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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
Começo já falando que considero as 800 páginas de O Segundo Sexo o livro mais importante do século XX. É óbvio que não li todos os livros do século XX, mas faço idéia do que foi revolucionário ou não e nada acompanhou mais o zeitgeist dos últimos 50 anos do que o livro da Simone de Beauvoir.
Enfim, se eu pudesse escolher um único livro para obrigatoriamente ser lido em escolas e faculdades, eu escolheria esse, a linguagem é fácil e o conteúdo é salutar na igualdade de gêneros.
Enfim, se eu pudesse escolher um único livro para obrigatoriamente ser lido em escolas e faculdades, eu escolheria esse, a linguagem é fácil e o conteúdo é salutar na igualdade de gêneros.
Not excited to continue picking this up right now
After what feels like a life time but was actually just a couple of months I have finally finished reading this. And let me just say what an up-and-down kind of journey that was.
So, Simone de Beauvoir. Most everyone around here has heard of Beauvoir and probably seen her quotes and ideas all over. Consequently, some of the ideas in this book weren't new to me. Some were actually quite interesting, some felt absolutely absurd. Gotta be honest. So, one chapter I would be shocked by how Beauvoir could have already written this some 70 years ago. And the next I would be wondering how that much could have changed in a mere 70 years. It's an interesting mix of sometimes dated, sometimes still very relevant and progressive, absurd, brilliant, thorough, tiring, offending, and peculiar ideas and analyses. It's a journey as you can see.
The Second Sex remains a monumentous work and is still worth reading when trying to get a more thorough understanding of the development of feminism and feminist theory. However, I would encourage skimming through parts of it if you feel like it, so as to not get too irritated or bored. And while I generally enjoyed Beauvoir's writing style, it's still a lot and I actually would have enjoyed this more and rated this higher if I'd stopped reading after a few select chapters. Also, I would definitely recommend reading this in combination with more recent and inclusive feminist texts but not to compare it too critically. In conclusion, even though my experience was a bit of a mixed one I do have to earnestly tip my hat to Beauvoir. Chapeau!
So, Simone de Beauvoir. Most everyone around here has heard of Beauvoir and probably seen her quotes and ideas all over. Consequently, some of the ideas in this book weren't new to me. Some were actually quite interesting, some felt absolutely absurd. Gotta be honest. So, one chapter I would be shocked by how Beauvoir could have already written this some 70 years ago. And the next I would be wondering how that much could have changed in a mere 70 years. It's an interesting mix of sometimes dated, sometimes still very relevant and progressive, absurd, brilliant, thorough, tiring, offending, and peculiar ideas and analyses. It's a journey as you can see.
The Second Sex remains a monumentous work and is still worth reading when trying to get a more thorough understanding of the development of feminism and feminist theory. However, I would encourage skimming through parts of it if you feel like it, so as to not get too irritated or bored. And while I generally enjoyed Beauvoir's writing style, it's still a lot and I actually would have enjoyed this more and rated this higher if I'd stopped reading after a few select chapters. Also, I would definitely recommend reading this in combination with more recent and inclusive feminist texts but not to compare it too critically. In conclusion, even though my experience was a bit of a mixed one I do have to earnestly tip my hat to Beauvoir. Chapeau!
informative
reflective
slow-paced
There was really a lot that was interesting, mostly in the historical and mythological parts. But a lot was just mirrors of the duality that patriarchy has created dressed as psychoanalysis. Plus it’s obviously really out of date and incorrect regarding gender and sexuality. It was at times really hard to get through the book as these gendered ideas were so prevalent in the majority of the book.
challenging
reflective
tense
slow-paced
I reread this book like one rereads the Bible. I open the section that feels most relevant at the moment and it feels like a conversation from which I always learn something new.
Apart from the section on literature which was almost incomprehensible, I loved this exploration of what it means to be a women and the experience of women historically. It also looks to how we can improve things for women going forwards, and gives everything an existentialist slant.
Simone De Beauvoir’s ‘The Second Sex’ is an important read that opened my mind up to new ideas. This book was truly ahead of its time and still holds up to this day. I think it allows us to open our minds and create new ideas that are outside of the binary. This was truly inspiring.
This book is what made me think of feminism on a deeper level, I was 14 and thought that liberal feminism (or choice feminism) was the only branch. Although I don't think its the most adequate to start on feminist theory, for me it was definitely a life changer. The ideas it proposes to me were so new and incredible. I have sincerely not been the same person since I read this book.
The problem I have with this book is that it strongly suggests that being female is instrinsically bad regardless of its social construction. That's all I want to say really, sorry.