A feminist classic from 1950s Uruguay, The Naked Woman was met with scandal and outrage due to its erotic content, cynicism, and stylistic ingenuity. The novel follows Rebeca Linke's ardent, ultimately tragic, attempt to free herself from a hostile society.
A wild, brutal paean to freedom. It's a challenging book, one that took nearly 70 years to make its way into English ... like a written Dalí painting ... Somers' feminism is profound, and complicated. Though she does not shy away from brutality, the assaults she writes are not gratuitous. The Naked Woman is a novel about liberation, with a protagonist committed wholly to freedom ... Not all of the novel is this challenging. Somers' language is freewheeling and fantastical, and so are her scenes ... Somers didn't want to be considered a member of the Generación del 45, and it's not hard to see why: No one on Earth could keep up with her.
This slim novel packs a major wallop ... Highly surreal and somewhat reminiscent of Djuna Barnes or Clarice Lispector...an important work of twentieth century feminism whose central meaning clearly resonates today.
... an energetic and enthralling story ... Kit Maude’s translation conveys the novel’s sense of urgency, often evoked through the careful rhythm of short sentences which nevertheless do not miss a single detail from the sensuous descriptions ... Somers’ writing goes even further [than Bombal's work] in exploring the quest for female subjectivity and highlighting the complexity of the reality of freedom of desire and choice for both men and women in a repressive society with strict cultural norms and expectations.
