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Kill the Princess: Why Women Still Aren't Free From the Quest for a Fairytale Life
What does it truly mean to be a modern woman? Do women still hunger for that fairytale life?
In Kill the Princess author Stephanie Vermeulen tackles a wide range of issues facing women today, from body image to popular notions of femininity, from women’s business personas to the politics of family. In an attempt to keep everything together and strive for unattainably perfect lives, women increasingly fall prey to exhaustion and fatigue. A huge reason for this, Vermeulen agues, is that women are still programmed to be self-sacrificing and as a result don’t take care of themselves. Vermeulen uncovers that although women hold their own—they are earning more, maintaining jobs and family, and indeed have more freedoms than they did even 30 years ago—their personal, artistic, and professional needs continue to go unnoticed and unmet.
Hard-hitting, provocative, and empowering, Kill the Princess is a wake-up call for women everywhere, shedding light on the ways that society naturally expects more from women but fails to fully recognize and respect their efforts and results. Verlmeulen’s serious but ultimately hopeful message is that women deserve better, and it is time that they demand it.
In Kill the Princess author Stephanie Vermeulen tackles a wide range of issues facing women today, from body image to popular notions of femininity, from women’s business personas to the politics of family. In an attempt to keep everything together and strive for unattainably perfect lives, women increasingly fall prey to exhaustion and fatigue. A huge reason for this, Vermeulen agues, is that women are still programmed to be self-sacrificing and as a result don’t take care of themselves. Vermeulen uncovers that although women hold their own—they are earning more, maintaining jobs and family, and indeed have more freedoms than they did even 30 years ago—their personal, artistic, and professional needs continue to go unnoticed and unmet.
Hard-hitting, provocative, and empowering, Kill the Princess is a wake-up call for women everywhere, shedding light on the ways that society naturally expects more from women but fails to fully recognize and respect their efforts and results. Verlmeulen’s serious but ultimately hopeful message is that women deserve better, and it is time that they demand it.
- GenresNonfiction
325 pages, Paperback
First published September 28, 2007
3 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 13, 2012
The title caught my attention when I was browsing the sociology section for a new book to read at the library. "Kill the Princess?" I thought. "What could the author possibly mean?"
The message couldn't be any clearer: in order to grow up and be a successful woman who knows what she wants and how to strive for it, we have to smash the illusion that it is in the nature of woman to be self-sacrificing. In other words, quit kidding yourself that you will marry some handsome, rich prince who will treat you like his queen for the rest of your life just because you cook, clean, and wash his clothes for him. Essentially, it's free labor for him, and if he doesn't let you follow your own dreams and aspirations such as pursuing your own passions and exploring your own creativity , then he's no Prince Charming, and you're really nothing more than his slave. As someone with dreams and desires, as a person, you deserve better than that. You deserve a chance at finding real love, and if you choose to get married, you deserve to marry someone who values you for the person you are, not just for your domestic skills. You deserve to be the person you want to be. You deserve the chance to work hard for what you really want. Not simply because you are a woman, but because you are a person with potential for greatness.
Don't expect the happy ending to be handed over to you because you're some princess in need of rescuing. You are unique. You are yourself, and you're more than capable of writing the ending to your own fairytale.
Vermeulen's writing is clear, loud, and fierce. It's not for the sensitive. She explores different areas that women tend to worry about - the struggle to look beautiful, to pursue a career, to start a family, to understand why religion seems to put women down as inferior creatures. Vermeulen writes with brutal honesty about how women can be duped into buying into society's idea of perfection. We are never satisfied because we're always trying to reach an unattainable standard of perfection - a standard that's not even our own to begin with. If you endeavor to shut out the noise and really dig deep down to understand yourself, you may soon find that meeting your own standards are really all that matter to be at peace with yourself and to really be happy.
As another goodreads reviewer said, "Kill the Princess" is just one book out there about feminism. It's a thoughtful read, one that I would recommend to my younger sisters, my friends, or anyone willing to read something different to broaden their mind.
The message couldn't be any clearer: in order to grow up and be a successful woman who knows what she wants and how to strive for it, we have to smash the illusion that it is in the nature of woman to be self-sacrificing. In other words, quit kidding yourself that you will marry some handsome, rich prince who will treat you like his queen for the rest of your life just because you cook, clean, and wash his clothes for him. Essentially, it's free labor for him, and if he doesn't let you follow your own dreams and aspirations such as pursuing your own passions and exploring your own creativity , then he's no Prince Charming, and you're really nothing more than his slave. As someone with dreams and desires, as a person, you deserve better than that. You deserve a chance at finding real love, and if you choose to get married, you deserve to marry someone who values you for the person you are, not just for your domestic skills. You deserve to be the person you want to be. You deserve the chance to work hard for what you really want. Not simply because you are a woman, but because you are a person with potential for greatness.
Don't expect the happy ending to be handed over to you because you're some princess in need of rescuing. You are unique. You are yourself, and you're more than capable of writing the ending to your own fairytale.
Vermeulen's writing is clear, loud, and fierce. It's not for the sensitive. She explores different areas that women tend to worry about - the struggle to look beautiful, to pursue a career, to start a family, to understand why religion seems to put women down as inferior creatures. Vermeulen writes with brutal honesty about how women can be duped into buying into society's idea of perfection. We are never satisfied because we're always trying to reach an unattainable standard of perfection - a standard that's not even our own to begin with. If you endeavor to shut out the noise and really dig deep down to understand yourself, you may soon find that meeting your own standards are really all that matter to be at peace with yourself and to really be happy.
As another goodreads reviewer said, "Kill the Princess" is just one book out there about feminism. It's a thoughtful read, one that I would recommend to my younger sisters, my friends, or anyone willing to read something different to broaden their mind.
September 9, 2013
This book was interesting and I recommend it for everyone. The stands it takes are pretty strong and the alternative fairy tales are funny. It does make you think about how you conduct yourself every day and makes you think about the influences of your upbringing.
December 18, 2007
Maybe if I had read more of this book I would have liked it more. As far as I got (2 chapters?) the book seemed to focus in on the idea that women want a fairytale because they are not free from the social pressure to be self-sacrificing. Perhaps true, but really I just couldn't get into it all that much. The author seemed pretty angry (and I can handle a fair bite of feminist rage) and it just was too much of a downer to keep reading.
December 15, 2007
I enjoy reading books about feminist topics but this def wasn't one of the best on the subject. I wasn't even able to get thru the whole thing
October 13, 2008
A MUST READ FOR ALL WOMEN!
December 29, 2009
Smart but not so sensitive.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews