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aftaerglows's review against another edition
3.0
we have no template for what a powerful woman looks like, except that she looks rather like a man.
mary beard is a professor of classics at the university of cambridge, which is why she has experience with women being silenced: if you're familiar with the very first classics (both greek and latin), you'll know our society isn't much different at its very core than the greek society. homer is the father of greek literature - and of all literature - and in the iliad we get to know telemachus as he establishes his power silencing a woman, his mother. it's clear that the roots of sexism run very deep in our culture; this is perhaps the only interesting thing beard has to say in the first speech.
the book is, in fact, divided into two, and i found the second essay much more compelling; i thought the first one wasn't as polished as it maybe should have been. the second essay, on the other hand, discusses women in power and the things they have to do to get there - so basically, walk, talk, dress and act like a man. what it doesn't do is provide you with answers; but it is well-structured and interesting.
overall, though, it's not saying anything i hadn't heard before.
mary beard is a professor of classics at the university of cambridge, which is why she has experience with women being silenced: if you're familiar with the very first classics (both greek and latin), you'll know our society isn't much different at its very core than the greek society. homer is the father of greek literature - and of all literature - and in the iliad we get to know telemachus as he establishes his power silencing a woman, his mother. it's clear that the roots of sexism run very deep in our culture; this is perhaps the only interesting thing beard has to say in the first speech.
the book is, in fact, divided into two, and i found the second essay much more compelling; i thought the first one wasn't as polished as it maybe should have been. the second essay, on the other hand, discusses women in power and the things they have to do to get there - so basically, walk, talk, dress and act like a man. what it doesn't do is provide you with answers; but it is well-structured and interesting.
overall, though, it's not saying anything i hadn't heard before.
havanahanson's review
3.0
An interesting read, but I was expecting more. Most of the book was about how women are spoken over. I was hoping there would be more about the influential women who held positions of power, and how they are changing the narrative. I wanted to feel inspired when I read this, but mostly just got a history lesson.
micagalvn's review against another edition
4.0
Una lectura bastante interesante, me impresiona que gran parte del comportamiento misógino y violento con respecto a la perspectiva de género provenga de los griegos y de los romanos, y está bueno para poder tener presente todo lo que pasa en la vida cotidiana de las mujeres si uno no está del todo informado
motherofladybirds's review
3.0
As expected from Mary Beard, considered arguments. I wish this had been longer and points expanded upon, and perhaps some solutions suggested to the way we govern and the parliamentary and military models that power systems often employ, that serve to deter and exclude women.
mrs_bonaventure's review against another edition
4.0
Enlightening, and slightly depressing. Takes the present (late 2017) and puts it in the context of the long view, shall we say... the very long view. Over a few thousand years we are just starting to make some progress. Hmmm.
(Almost the most startling aspect was the illustration of the linkage between Trump enthusiast depictions of Hillary as the Gorgon, and Renaissance art of the same thing. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.)
I’d have liked to see this developed into a longer book. It’s only two lectures, really, which makes it digestible, but I wanted more.
(Almost the most startling aspect was the illustration of the linkage between Trump enthusiast depictions of Hillary as the Gorgon, and Renaissance art of the same thing. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.)
I’d have liked to see this developed into a longer book. It’s only two lectures, really, which makes it digestible, but I wanted more.