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A review by versmonesprit
King Kong Theory by Virginie Despentes
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
It’s not often that a book leaves me unable to comment on it, yet here we are, and all I can muster is “this is mandatory reading material.”
I read this after suffering through far too many piss poor (and to be fair, completely utterly stupid and ass-licking) takes on ‘feminism’ in YA books (had to read them for work, not on my own will, I need to clarify that). King Kong Theory was a breath of fresh air! All my pent up frustration and distress eased away, soothed by Despentes’s voice. She does not pander to male sensitivity, she does not pander to the liberal drivel of “common grounds” or whatever is the new rebranding of making sure the oppressed keep themselves oppressed. No, Despentes does not let herself be softened into yet another malleable performative “feminist”. She is not a “feminist”, she is a feminist. And she does not care to compress herself into whatever dainty box society wants to fit her (among other women) into. She is more King Kong than Kate Moss, as per her own words, and she’s here to make sure everyone knows that that’s not a hurtful insult, but womanhood that breaks the boundaries set upon it to keep women within certain confines that make us digestible to men who want us “nice” and “feminine”. Oh no, you will not see performative femininity here. Despentes is herself, and her own self only. And she isn’t the kind of person who shies away from telling people to fuck off when they try to come at her with their bullshit.
King Kong Theory is thus liberating on more levels than one. Despentes’s voice is natural and convivial, equally hilarious and powerful. I laughed, I almost cried on public transport, and above all, I felt nourished . . . maybe because I felt seen, maybe because I was delighted to finally find someone who can see through ideological discourse. Despentes says fuck you to state-promoted motherhood, and explains how the glorification of it is literally fascist ideology; Despentes says fuck you to the hypocrisy of a society that uses prostitutes, but makes sure they are always unsafe; Despentes says fuck you to everyone who has ever taught women not to fight back. And to be sure, she makes it clear how patriarchy also oppresses men. She is not once wrong in anything she wrote. A-fucking-MEN.
After finishing off Drive Your Plow over the Bones of the Dead, I had no clue what I could read in fear of never again finding a book as enjoyable. They’re entirely different books, but King Kong Theory too was wonderfully enjoyable. Hats off to the translator too!
I have started collecting Despentes’s works. So far I have the Vernon Subutex trilogy, translated by the same translator (so I have no reservations about not reading the originals); I will be getting Baise-Moi and Jolies Choses; I have on my list (not sure if I’ll get to them this month or the next) Bye Bye Blondie and Teen Spirit, and of course, a print copy of King Kong Theory (which I’m quite honestly sad I couldn’t find in French anywhere). It suffices that I love Virginie Despentes for King Kong Theory even if her fictional works turn out not to be my cup of tea. She has placed herself among my favourite writers, and certainly one I feel extremely happy to be able to show support for by getting her books.
READ THIS!!! ALL OF YOU!!!
I read this after suffering through far too many piss poor (and to be fair, completely utterly stupid and ass-licking) takes on ‘feminism’ in YA books (had to read them for work, not on my own will, I need to clarify that). King Kong Theory was a breath of fresh air! All my pent up frustration and distress eased away, soothed by Despentes’s voice. She does not pander to male sensitivity, she does not pander to the liberal drivel of “common grounds” or whatever is the new rebranding of making sure the oppressed keep themselves oppressed. No, Despentes does not let herself be softened into yet another malleable performative “feminist”. She is not a “feminist”, she is a feminist. And she does not care to compress herself into whatever dainty box society wants to fit her (among other women) into. She is more King Kong than Kate Moss, as per her own words, and she’s here to make sure everyone knows that that’s not a hurtful insult, but womanhood that breaks the boundaries set upon it to keep women within certain confines that make us digestible to men who want us “nice” and “feminine”. Oh no, you will not see performative femininity here. Despentes is herself, and her own self only. And she isn’t the kind of person who shies away from telling people to fuck off when they try to come at her with their bullshit.
King Kong Theory is thus liberating on more levels than one. Despentes’s voice is natural and convivial, equally hilarious and powerful. I laughed, I almost cried on public transport, and above all, I felt nourished . . . maybe because I felt seen, maybe because I was delighted to finally find someone who can see through ideological discourse. Despentes says fuck you to state-promoted motherhood, and explains how the glorification of it is literally fascist ideology; Despentes says fuck you to the hypocrisy of a society that uses prostitutes, but makes sure they are always unsafe; Despentes says fuck you to everyone who has ever taught women not to fight back. And to be sure, she makes it clear how patriarchy also oppresses men. She is not once wrong in anything she wrote. A-fucking-MEN.
After finishing off Drive Your Plow over the Bones of the Dead, I had no clue what I could read in fear of never again finding a book as enjoyable. They’re entirely different books, but King Kong Theory too was wonderfully enjoyable. Hats off to the translator too!
I have started collecting Despentes’s works. So far I have the Vernon Subutex trilogy, translated by the same translator (so I have no reservations about not reading the originals); I will be getting Baise-Moi and Jolies Choses; I have on my list (not sure if I’ll get to them this month or the next) Bye Bye Blondie and Teen Spirit, and of course, a print copy of King Kong Theory (which I’m quite honestly sad I couldn’t find in French anywhere). It suffices that I love Virginie Despentes for King Kong Theory even if her fictional works turn out not to be my cup of tea. She has placed herself among my favourite writers, and certainly one I feel extremely happy to be able to show support for by getting her books.
READ THIS!!! ALL OF YOU!!!