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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
wish i could give half stars!! 3.5 i think. enjoyable and a very quick read - only lasted five of the seven hours of my shift - but nothing really groundbreaking for anyone who is familiar with any feminist reading. probably wasted on women…men should read this.
informative
inspiring
Thoughtful feminist essays on topics as varied as "mansplaining," rape culture, the IMF, women's bodies, marriage equality, and Virginia Woolf.
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
As a woman, so many parts of this book resonated with me. The essay that moved me the most, was the one related to violence against women.
Some quotes I liked from the book:
"Being women, we were politely out of earshot before we started laughing, and we've never really stopped."
"I've learned that a certain amount of self-doubt is a good tool for correcting, understanding, listening, and progressing- though too much is paralyzing and total self-confidence produces arrogant idiots"
"Men explain things to me, still. And no man has ever apologized for explaining, wrongly, things that I know and they don't."
"Most women fight wars on two fronts, one for whatever the putative topic is and one simply for the right to speak, to have ideas, to be acknowledged to be in possession of facts and truths, to have value, to be a human being."
"Marriage equality is a threat: to inequality. It's a boon to everyone who values and benefits from equality. It's for all of us."
"Those who are threatened by marriage equality are, many things suggest, as threatened by the idea of equality between heterosexual couples as same-sex couples."
"Feminism is an endeavor to change something very old, widespread, and deeply rooted in many, perhaps most, cultures around the world, innumerable institutions, and most households on Earth- and in our minds, where it all begins and ends. That so much change has been made in four or five decades is amazing; that everything is not permanently, definitively, irrevocably changed is not a sign of failure. A woman goes walking down a thousand-mile road. Twenty minutes after she steps forth, they proclaim that she still has nine hundred ninety-nine miles to go and will never get anywhere."
Some quotes I liked from the book:
"Being women, we were politely out of earshot before we started laughing, and we've never really stopped."
"I've learned that a certain amount of self-doubt is a good tool for correcting, understanding, listening, and progressing- though too much is paralyzing and total self-confidence produces arrogant idiots"
"Men explain things to me, still. And no man has ever apologized for explaining, wrongly, things that I know and they don't."
"Most women fight wars on two fronts, one for whatever the putative topic is and one simply for the right to speak, to have ideas, to be acknowledged to be in possession of facts and truths, to have value, to be a human being."
"Marriage equality is a threat: to inequality. It's a boon to everyone who values and benefits from equality. It's for all of us."
"Those who are threatened by marriage equality are, many things suggest, as threatened by the idea of equality between heterosexual couples as same-sex couples."
"Feminism is an endeavor to change something very old, widespread, and deeply rooted in many, perhaps most, cultures around the world, innumerable institutions, and most households on Earth- and in our minds, where it all begins and ends. That so much change has been made in four or five decades is amazing; that everything is not permanently, definitively, irrevocably changed is not a sign of failure. A woman goes walking down a thousand-mile road. Twenty minutes after she steps forth, they proclaim that she still has nine hundred ninety-nine miles to go and will never get anywhere."
Cw: sexism, discussion of domestic abuse, sexual abuse, sexual assault and threat, briefly discussed homophobia and transphobia
One sentence summary: random essays on feminist topics
Writing: 2/5
Accessibility: lay person
Anecdotes vs data: predominantly stories
Applications: unclear effect on life
Favourite quote: “For women, confinement is always waiting to envelope you.”
Comments (spoilers!): Unfortunately, she never really goes into much depth on the essay title - she briefly shared a time where someone mansplained something that she had written a book about but we never really delve into the history or consequences of Men Explaining Things. Then we get a collection of disjointed essays that are Intro to Feminism at best, with nothing added to the discussions already had by other feminist writers. There is not only a lack of intersectionality, but what feels like a dismissal of it - everything is viewed through the very narrow lens of sexism existing independently and above other forms of discrimination. Some essays feel like she’s just paraphrasing (not even critically appraising) Virginia Woolf and never quite makes a point that hadn’t been made in the essay title / first para. (Though I love VW!)
Disclaimer: this is my opinion.
One sentence summary: random essays on feminist topics
Writing: 2/5
Accessibility: lay person
Anecdotes vs data: predominantly stories
Applications: unclear effect on life
Favourite quote: “For women, confinement is always waiting to envelope you.”
Comments (spoilers!): Unfortunately, she never really goes into much depth on the essay title - she briefly shared a time where someone mansplained something that she had written a book about but we never really delve into the history or consequences of Men Explaining Things. Then we get a collection of disjointed essays that are Intro to Feminism at best, with nothing added to the discussions already had by other feminist writers. There is not only a lack of intersectionality, but what feels like a dismissal of it - everything is viewed through the very narrow lens of sexism existing independently and above other forms of discrimination. Some essays feel like she’s just paraphrasing (not even critically appraising) Virginia Woolf and never quite makes a point that hadn’t been made in the essay title / first para. (Though I love VW!)
Disclaimer: this is my opinion.
medium-paced
slow-paced
Deeply uninteresting, unconnected, unresearched
A shame to the themes it tries to touch on
A shame to the themes it tries to touch on
A well intentioned and well written collection of essays. Misses the point in places in terms of truly understanding intersectional feminism and some of the pieces are more rant that polemic. Overall, a worthwhile read.
informative
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced