Reviews

Living a Feminist Life by Sara Ahmed

karydiazc's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.0

barnesbookshelf's review against another edition

3.0

While Ahmed's concepts are incredibly interesting, her writing style is not my favorite. I felt like the language could be unnecessarily circular at times and incredibly academic. I appreciate how the concepts build on one another, but I also feel that this is a better book to read and discuss than to try and read on your own.

rebajoy's review against another edition

4.0

Lots of folks say this is too academic. I think it’s too poetic. It’s definitely a lot to chew and I benefited from skimming or skipping and later returning to certain passages. Ahmed plays with and, what I can best describe as, stretches language. Overall a very informative read and it resonates with my killjoy soul but some parts were a slog.

chandpears99's review against another edition

informative

3.0

This felt disappointing. The tone was for feminist but the content felt like it was geared towards nonfeminist/ emerging feminist. I felt like parts of it were pushy and overdone which left something to be desired. Still a good read though 

mld12's review against another edition

5.0

I've reflected on this book almost everyday since I read it. I've probably cited it in almost everything I've written as well. An absolutely stellar, eye-opening, and beautifully written work about feminism, the body, and maneuvering our world.

breadandmushrooms's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

travisclau's review against another edition

5.0

A necessary, timely read for all of us facing these troubled times together.

drjoannehill's review against another edition

5.0

(Did not read every page.) This is an important book. It is also exhausting, because almost every line is incredibly meaningful, so that if you were in the habit of highlighting important passages nearly the whole thing would be coloured in. It is useful and thoughtful and thought provoking. I will quote from it in my next paper. I skipped two chapters and skimmed another, because it was getting a bit full on. It is a book for academic feminists, it is not a general interest book (in my opinion). So, not an introduction to feminism, but ok if you want to think. I may return to read the rest another time. 4.5 stars rounded up.

vicgolding's review against another edition

3.0

I’m not yet used to her style of writing, which gradually became repetitive, monotone and tiresome, leading me to speed read the rest after a while. But since this could be due to the fact that I’m a nonacademic, my level of proficiency doesn’t seem to be enough to criticise this, so I can’t necessarily say it’s bad writing.

The least I can say however is that she’s tackling a very complex, abstract and mystified subject, which on one hand added to the strain, but on the other exposes how difficult it actually is to adapt personal experiences to theory and I do admire the work she puts into spelling out the whole process. It urges me to reflect on my own feminist becoming, my own experiences of inequality and how these can be applied to making arguments.

And I have to be honest... before I started reading, I first thought the book was going to be an actual instruction manual to living a feminist life! :P But the “Killjoy Survival Kit” and “Killjoy Manifesto” are saved for last and make up only a small fraction of the book.

So in some way I was set up for disappointment from the get-go, but I’m still grateful for the few nuggets and nudges I was able to pick up on the way.

grimfandaisy's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0