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jenmangler's review against another edition
4.0
This is such a thought-provoking book. I really appreciate Solnit's focus on the power of language throughout her essays. Feminism, she says, "is the struggle to name and define, to speak and be heard." Throughout her essays she emphasizes the power of naming (sexual harassment, rape culture) and speaking (being heard, being "acknowledged to be in possession of facts and truths"). I also appreciate how Solnit connects the dots to reveal patterns and connections where most people don't see them. I'm so glad I read this.
ladygodivas's review against another edition
2.0
I was expecting something else.
I just wish my favorite quotes from this book were from the author itself and not from the references/citations. I really wanted to like the way this was written but it was basically an info dump and it's kinda overwhelming not gonna lie.
The title is extremely misleading, with it only applicable to the first few pages of the book. After that, it was basically a list of events surrounding abuse and feminism (which is not a bad thing). I should have been more invested to the real life happenings stated in the book but...I just wasn't. I really wanted to like this but it felt so unorganized and incomplete.
I just wish my favorite quotes from this book were from the author itself and not from the references/citations. I really wanted to like the way this was written but it was basically an info dump and it's kinda overwhelming not gonna lie.
The title is extremely misleading, with it only applicable to the first few pages of the book. After that, it was basically a list of events surrounding abuse and feminism (which is not a bad thing). I should have been more invested to the real life happenings stated in the book but...I just wasn't. I really wanted to like this but it felt so unorganized and incomplete.
mdevlin923's review against another edition
3.0
Solnit's collection of short essays show the different facets of the violence and inequalities that women face. The examples she includes range from men confidently explaining topics they aren't experts in to the cruel sexual and physical violence men inflict on women...but she shows how these are all connected: each moment of violence is a way to silence women and exert control over them.
While ultimately hopeful, it is difficult to walk away from this book without feeling a sense of anger, fear, and dread. Because these are all essays that were written at different times, it did feel like there were some key points that were repeated; but overall I believe each essay had a unique slant.
While ultimately hopeful, it is difficult to walk away from this book without feeling a sense of anger, fear, and dread. Because these are all essays that were written at different times, it did feel like there were some key points that were repeated; but overall I believe each essay had a unique slant.
tregina's review against another edition
4.0
I've spent this weekend at a conference where I was outnumbered by men, regarding an organisation I'm involved with where I'm even more outnumbered by men, by a factor of about ten to one. And I was legitimately asked the question "Do we really need feminism?" Yes. Yes we do. So because of that, and because I had limited time while at the conference, this turned out to be my first read on my new scribd account.
I was already angry and this made me angrier, but in the good way. In the productive way. Where I'm reminded of the wider world in plain and evocative and resonant ways, about the things we face and the things I've already faced, and I feel empowered to go out and do something about it, in whatever way I can.
Maybe I'll start by ditching the worst offender in my current life when it comes to being a mansplaining douchebag.
I was already angry and this made me angrier, but in the good way. In the productive way. Where I'm reminded of the wider world in plain and evocative and resonant ways, about the things we face and the things I've already faced, and I feel empowered to go out and do something about it, in whatever way I can.
Maybe I'll start by ditching the worst offender in my current life when it comes to being a mansplaining douchebag.
camrynamelia's review against another edition
5.0
A feminist theory book that devastated me and gave me hope multiple times in only 150 pages - loved it
oxnard_montalvo's review against another edition
A collection of thoughtful essays on feminism and men's (lack of) accountability. Contains a series of paintings of women, faces obscured, doing a variety of tasks in heels. Meditative at times, angry, humorous. At times it almost feels dated; this was post Dominique Strauss-Kahn, pre-Trump so... occasionally, her optimism feels misplaced. Hardly Solnit's fault, but it made the more optimistic points bittersweet. With the roll-backs on abortion rights around the world, (Poland, the USA) the long road she mentions feels like more than 1,000 miles. We might not be taking steps backwards, but I'm not sure the road ever really ends.
Chapters on marriage equality and artistic influence, the grandmother spiders, were most interesting to me personally; for shining a light on how emphemeral influence is swept under the rug in favour of the Big Names.
Chapters on marriage equality and artistic influence, the grandmother spiders, were most interesting to me personally; for shining a light on how emphemeral influence is swept under the rug in favour of the Big Names.