Any Woman's Blues

Erica Jong's 1990 novel follows Leila Sand, a celebrated folk artist whose addictions — to alcohol, drugs, and emotionally destructive men — are consuming her. The meta-fictional frame, presenting Leila's manuscript as assembled after her death by a fictional editor, is an ambitious structural choice, and Jong's wit and honesty about the cost of a freely-lived creative life have their moments. Publishers Weekly recognized her signature 'superficially humorous yet deadly serious' approach. That said, Penny readers need a direct word: this book contains explicit sexual content throughout and graphic depictions of addiction and destructive behavior. It is not appropriate for younger readers or for audiences seeking faith-friendly content. Critics were also divided on the execution, with some finding it clumsy and pretentious. Readers who want Jong at her sharpest are better directed to Fear of Flying.