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fil's review
1.0
Ouch, this does not start well, ‘male bipeds’, really? Corbett does not like hawkers but in the next paragraph she praises women who earn their own livelihood, as if women hawkers did not exist, WTF?... so I just skipped the Prologue.
Just as much as other dystopia novels of the day, 'New Amazonia' is more exposition than actual story, not as much as '[b:The Iron Heel|7054202|The Iron Heel|Jack London|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328863116l/7054202._SY75_.jpg|951056]' but also not as well written either. This is as dumb as '[b:Ecotopia|550165|Ecotopia|Ernest Callenbach|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1420404504l/550165._SY75_.jpg|3209155]', '[b:Walden Two|2761957|Walden Two|B.F. Skinner|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1439511609l/2761957._SY75_.jpg|1164564]' and '[b:Woman on the Edge of Time|772888|Woman on the Edge of Time|Marge Piercy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1480498743l/772888._SY75_.jpg|838570]' (at least the last one is well written!); only rich people are allowed in government, and they have to be healthy, no diseases or deformities please; a sort of eugenics program is in effect too (wow!); if you are any kind of insane they kill you. The author follows 'Nevertheless, we are not disposed to be narrow-minded ourselves, by way of avenging past oppression.' with 'Our Tribunes, Privy Councillors, Prime Advisers, and Leader are always women.'! The list goes on and on, consider this: they despise foreigners, you have to conform to their norms of beauty (which, by the way, seem to be from male-dominated ancient Greece), the government controls religious institutions, Corbett's assumption that women are better than men (sounds just as smart as the misogynistic fools of today, doesn't it?), all terrifying.
The prose is not great but is easily readable, the ideals, on the other hand, are terrible. Just take everything sexist now (or in those days), reverse it and call it feminism. That’s just sexism of a different kind. If you want to read a great feminist novel, try '[b:The Gate to Women's Country|567675|The Gate to Women's Country|Sheri S. Tepper|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347383208l/567675._SY75_.jpg|879718]' or, of course, '[b:The Handmaid's Tale|863571|The Handmaid's Tale|Margaret Atwood|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1178999165l/863571._SY75_.jpg|1119185]', you'll be happy you did.
Just as much as other dystopia novels of the day, 'New Amazonia' is more exposition than actual story, not as much as '[b:The Iron Heel|7054202|The Iron Heel|Jack London|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328863116l/7054202._SY75_.jpg|951056]' but also not as well written either. This is as dumb as '[b:Ecotopia|550165|Ecotopia|Ernest Callenbach|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1420404504l/550165._SY75_.jpg|3209155]', '[b:Walden Two|2761957|Walden Two|B.F. Skinner|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1439511609l/2761957._SY75_.jpg|1164564]' and '[b:Woman on the Edge of Time|772888|Woman on the Edge of Time|Marge Piercy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1480498743l/772888._SY75_.jpg|838570]' (at least the last one is well written!); only rich people are allowed in government, and they have to be healthy, no diseases or deformities please; a sort of eugenics program is in effect too (wow!); if you are any kind of insane they kill you. The author follows 'Nevertheless, we are not disposed to be narrow-minded ourselves, by way of avenging past oppression.' with 'Our Tribunes, Privy Councillors, Prime Advisers, and Leader are always women.'! The list goes on and on, consider this: they despise foreigners, you have to conform to their norms of beauty (which, by the way, seem to be from male-dominated ancient Greece), the government controls religious institutions, Corbett's assumption that women are better than men (sounds just as smart as the misogynistic fools of today, doesn't it?), all terrifying.
The prose is not great but is easily readable, the ideals, on the other hand, are terrible. Just take everything sexist now (or in those days), reverse it and call it feminism. That’s just sexism of a different kind. If you want to read a great feminist novel, try '[b:The Gate to Women's Country|567675|The Gate to Women's Country|Sheri S. Tepper|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347383208l/567675._SY75_.jpg|879718]' or, of course, '[b:The Handmaid's Tale|863571|The Handmaid's Tale|Margaret Atwood|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1178999165l/863571._SY75_.jpg|1119185]', you'll be happy you did.
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