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A review by kairosdreaming
Feminisms: A Global History by Lucy Delap
4.0
*This book was received as an advanced reader's copy from NetGalley.
Feminist literature is one of those things I delve into ever so often; particularly if there's a book that catches my eye that I think might be informative/interesting and offer some new perspectives. This is one of those books; what really made me want to read it, was its focus on global feminism, versus the standard we see reflected in media much of the time.
Broken out into several chapters; Dreams, Ideas, Spaces, Objects, Looks, Feelings, Actions, and Songs, this book kind of runs the gamut on different aspects of feminism (aside from just the ideals) that various movements, cultures, and individuals have raised forth. It also set about to show how feminism frequently intersects with other movements (labor rights) and also dispel some myths about feminism (women are not violent in their pursuits). Lastly, it looks at everything globally; whereas a lot of feminism most are familiar with is generally of Western, white women, and very rarely shares the voices of other cultures.
Probably the most interesting person I learned about in this book was Tanaka Mitsu. She had a very eloquent way of putting things and all of the quotes attributed to her really cut deep. My curiosity was piqued enough I will probably be researching her later. That's not to say there weren't other interesting people outlined in this book though; it's well worth a read for figures you might not have heard of in feminism.
This book reads very much textbook like and I wouldn't suggest it as an intro to feminism. The jargon, concepts, and other views in the book may not be as approachable for someone not familiar with them, and make understanding of the content more difficult for someone starting out. But if you're familiar with the terminology frequently used, the concepts that feminism looks at, and are looking to expand, this book is a great resource.
Review by M. Reynard 2020
Feminist literature is one of those things I delve into ever so often; particularly if there's a book that catches my eye that I think might be informative/interesting and offer some new perspectives. This is one of those books; what really made me want to read it, was its focus on global feminism, versus the standard we see reflected in media much of the time.
Broken out into several chapters; Dreams, Ideas, Spaces, Objects, Looks, Feelings, Actions, and Songs, this book kind of runs the gamut on different aspects of feminism (aside from just the ideals) that various movements, cultures, and individuals have raised forth. It also set about to show how feminism frequently intersects with other movements (labor rights) and also dispel some myths about feminism (women are not violent in their pursuits). Lastly, it looks at everything globally; whereas a lot of feminism most are familiar with is generally of Western, white women, and very rarely shares the voices of other cultures.
Probably the most interesting person I learned about in this book was Tanaka Mitsu. She had a very eloquent way of putting things and all of the quotes attributed to her really cut deep. My curiosity was piqued enough I will probably be researching her later. That's not to say there weren't other interesting people outlined in this book though; it's well worth a read for figures you might not have heard of in feminism.
This book reads very much textbook like and I wouldn't suggest it as an intro to feminism. The jargon, concepts, and other views in the book may not be as approachable for someone not familiar with them, and make understanding of the content more difficult for someone starting out. But if you're familiar with the terminology frequently used, the concepts that feminism looks at, and are looking to expand, this book is a great resource.
Review by M. Reynard 2020