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writerbeverly's review
4.0
Meticulously researched and footnoted, this somewhat ponderous tome (about 670 pages including the notes and index) does not make for a quick beach read. It's fascinating to learn how very many of the rights modern women take for granted come from the work of this brave and dedicated woman, who began the movement and started the clinics that eventually morphed into Planned Parenthood, both in the USA and internationally.
People - even doctors - didn't even TALK about the phrase (ssssh) BIRTH CONTROL a hundred years ago. Sanger changed that, brought an awareness of the need to offer women reproductive choices other than abstinence, too many babies, or illegal and risky abortions.
Sanger's reputation has been much besmirched in the last few decades by those who hate that women are making their own choices as to when - or whether to become mothers. As Chesler presents her, Sanger was far from perfect; she made enemies as well as friends and supporters. She was loath to give up the glory/credit for work that others joined in as well. (Sanger may have been one of the earliest pioneers of name branding.)
Redheaded, witty and attractive, she did not believe in monogamy (at least for herself) and engaged in countless affairs, including one with writer H.G. Wells, somehow managing it that none of her men became jealous of her other lovers or husbands; they were all happy, or at least content, having a tiny bit of her time and attention. Whether you believe this disgustingly immoral or not, it's still an amazing feat for anyone to pull off. She was not a good mother, neglecting her children for the cause of B.C.
But she was not a supporter of Nazism, race eugenics, or racism - those are all LIES propagated by those with an axe to grind. She wasn't even really in favor of abortion, though she grudgingly agreed that in some cases there was a medical necessity.
This book will inform you of all you ever wanted to learn about Margaret Sanger (and more), and if you have a question or wonder how or why the author interpreted something, it's all deeply footnoted. The ending feels a bit rushed; perhaps because the author was conscious of it already being a very long book, or perhaps because Sanger made less news and had fewer letters and interviews in her declining years following several heart attacks. Worth the read, for anyone interested in women's history.
People - even doctors - didn't even TALK about the phrase (ssssh) BIRTH CONTROL a hundred years ago. Sanger changed that, brought an awareness of the need to offer women reproductive choices other than abstinence, too many babies, or illegal and risky abortions.
Sanger's reputation has been much besmirched in the last few decades by those who hate that women are making their own choices as to when - or whether to become mothers. As Chesler presents her, Sanger was far from perfect; she made enemies as well as friends and supporters. She was loath to give up the glory/credit for work that others joined in as well. (Sanger may have been one of the earliest pioneers of name branding.)
Redheaded, witty and attractive, she did not believe in monogamy (at least for herself) and engaged in countless affairs, including one with writer H.G. Wells, somehow managing it that none of her men became jealous of her other lovers or husbands; they were all happy, or at least content, having a tiny bit of her time and attention. Whether you believe this disgustingly immoral or not, it's still an amazing feat for anyone to pull off. She was not a good mother, neglecting her children for the cause of B.C.
But she was not a supporter of Nazism, race eugenics, or racism - those are all LIES propagated by those with an axe to grind. She wasn't even really in favor of abortion, though she grudgingly agreed that in some cases there was a medical necessity.
This book will inform you of all you ever wanted to learn about Margaret Sanger (and more), and if you have a question or wonder how or why the author interpreted something, it's all deeply footnoted. The ending feels a bit rushed; perhaps because the author was conscious of it already being a very long book, or perhaps because Sanger made less news and had fewer letters and interviews in her declining years following several heart attacks. Worth the read, for anyone interested in women's history.
dreamofbookspines's review against another edition
1.0
Biographies can be great. This, however, is the sort that makes people think all biographies are boring. Chesler is fawning and verbose in her praise of Sanger. In the afterword, she admits that she is enamored of her subject. This is a problem: like academics, biographers should be able to be critical of their subjects.
The whole book could have been a third of its finished length. It was a drag to read. Also, it bears noting that Sanger herself is kind of a terrible person. I didn't realize this, to be honest. She was _mean_ and nasty if you pissed her off (and sometimes if you didn't). Sanger came off as one of the pettiest, most self-serving sort of person. I went into it knowing that Sanger had backed some eugenic ties, so I expected to not like her for that, but holy shit! She abandoned her kids with no apology, was emotionally abusive to her various husbands, and flip-flopped on issues when it suited her.
I think it's appropriate to say that Sanger damaged feminism and family planning in irreparable ways, though not more than she helped. But to be unapologetic about any of it? Uh uh, SO not interested in raising her up as a fantastic feminist icon.
tl;dr version: biographers should not be so enamored of their subjects, nor should biographies involve the life stories of everyone who ever touched the subject's life in any way. -_-
The whole book could have been a third of its finished length. It was a drag to read. Also, it bears noting that Sanger herself is kind of a terrible person. I didn't realize this, to be honest. She was _mean_ and nasty if you pissed her off (and sometimes if you didn't). Sanger came off as one of the pettiest, most self-serving sort of person. I went into it knowing that Sanger had backed some eugenic ties, so I expected to not like her for that, but holy shit! She abandoned her kids with no apology, was emotionally abusive to her various husbands, and flip-flopped on issues when it suited her.
I think it's appropriate to say that Sanger damaged feminism and family planning in irreparable ways, though not more than she helped. But to be unapologetic about any of it? Uh uh, SO not interested in raising her up as a fantastic feminist icon.
tl;dr version: biographers should not be so enamored of their subjects, nor should biographies involve the life stories of everyone who ever touched the subject's life in any way. -_-
evilyn's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
Great overall biography but very very long. It was extremely useful to my investigation into Sanger but not as informative on her relationship to eugenics
arcookson's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting woman who fought a good fight, but the book is rather dense and dry.
Agitate, educate, organize and legislate!
Agitate, educate, organize and legislate!