lydia moved out of the biscuit factory. Much like in our own lives, Lydia does not know what tomorrow holds. Armed only with a small bag of belongings, and with a stolen Baba Yaga inspired puppet in tow, this ending leaves room for ambiguity and the many questions that remain unanswered.
“ I think art comes to mean something different to people when it becomes something they can possess ” - Lydia
Woman Eating made me ponder. It made me ponder deeply.
Despite being a vampire, I found myself relating to Lydia through her experiences, through those around her and in the situations she found herself in.
I found the way Kohda stitches together a wide range of topics and scenarios relevant to growing up and coming of age. Fascinating. Every so often I had to take a break to process the concepts she touches upon and the morality questions Lydia is faced with.
I believe that ‘Woman Eating’ is not a book to be summarised with a few words. It is an experience. One should go through and interpret for oneself.
If I have convinced you, read “Woman Eating by Clair Kohda” for yourself... go to your local Waterstones, or your online marketplace, and purchase a copy for yourself. Better yet support your local library and borrow one!
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Content Warnings: This book touches on themes of SA, Eating Disorders, self harm, Gore, Depictions of grief and loss.
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