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A review by mo_mentan
Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity by Judith Butler
3.0
i know that judith butler's work and especially this book are incredibly important texts for the academic discourse on gender. however, probably for the academic discourse and the academic discourse only.
i have been a leftist activist for several years now. i have read dozens of books on feminism and queer identities, i have discussions about it almost every day. it is my day to day life.
but i didn't understand ANYTHING this book was saying. seriously, i was always of the impression that anglophone academic discourse was so much more accessible than its german counterparts. but this text is seriously about the most inaccessible piece of writing i have ever read. i think i have read texts by kant and understood more. most of the time, i had absolutely no clue what they were talking about.
this doesn't mean this isn't an important, influential text, but it definetely isn't the one that will make gender discourse accessible and found the kind, serious and eye to eye discussion that we need as a society. it pains me to say that it felt pretentious and haughty. i don't feel more knowledgeable now, but less (and not for the right reasons).
i have been a leftist activist for several years now. i have read dozens of books on feminism and queer identities, i have discussions about it almost every day. it is my day to day life.
but i didn't understand ANYTHING this book was saying. seriously, i was always of the impression that anglophone academic discourse was so much more accessible than its german counterparts. but this text is seriously about the most inaccessible piece of writing i have ever read. i think i have read texts by kant and understood more. most of the time, i had absolutely no clue what they were talking about.
this doesn't mean this isn't an important, influential text, but it definetely isn't the one that will make gender discourse accessible and found the kind, serious and eye to eye discussion that we need as a society. it pains me to say that it felt pretentious and haughty. i don't feel more knowledgeable now, but less (and not for the right reasons).