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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
Well researched, thought provoking, amusing and nuanced. Lewis does an excellent job reading the audiobook as well.
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Review copy from NetGalley.
I wish I'd researched the author before picking this one up. I'd never heard of her before. The book was rubbing me the wrong way and there was some transphobic content in here so I checked. I suppose I'm not really her target demographic.
I found the book to be quite scattered and unfocused, despite the framing device of '11 fights'. Some of the content is interesting e.g. the anatomy stuff in an earlier chapter. However, I have come across most of the content before in a better presented context. Not one I'd recommend.
I wish I'd researched the author before picking this one up. I'd never heard of her before. The book was rubbing me the wrong way and there was some transphobic content in here so I checked. I suppose I'm not really her target demographic.
I found the book to be quite scattered and unfocused, despite the framing device of '11 fights'. Some of the content is interesting e.g. the anatomy stuff in an earlier chapter. However, I have come across most of the content before in a better presented context. Not one I'd recommend.
informative
medium-paced
The information in this book is great, the stories included are rarely told, but there are some serious historical inaccuracies and false claims in the book, and ultimately the author's choice to rely on their voice to tell these stories gets really, really annoying quite quickly (I get it, the author is middle class).
There's also a couple of points in this book (I think the author doesn't like young people, and her language around gender) that I think will put a lot of younger readers off, which is a shame.
To sum up: the content is really interesting, the stories are fascinating - but I just wish the author relied less on telling us about her own life (I don't care how interested she is in sofas or dinner parties), as she ends up making herself look awful in comparison to the women who achieved some incredible things against the odds.
There's also a couple of points in this book (I think the author doesn't like young people, and her language around gender) that I think will put a lot of younger readers off, which is a shame.
To sum up: the content is really interesting, the stories are fascinating - but I just wish the author relied less on telling us about her own life (I don't care how interested she is in sofas or dinner parties), as she ends up making herself look awful in comparison to the women who achieved some incredible things against the odds.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
I received this as an ARC on NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review
Actual rate: 2.75
Good:
- Complex, nuanced discussion of concepts
- Chatty, fun narration which kept me listening
- I found out about people I'd never heard of, and reinvigorated my interest into feminism
Bad:
- un-nuanced and biased discussion of trans rights, which only was brought up to use as a strawman against certain views.
- sometimes the blaze narration could undermine important stories or concepts
- Although it was mentioned several times, there was little discussion of the intersectionality with LGBT rights
This was an in depth and nuanced view of feminism in history, with people who felt true and whole, not flat martyrs. It gave us true and hard hitting stories with context and detail, which kept me listening right to the end. The storylines were mostly followed through, and not too tangent-y or distracted as can sometimes happen with a history book. However, I was upset by the only mentions of trans people being as a strawman about abortion rights (never heard anyone say that men should always be included in abortion campaigns?) and as calling people TERFs of twitter, in inflammatory and derogatory ways (which the author seemed to disapprove of, even if it is true). You can, in fact, be trans and accept that there is a traditionally 'female' body, and most people I've seen denying that are straw manning for their own arguments, or blank trolling twitters. Surely there was a mention to be made of trans female activists, or trans misogyny?
This lack of consideration was what made my rating so low, in a book i otherwise enjoyed immensely.
CWs: force feeding, death, illness, divorce, abuse (child and domestic), rape, NSFW discussion, misogyny, transphobia, others.
I would recommend this book to feminists, and to be honest, to anyone who wants to learn more about the world. (ignoring the transphobic parts)
Overall: 3/5
Actual rate: 2.75
Good:
- Complex, nuanced discussion of concepts
- Chatty, fun narration which kept me listening
- I found out about people I'd never heard of, and reinvigorated my interest into feminism
Bad:
- un-nuanced and biased discussion of trans rights, which only was brought up to use as a strawman against certain views.
- sometimes the blaze narration could undermine important stories or concepts
- Although it was mentioned several times, there was little discussion of the intersectionality with LGBT rights
This was an in depth and nuanced view of feminism in history, with people who felt true and whole, not flat martyrs. It gave us true and hard hitting stories with context and detail, which kept me listening right to the end. The storylines were mostly followed through, and not too tangent-y or distracted as can sometimes happen with a history book. However, I was upset by the only mentions of trans people being as a strawman about abortion rights (never heard anyone say that men should always be included in abortion campaigns?) and as calling people TERFs of twitter, in inflammatory and derogatory ways (which the author seemed to disapprove of, even if it is true). You can, in fact, be trans and accept that there is a traditionally 'female' body, and most people I've seen denying that are straw manning for their own arguments, or blank trolling twitters. Surely there was a mention to be made of trans female activists, or trans misogyny?
This lack of consideration was what made my rating so low, in a book i otherwise enjoyed immensely.
CWs: force feeding, death, illness, divorce, abuse (child and domestic), rape, NSFW discussion, misogyny, transphobia, others.
I would recommend this book to feminists, and to be honest, to anyone who wants to learn more about the world. (ignoring the transphobic parts)
Overall: 3/5
Closer to a 4.5/5
I like the point of view of this book as you have different fights, some are obvious and some less but as much important than the other.
It shows that in the past, women who fought for their rights weren't as fragile and without opinion things that the society (and history, which tends to forget or change them) want them to be.
Moreover, the word "difficult" doesn't have the negative meaning that it usually has as it designates empowered women who fought for what they think was best and allow us to have rights.
I discover a lot in this book especially a lot of difficult women, and I want to learn more about them, it's a good thing that there is the title of their biographies in the book.
I like the point of view of this book as you have different fights, some are obvious and some less but as much important than the other.
It shows that in the past, women who fought for their rights weren't as fragile and without opinion things that the society (and history, which tends to forget or change them) want them to be.
Moreover, the word "difficult" doesn't have the negative meaning that it usually has as it designates empowered women who fought for what they think was best and allow us to have rights.
I discover a lot in this book especially a lot of difficult women, and I want to learn more about them, it's a good thing that there is the title of their biographies in the book.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced