mercedes's Reviews (299)

Patriarchy will not heal them. If that were so they would all be well.

bell hooks set out to make an accessible primer on feminism for, like the title suggests, everybody. And in some ways, it works. She introduces core tenets of feminism in small doses, doesn't alienate her audience (of everybody, which may be where the problem lies, you're going to ruffle some feathers somewhere if you have anything of weight to say), and, even while discussing difficult topics, maintains a feeling of hope throughout.

Yet the lack of footnotes cannot go unnoticed, especially when hooks asserts things as fact with zero evidence. For example, where she says, 'No longer forced by sexist tradition to wear makeup, women looked in the mirror and learned to face ourselves just the way we are.' Where, though? Even on a purely anecdotal basis, women as a group have not and are not doing this. It's laughable to claim, in 2000 no less, that sexist tradition no longer forces women to wear makeup. She also claims that non-monogamy 'challenge[s] the notion that the female body belongs to men.' Unless you're having sex with women, this cannot be true. If sex with one man perpetuates the idea that the woman's body belongs to him, then sex with multiple men must perpetuate that her body belongs to multiple men. It is disappointing not only that hooks presents illogical arguments, but that she presents them as fact with no evidence, most of the time not even anecdotal.

And, as much as I did really like some of her ideas about how patriarchy harms men, and how they need love, I think at times it felt a little like hooks was desperate to persuade male readers to come around to feminism. And while that is half of the point of the primer, if stating basic feminist principles doesn't convince somebody, they're a lost cause anyway. I don't think we should pander in the hopes that it'll finally win them around. If you won't listen to feminists unless they're caring about your plight, then goodbye.

I appreciate it for what it is, a primer. But I really was expecting better.

Feminist politics aims to end domination to free us to be who we are - to live lives where we love justice, where we can live in peace. Feminism is for everybody.

This resonated with me quite a bit as someone who has been working in hotels for a year and a half... Ali Smith is genius and the way she plays with tense, point of view and general structure here is delightful. Much preferred this to Autumn which I read earlier this year. So glad this was on my syllabus, otherwise I don't think I ever would've picked it up. I think the watch fitting perfectly on the shopkeeper's wrist is going to be stuck in my head for a while... love when a poem or person is mentioned in passing and the novel circles back around to them!!!!

This kind of felt like it was just jumping from trope to trope and Momo looked a little too childlike to the point that PG looked like a babysitter half the time, HOWEVER, it was very cute and exactly what I needed right now. Really enjoyed it!

I shall never forgive God for making me a woman, and dearly am I beginning to pay for the honour of owning a pretty face.

Chapter one of Far from the Madding Crowd ends with one word—vanity. That word sets off in motion the rest of the story, embeds itself in major plot points, and is something Hardy doesn't let us forget. To the men of Weatherbury, Bathsheba is a novelty. Her independence, determination, and pride set her apart from the other local women. But what is really fascinating about Bathsheba, what really sets her apart from her peers, is her beauty. Bathsheba may be running a farm almost by herself, she may be a generous employer, and well educated too! But all of that is merely clutter getting in the way of what is truly important—that she is a beautiful woman. Even when it seems that characters truly care for Bathsheba, they love her, look out for her, they do this in spite of her admirable qualities. Their love depends on her beauty, nothing more. Bathsheba's connections are shallow and never seem to venture further than skin deep. Time and time again Bathsheba makes impulse decisions based solely on the lack of attention she receives, and who can blame her when everyone around her has made it abundantly clear that her only value is a visual one? The men of Far from the Madding Crowd can pull her over the coals for being vain, but they never let her become anything else. The one thing that they revere her for is the one thing they won't allow her to take pride in. 

While it was nice to revisit this book after rewatching all of the films, my general feeling throughout was one of disappointment over what feels like constant missed opportunities. I haven't read the books since I was nine or ten, so I remembered virtually nothing except that the first half of the book focuses a lot on school and her truck. Some of the things Meyer has created have promise—there's a reason people return again and again to the Twilight universe, and that is the characters. It's easy to see why Twilight set in motion such a surging renaissance of vampire media and fanatacism, because the Cullen's do have something interesting to each of them, though they all have deep untapped potential. There's something there, if only it was expanded upon. But it's enough to motivate me to continue to come back to the Twilight universe, desperately hoping for a little more depth of character and lore.