Scan barcode
A review by athenameilahn
Women Talking by Miriam Toews
3.0
Mixed feelings.
I really liked the premise-women and girls in a community were attacked by its boys and men. They were expected to do the emotional labor of simply forgiving them so they could get back to business as usual and not have to change their behaviors or mindset. The women revolt (I know one of them didn’t like the word but I do). Based on a true story, I’m enraged that the males would do that but so glad to hear the women are thoughtfully and determinedly exploring their options.
August is the only man allowed as the scribe to take the minutes. His interior moments give the tiniest of glimpses into the damage the reflexive patriarchal rule for the sake of preserving religion has on boys and men too. At the end we understand his existence is due to his own mother’s rape by the man who is now the head of the colony. The abuse rises to the highest level.
This wasn’t really driven by plot. We already know the event occurred. The book sets up the women’s discussion and August’s role as the focus. Inevitably his perspectives are embedded in what he writes. He is translating from the type of German into English and to keep straight who said what. He procures a map, explains how to read it, and a locked box with money and dynamite to open it. He provides info about the outside world. He is not passive, he’s integral.
All of that sets out to make the book something more than historical fiction. I appreciate that desire but I wasn’t thrilled with the execution. The discussions were quite philosophical. The ideas were certainly relevant and show how clearly and thoroughly the women were thinking through the options. If only women can leave what willl happen to the tween boys? If they forgive the men they can preserve their religious faith and stay but is it really forgiveness if it’s for self-preservation? Will the men obey their new manifesto? They know how to provide for themselves but do the men? If they don’t stay to re-educate the men on the values in the manifesto how will change occur?
All of this was substantive and worth noting, but an audio book didn’t lend itself to that. A paper book to refer back to passages and of #s would have been far better.
I expected to like this a lot more than I did. Perhaps in paper form I would have. I’m curious what colleagues in gender, philosophy, and religion would make of it. It is an interesting counterpoint to the book Catherine recommended where the women already live in isolation of men and do quite well when 3 explorers crash nearby and enter their world, “Herland” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. The women are brutally honest that they are more advanced and successful than the society from which the men came.
I really liked the premise-women and girls in a community were attacked by its boys and men. They were expected to do the emotional labor of simply forgiving them so they could get back to business as usual and not have to change their behaviors or mindset. The women revolt (I know one of them didn’t like the word but I do). Based on a true story, I’m enraged that the males would do that but so glad to hear the women are thoughtfully and determinedly exploring their options.
August is the only man allowed as the scribe to take the minutes. His interior moments give the tiniest of glimpses into the damage the reflexive patriarchal rule for the sake of preserving religion has on boys and men too. At the end we understand his existence is due to his own mother’s rape by the man who is now the head of the colony. The abuse rises to the highest level.
This wasn’t really driven by plot. We already know the event occurred. The book sets up the women’s discussion and August’s role as the focus. Inevitably his perspectives are embedded in what he writes. He is translating from the type of German into English and to keep straight who said what. He procures a map, explains how to read it, and a locked box with money and dynamite to open it. He provides info about the outside world. He is not passive, he’s integral.
All of that sets out to make the book something more than historical fiction. I appreciate that desire but I wasn’t thrilled with the execution. The discussions were quite philosophical. The ideas were certainly relevant and show how clearly and thoroughly the women were thinking through the options. If only women can leave what willl happen to the tween boys? If they forgive the men they can preserve their religious faith and stay but is it really forgiveness if it’s for self-preservation? Will the men obey their new manifesto? They know how to provide for themselves but do the men? If they don’t stay to re-educate the men on the values in the manifesto how will change occur?
All of this was substantive and worth noting, but an audio book didn’t lend itself to that. A paper book to refer back to passages and of #s would have been far better.
I expected to like this a lot more than I did. Perhaps in paper form I would have. I’m curious what colleagues in gender, philosophy, and religion would make of it. It is an interesting counterpoint to the book Catherine recommended where the women already live in isolation of men and do quite well when 3 explorers crash nearby and enter their world, “Herland” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. The women are brutally honest that they are more advanced and successful than the society from which the men came.