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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
2021: a beautiful series of essays from a feminist whose views I overall agree with, but are perhaps slightly more outdated that I expected going in.
Let me explain: Solnit lives just over the line of distrusting men from where I am. I have had many formative and loving relationships with the men in my life, and I have been fortunate enough to not have experienced physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. Do I think that abuse and misogyny doesn't exist in our society today? Absolutely not. But do I immediately think that all men are evil? Also no.
Everything Solnit says is completely warranted though, don't get me wrong. Plus, I don't have any woman in my life who was stabbed 15 times because she tried to leave her ex-boyfriend. If I did, I would probably trust men a little less too. One of the most poignant takeaways is Solnit's discussion of the transition from the disparagement of women and misogyny in general from isolated incidents into an epidemic, recognized in public conversation as such.
Overall, I took this book as a reminder not to forget that things (as recent as 30 years ago) were not always as I have experienced them. Hell, not even five years ago, we lived in a pre-#MeToo era. "For what seemed to me the first time, these stories were presented as emblematic of an epidemic rather than, as such crimes almost always had been before, as isolated anomalous incidents that didn't raise questions about how common such violence is and how it affects women in general."
This was a lovely time to read this book - I'm newly arrived to California (somewhat close to the Bay Area) and this is such a love letter to San Francisco that I want to move there tomorrow. I did think that this would be much more of a memoir than it is - I would consider it (again) a series of essays published by Solnit and less a start-to-finish journey of her life. However, I did completely relate to the student mentioned in the quote below, way more than to Solnit: "Many years later a student who'd just moved to the Bay Area from New York relayed her distress to me at no longer being in the center of things, with the implication that centers are what matters. I went home and thought about the value of margins." I miss being in EST!
I did discover one of my new favorite quotes in this book: "You furnish your mind with readings in somewhat the way you furnish a house with books, or rather the physical books enter your memory and become part of the equipment of your imagination." and an Honorable Mention for: "I wanted to live by books and in books and for books."
An early line of Solnit's says, "But I can wish that the young women who come after me might skip some of the old obstacles" and I can say, born 30 years after Solnit, that I have.
Let me explain: Solnit lives just over the line of distrusting men from where I am. I have had many formative and loving relationships with the men in my life, and I have been fortunate enough to not have experienced physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. Do I think that abuse and misogyny doesn't exist in our society today? Absolutely not. But do I immediately think that all men are evil? Also no.
Everything Solnit says is completely warranted though, don't get me wrong. Plus, I don't have any woman in my life who was stabbed 15 times because she tried to leave her ex-boyfriend. If I did, I would probably trust men a little less too. One of the most poignant takeaways is Solnit's discussion of the transition from the disparagement of women and misogyny in general from isolated incidents into an epidemic, recognized in public conversation as such.
Overall, I took this book as a reminder not to forget that things (as recent as 30 years ago) were not always as I have experienced them. Hell, not even five years ago, we lived in a pre-#MeToo era. "For what seemed to me the first time, these stories were presented as emblematic of an epidemic rather than, as such crimes almost always had been before, as isolated anomalous incidents that didn't raise questions about how common such violence is and how it affects women in general."
This was a lovely time to read this book - I'm newly arrived to California (somewhat close to the Bay Area) and this is such a love letter to San Francisco that I want to move there tomorrow. I did think that this would be much more of a memoir than it is - I would consider it (again) a series of essays published by Solnit and less a start-to-finish journey of her life. However, I did completely relate to the student mentioned in the quote below, way more than to Solnit: "Many years later a student who'd just moved to the Bay Area from New York relayed her distress to me at no longer being in the center of things, with the implication that centers are what matters. I went home and thought about the value of margins." I miss being in EST!
I did discover one of my new favorite quotes in this book: "You furnish your mind with readings in somewhat the way you furnish a house with books, or rather the physical books enter your memory and become part of the equipment of your imagination." and an Honorable Mention for: "I wanted to live by books and in books and for books."
An early line of Solnit's says, "But I can wish that the young women who come after me might skip some of the old obstacles" and I can say, born 30 years after Solnit, that I have.
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
This took me AGES to get through, but Solnit's writing is just so good that I kept going. She's one of those people who was just meant to be a writer. Now I want to go to dinner with her.
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
When I think of a memoir I think of ones personal journey. I think what Solnit was trying to do was blend her personal journey with a serious feminist agenda. I did find myself nodding my head to most of what she said and I appreciate her voice as an encourager and reinforcer of women’s voices and rights.
I personally enjoyed the first half of this book more than the second. I loved watching her evolve and take in the world around her through the years. I think I used 20 book darts on the first 100 pages. The chapter regarding our bodies specifically resonated with me. “It was no wonder we were supposed to be so slender as to shade into no existence.”
I unfortunately found myself skimming a bit towards the end. There was a bit of a disconnect after her younger years for me. I’m not sure I found this empowering but it definitely set off familiar feelings of being silenced or unheard.
3.5 stars
I personally enjoyed the first half of this book more than the second. I loved watching her evolve and take in the world around her through the years. I think I used 20 book darts on the first 100 pages. The chapter regarding our bodies specifically resonated with me. “It was no wonder we were supposed to be so slender as to shade into no existence.”
I unfortunately found myself skimming a bit towards the end. There was a bit of a disconnect after her younger years for me. I’m not sure I found this empowering but it definitely set off familiar feelings of being silenced or unheard.
3.5 stars
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Rebecca Solnit lived in the same rented studio apartment in San Francisco for 25 years and looks back through poetic and endlessly lovely writing. It’s less of a memoir of self, more a collection of memories on places, gender, discrimination, gentrification, artistic life.
Violence against women is a major theme. Solnit is open and names names, even iconic famous people, which I thought was particularly brave.
I first read the book, and a month later listened to it as an audiobook.
Violence against women is a major theme. Solnit is open and names names, even iconic famous people, which I thought was particularly brave.
I first read the book, and a month later listened to it as an audiobook.
I feel as though I’ve seen Rebecca Solnjt endlessly referenced in other books I’ve read over the last few years, so I’ve been wanting to engage with her work directly and, through luck of the library queue, ended up starting here - a reflection of her life. I’m glad I did!