Reviews with content warning for Rape - Herland

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Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

19 reviews

euphoria777's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous dark informative reflective medium-paced

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The points made with this book, especially as they reflect the treatment of women at the time of its writing, but also as it relates to today's gender inequalities, were very interesting and thought provoking. There are triggers in this book, half of which I could forgive because they aren't things the author supports/advocates for. They are flaws of the main characters' world views. However, I was unable to forgive the author's blatant racism and it is for that reason I rated it lower than I otherwise would have.

Content Warnings

kalitrap's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

its insane to me that a book written 100+ years ago still rings so true for so many aspects of our societies. yearning for a herland myself.
(also they were lesbians in herland change my mind)

Content Warnings

bazzie101's review against another edition

1.5

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Gross

Content Warnings

honeymonster's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous hopeful reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

This story of a utopian society containing only women is interesting, but frustrating. Mainly frustrating. The idea that a society of women would be entirely peaceful and industrious, focused almost entirely on motherhood and completely without sexual desire REALLY gets on my nerves. It shows you more the limitation of the author's life experience and thinking than anything else.

Also,

the narrator's insistence that marital rape is fine and even expected is just gross and makes him entirely unsympathetic

right at the end of the story.

Content Warnings

carpy's review against another edition

0.25

dark reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: N/A

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

I love that the all-female society is seen as inherently virtuous and better even though their whole culture is just based on eugenics. The 1910s were a strange time, weren’t they?

Content Warnings

joey_schafer's review against another edition

3.25

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

kitta's review against another edition

3.0

funny reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Herland was written in 1915! It’s feminist speculative fiction about a group of 3 men who discover a utopia of women who live completely free of men. They’ve survived 2000 years this way and the men who discover them can’t quite believe it. In fact, they can’t quite believe women can do anything without men. Pretty forward thinking for the time.

There were some parts of this novel I didn’t like, and I felt it dragged a little. Maybe that was the style of writing, but I think it would be better as a short story.

Overall an interesting read.

Content Warnings

yasminac's review against another edition

4.0

challenging reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

audbaum's review against another edition

2.5

funny slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

This book was an interesting thought experience, but if you are going to read this be sure to be ready for racism (with a bit of eugenics in there). There are also some misogynistic tropes in there. When viewed as a product of its time, it is pretty radical, but it does not read as well to the modern ear.

Content Warnings

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