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Fifty Shades of Feminism
The antidote to the idea that being a woman is all about submitting to desire. There are many more shades than that and here are fifty women to explore them.
Fifty years after the publication of The Feminine Mystique, have women really exchanged purity and maternity to become desiring machines inspired only by variations of sex, shopping and masochism - all coloured a brilliant neuro-pink?
In this volume, fifty women young and old - writers, politicians, actors, scientists, mothers - reflect on the shades that inspired them and what being woman means to them today.
Contributors include: Tahmima Anam, Joan Bakewell, Bidisha, Lydia Cacho, Nina Power, Shami Chakrabarti, Lennie Goodings, Linda Grant, Natalie Haynes, Siri Hustvedt, Jude Kelly, Kathy Lette, Kate Mosse, Bee Rowlatt, Elif Shafak, Ahdaf Soueif, Shirley Thompson, Natasha Walter, Jeanette Winterson - alongside the three editors.
Fifty years after the publication of The Feminine Mystique, have women really exchanged purity and maternity to become desiring machines inspired only by variations of sex, shopping and masochism - all coloured a brilliant neuro-pink?
In this volume, fifty women young and old - writers, politicians, actors, scientists, mothers - reflect on the shades that inspired them and what being woman means to them today.
Contributors include: Tahmima Anam, Joan Bakewell, Bidisha, Lydia Cacho, Nina Power, Shami Chakrabarti, Lennie Goodings, Linda Grant, Natalie Haynes, Siri Hustvedt, Jude Kelly, Kathy Lette, Kate Mosse, Bee Rowlatt, Elif Shafak, Ahdaf Soueif, Shirley Thompson, Natasha Walter, Jeanette Winterson - alongside the three editors.
324 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2013
54 people are currently reading
2359 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Appignanesi
59 books96 followersaka Jessica Ayre
Elżbieta Borensztejn was born on 4 January 1946 in Łódź, Poland, the daughter of Hena and Aaron Borensztejn with Jewish origin. Following her birth, her parents moved to Paris, France, and in 1951 they emigrating to Canada. She grew up in the province of Quebec - first in a small Laurentian town, subsequently in Montreal.
She graduated from McGill University with a B.A. degree in 1966 and her M.A. the following year. During 1970-71 she was a staff writer for the Centre for Community Research in New York City and is a former University of Essex lecturer in European Studies. She was a founding member and editorial director of the Writers and Readers Publishing Cooperative. Through the eighties she was a Deputy Director of the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, UK, for whom she also edited the seminal Documents Series and established ICA television and the video Writers in Conversation series.
She produced several made for television films and had written a number of books before devoting herself to writing fulltime in 1990. In recognition of her contribution to literature, Lisa Appignanesi has been honoured with a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French government. In 2004, she became Deputy President of English PEN and has run its highly successful 'Free Expression is No Offence Campaign' against the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill. In 2008 she became President of English PEN. She writes for The Guardian, The Independent and has made several series for BBC Radio 4, as well as frequently appearing as a cultural commentator.
In 1967, she married Richard Appignanesi, another writer, with whom she had one son in 1975, Josh Appignanesi, a film director. They divorced in 1984. With her life partner John Forrester, she had a daugther, Katrina Forrester, a Research Fellow in the history of modern political thought at St John's College, Cambridge. She lives in London.
Elżbieta Borensztejn was born on 4 January 1946 in Łódź, Poland, the daughter of Hena and Aaron Borensztejn with Jewish origin. Following her birth, her parents moved to Paris, France, and in 1951 they emigrating to Canada. She grew up in the province of Quebec - first in a small Laurentian town, subsequently in Montreal.
She graduated from McGill University with a B.A. degree in 1966 and her M.A. the following year. During 1970-71 she was a staff writer for the Centre for Community Research in New York City and is a former University of Essex lecturer in European Studies. She was a founding member and editorial director of the Writers and Readers Publishing Cooperative. Through the eighties she was a Deputy Director of the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, UK, for whom she also edited the seminal Documents Series and established ICA television and the video Writers in Conversation series.
She produced several made for television films and had written a number of books before devoting herself to writing fulltime in 1990. In recognition of her contribution to literature, Lisa Appignanesi has been honoured with a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French government. In 2004, she became Deputy President of English PEN and has run its highly successful 'Free Expression is No Offence Campaign' against the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill. In 2008 she became President of English PEN. She writes for The Guardian, The Independent and has made several series for BBC Radio 4, as well as frequently appearing as a cultural commentator.
In 1967, she married Richard Appignanesi, another writer, with whom she had one son in 1975, Josh Appignanesi, a film director. They divorced in 1984. With her life partner John Forrester, she had a daugther, Katrina Forrester, a Research Fellow in the history of modern political thought at St John's College, Cambridge. She lives in London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
September 5, 2018
4.5 stars
This is an interesting collection of brief vignettes by fifty women commissioned in the wake of the fuss over Fifty Shades of Grey. They examine in very different ways the state of feminism and the progress of justice and equality. Inevitably there are gaps; as the editors say, they could have come up with a list of five hundred, never mind fifty. As it originates from Britain (published by virago) there is a something of a bias towards British writers; but there are writers from a variety of cultures and backgrounds. I think that most people will think of ways the list could be broadened or improved. That is a minor point though. The books shows that feminism is a broad church and some of the articles are brilliant. There is humour, tragedy and some perceptive reflections on the current state of things.
Tahmima Anam kicks things off with; "Things Your Mama Never Told You (for fear you would demand a sex change)", explaining that however difficult things are for western women, there are those who are worse off. Naomi Alderman, a novelist and computer game designer, concludes that she finds more sexism in the literary world than in the gaming world. Laurie Penny’s poetic offering is brilliant. Juliet Stevenson and Meera Syal make some perceptive comments about women in film and theatre. Jeanette Winterson’s analysis of porn is all the more scary because of the way she includes adverts and language found on the net in her arguments. Xinran examines five Chinese characters and how they impact on the way women are treated in Chinese culture (this is one of the best essays in the book). There is a heartfelt and well-reasoned statement by the members of Pussy Riot at the very end of the book. Barrister Martha Spurrier talks with great feeling about her work with rape and abuse victims; juxtaposing it with her first day as a lawyer and an awful joke told in a lift.
All of the contributions are worth reading and sometimes, because of their brevity there can be a sense of frustration that arguments are not developed, but that is a small caveat and it is easy to dip in and out of it as a result.
This is an interesting collection of brief vignettes by fifty women commissioned in the wake of the fuss over Fifty Shades of Grey. They examine in very different ways the state of feminism and the progress of justice and equality. Inevitably there are gaps; as the editors say, they could have come up with a list of five hundred, never mind fifty. As it originates from Britain (published by virago) there is a something of a bias towards British writers; but there are writers from a variety of cultures and backgrounds. I think that most people will think of ways the list could be broadened or improved. That is a minor point though. The books shows that feminism is a broad church and some of the articles are brilliant. There is humour, tragedy and some perceptive reflections on the current state of things.
Tahmima Anam kicks things off with; "Things Your Mama Never Told You (for fear you would demand a sex change)", explaining that however difficult things are for western women, there are those who are worse off. Naomi Alderman, a novelist and computer game designer, concludes that she finds more sexism in the literary world than in the gaming world. Laurie Penny’s poetic offering is brilliant. Juliet Stevenson and Meera Syal make some perceptive comments about women in film and theatre. Jeanette Winterson’s analysis of porn is all the more scary because of the way she includes adverts and language found on the net in her arguments. Xinran examines five Chinese characters and how they impact on the way women are treated in Chinese culture (this is one of the best essays in the book). There is a heartfelt and well-reasoned statement by the members of Pussy Riot at the very end of the book. Barrister Martha Spurrier talks with great feeling about her work with rape and abuse victims; juxtaposing it with her first day as a lawyer and an awful joke told in a lift.
All of the contributions are worth reading and sometimes, because of their brevity there can be a sense of frustration that arguments are not developed, but that is a small caveat and it is easy to dip in and out of it as a result.
April 25, 2017
This book contains a collection of stories from fifty women from around the world and they talk about what Feminism means to them. They explain to us why feminism is needed more than ever, when at the present time, some consider it as a "Dirty" word.
These short essays are thought provoking, but also rather fustrating to read too. I found myself reading these and thinking " Thank f**k, someone has put how I feel into words"
I particularly enjoyed reading this, as it was different opinions and voices on Feminism, from different women, from all walks of life. It has given me fuel and passion so to speak, to be prepared the next time an individual wishes to discuss the aspect of being a Feminist.
These short essays are thought provoking, but also rather fustrating to read too. I found myself reading these and thinking " Thank f**k, someone has put how I feel into words"
I particularly enjoyed reading this, as it was different opinions and voices on Feminism, from different women, from all walks of life. It has given me fuel and passion so to speak, to be prepared the next time an individual wishes to discuss the aspect of being a Feminist.
May 21, 2013
The title of this book put me off and caught my eye at the same time. In the end, I'm glad I picked it up and had a look at the contributors. Big names such as Jeanette Winterson, Susie Orbach and Margaret Atwood, drew me in. But it was the women and stories that I hadn't read before that ended up being the best part of this book. For example, Naomi Alderman's piece comparing the game and book industries' forms of sexism highlighted some quite honest truths which I'd never considered before. There were many others deserving a mention, but I'm awful with names so I'll update this when I've got the book next to me to remind me. Suffice it to say, there are lots of excellent takes on feminism presented here. Also, the inevitable not-so-good ones (samey, trying to be too different, etc.). All are easy to dip in and out of and therefore great for commutes when you can't get into something longer. Also brilliant: The looks on people's faces when they try to figure out what you're reading...watch it change at That moment!
January 20, 2016
The last 10-15 pieces were the most hard hitting imo. I almost feel honored to have had the pleasure to read these stories from women all around the world. If you're looking for a collection of stories by women that only exist to be told to praise Feminism as this perfect movement, you should turn around. The writers were self critical not self indulgent, and not only about feminism in general but about their own specific brand of feminism. Feminists are people, not saints, and it is important we don't bestow a blanket perception on movements and the supporters of movements (ie, feminism and feminists) We will fuck up, and that's totally chill, you can quote me on that. 4.5/5
March 17, 2015
My son bought this book for me - knowing how annoyed a certain book and film with a similar title have made me recently! It sometimes feels these days that people don’t like to admit to being feminists, that it’s somehow overly political and radical - but I am a feminist and I’m proud to be one and proud that my son has the feminist symbol tattooed on his arm (brought him up right!). And I’m angry, very angry, at the way feminism is currently portrayed and diminished, with terms like feminazis and bleating ‘whatabouttery’ every time someone mentions that domestic violence is wrong and that there is still a pay gap in 2015! 2015!
I read a lot, mostly fiction, and have a TBR list that I doubt will ever be finished, so I haven’t read any political/cultural/social books in a long time. Of course, when I was younger I read lots of feminist works - Naomi Wolf, Germaine Greer, Gloria Steinman, I even struggled through Simone de Beauvoir’s ‘The Second Sex’. But the world has changed and feminism has changed too, so ‘Fifty Shades of Feminism’, is a timely collection of essays that provides a small window on feminist thoughts and ideas today. And the format meant that I could dip in and out of it, reading when I had the time - a real bonus for me.
This compilation comprises of essays written by many different women from different cultures, with different experiences and different opinions about feminism and what it means to be a feminist. With contributions from women working as novelists, barristers, politicians, comedians, and doctors, among others, and featuring such well-known women as Joan Bakewell, Diana Quick, Meera Syal, Kathy Lette and Sandi Toksvig (her description of the young girl in high heels at the graduation ceremony is brilliant) there are definitely fifty shades of feminism here. Some of it I agreed with whole-heartedly - nodding along as I read, glad to see that other women feel the same way as I do. There were other contributions that made me cross and that I really didn’t enjoy - but I’m glad that the editors gave space to such a diversity of opinion and experience.
I have a sixteen-year-old daughter and the world she’s about to set out in is a scary place. It seems unimaginable to me that women are still treated like second class citizens (and they really are, and too many of us are far too complacent about it) and it frightens me that some young women think that they no longer need feminism. This book shows that they do - and is a fantastic way to introduce young women (and men) to the ideas behind feminism.
Read it, enjoy it and pass it on to your daughters and your sons.
I read a lot, mostly fiction, and have a TBR list that I doubt will ever be finished, so I haven’t read any political/cultural/social books in a long time. Of course, when I was younger I read lots of feminist works - Naomi Wolf, Germaine Greer, Gloria Steinman, I even struggled through Simone de Beauvoir’s ‘The Second Sex’. But the world has changed and feminism has changed too, so ‘Fifty Shades of Feminism’, is a timely collection of essays that provides a small window on feminist thoughts and ideas today. And the format meant that I could dip in and out of it, reading when I had the time - a real bonus for me.
This compilation comprises of essays written by many different women from different cultures, with different experiences and different opinions about feminism and what it means to be a feminist. With contributions from women working as novelists, barristers, politicians, comedians, and doctors, among others, and featuring such well-known women as Joan Bakewell, Diana Quick, Meera Syal, Kathy Lette and Sandi Toksvig (her description of the young girl in high heels at the graduation ceremony is brilliant) there are definitely fifty shades of feminism here. Some of it I agreed with whole-heartedly - nodding along as I read, glad to see that other women feel the same way as I do. There were other contributions that made me cross and that I really didn’t enjoy - but I’m glad that the editors gave space to such a diversity of opinion and experience.
I have a sixteen-year-old daughter and the world she’s about to set out in is a scary place. It seems unimaginable to me that women are still treated like second class citizens (and they really are, and too many of us are far too complacent about it) and it frightens me that some young women think that they no longer need feminism. This book shows that they do - and is a fantastic way to introduce young women (and men) to the ideas behind feminism.
Read it, enjoy it and pass it on to your daughters and your sons.
November 19, 2013
"In my understanding, the women's movement is first and foremost about memory. It is about remembering the women who lived, struggled, worked and loved before us, including those we have never heard about. The women's movement is a sense of continuity in time, knowing that you are part of a river, constantly flowing, changing, expanding." – Elif Shafak
February 11, 2018
În limba română - http://bombitaluivladmusatescu.blogsp...
In English - http://bombitaluivladmusatescuenglish...
In English - http://bombitaluivladmusatescuenglish...
October 23, 2017
putin cam ciudata pentru gustul meu...cred ca n-am inteles in totalitate anumite pasaje...
anumite parti mi-au placut foarte mult, am empatizat cu ideile si argumentarile acelor femei,
altele mi s-au parut usor exagerate si prea pline de un ceva subtil-confuz care m-a lasat
total nedumerita...per total, o carte interesanta, de citit incet, cu mintea deschisa si cu
pixul in mânã.
anumite parti mi-au placut foarte mult, am empatizat cu ideile si argumentarile acelor femei,
altele mi s-au parut usor exagerate si prea pline de un ceva subtil-confuz care m-a lasat
total nedumerita...per total, o carte interesanta, de citit incet, cu mintea deschisa si cu
pixul in mânã.
September 12, 2017
This book was kind of disappointing. The first 15 essays (not sure what else to call them, though the longest isn't more than 5 pages long) were pretty boring to be honest and felt like filler - not sure arranging these alphabetically by author was the best way to format the book. I found the other 35 more interesting, I just felt that with the pieces all being so short, none of the authors had a chance to even scratch the surface, and they ended up being a little repetitive at times. I really liked a handful, but overall this collection fell flat for me.
September 15, 2018
Yes, yes, yes! 50 times yes!
October 7, 2015
I attended a meeting recently in London for The Fawcett Society which campaigns for equal rights for women in the UK on issues such as pay, pensions, poverty, justice and politics. The meeting featured talks by popular authors Kate Mosse and Lisa Appignanesi, both of whom were truly inspirational and we had an opportunity to buy their books afterwards over drinks and nibbles, obviously an opportunity I jumped at! Fifty Shades of Feminism appealed to me immediately as it features short essays from fifty women all from different cultures, religions and professions on what feminism means to them personally.
Generally speaking, the book was fantastic although certain essays spoke more to me than others, but they were all interesting and it was fascinating to read all their points of view. It was only after I finished the book that I realised that feminism and equality for women is still such a real issue today obviously enough for some developing countries where religion and culture may be an issue, but certainly still today in Western society. Equality is STILL a huge problem in certain industries, some of which may be a surprise like in the literary world, but others like law and politics perhaps less so and where women are sorely under-represented.
Unfortunately, there seems to be a bit of a myth or stereotype about feminism in that we are all butch, angry man-haters. Yes, there will always be extremes of the scale but this book proves the stereotype completely wrong. There’s something for everyone in this book and it ranges in emotion from melancholy and serious to very humorous. Jeanette Winterson writes a very funny piece on the porn industry for example which had me chuckling and shaking my head in disbelief at the same time. Jane Czyzselska, the editor of Diva magazine wrote a wonderful piece about the stigma she receives for being a heterosexual-looking lesbian which proves that prejudice is rife even within the gay community. I was a bit shocked by this particular article and perhaps a bit naïve as I did not think that this sector (who are often subject to gross mistreatment themselves) would be so discriminatory.
Other favourites included Sandi Toksvig’s essay which explored the reasons why women continue to wear high heels that cause them pain and rip their feet to shreds and the final entry written by Alice Stride who won a competition to write a short piece for the book. She wrote a short rant about how she convinced her younger sister not to shave off all of her pubic hair just to make it more appealing to men. It was hilarious, poignant and very, very honest and I challenge anyone to read it on public transport while maintaining a straight face. I failed miserably of course!
This is a book I will definitely be keeping and it’s the sort of book that you can just dip in and out of at your own leisure. It was only after I had finished it that I realised that equality for women is still a contentious issue and we need to carry on fighting for the female sex not only here, but round the world so that we are no longer seen as “the second” and inferior sex. My only slight niggle is that I would have loved to see a few opinions from men for comparison and because I realise there are some wonderful male feminists out there who support the cause. Apart from that, it’s a brilliant read that I would recommend to anyone interested in the topic and for all young girls everywhere as a must read.
Please see my full review at http://www.bibliobeth.com
Generally speaking, the book was fantastic although certain essays spoke more to me than others, but they were all interesting and it was fascinating to read all their points of view. It was only after I finished the book that I realised that feminism and equality for women is still such a real issue today obviously enough for some developing countries where religion and culture may be an issue, but certainly still today in Western society. Equality is STILL a huge problem in certain industries, some of which may be a surprise like in the literary world, but others like law and politics perhaps less so and where women are sorely under-represented.
Unfortunately, there seems to be a bit of a myth or stereotype about feminism in that we are all butch, angry man-haters. Yes, there will always be extremes of the scale but this book proves the stereotype completely wrong. There’s something for everyone in this book and it ranges in emotion from melancholy and serious to very humorous. Jeanette Winterson writes a very funny piece on the porn industry for example which had me chuckling and shaking my head in disbelief at the same time. Jane Czyzselska, the editor of Diva magazine wrote a wonderful piece about the stigma she receives for being a heterosexual-looking lesbian which proves that prejudice is rife even within the gay community. I was a bit shocked by this particular article and perhaps a bit naïve as I did not think that this sector (who are often subject to gross mistreatment themselves) would be so discriminatory.
Other favourites included Sandi Toksvig’s essay which explored the reasons why women continue to wear high heels that cause them pain and rip their feet to shreds and the final entry written by Alice Stride who won a competition to write a short piece for the book. She wrote a short rant about how she convinced her younger sister not to shave off all of her pubic hair just to make it more appealing to men. It was hilarious, poignant and very, very honest and I challenge anyone to read it on public transport while maintaining a straight face. I failed miserably of course!
This is a book I will definitely be keeping and it’s the sort of book that you can just dip in and out of at your own leisure. It was only after I had finished it that I realised that equality for women is still a contentious issue and we need to carry on fighting for the female sex not only here, but round the world so that we are no longer seen as “the second” and inferior sex. My only slight niggle is that I would have loved to see a few opinions from men for comparison and because I realise there are some wonderful male feminists out there who support the cause. Apart from that, it’s a brilliant read that I would recommend to anyone interested in the topic and for all young girls everywhere as a must read.
Please see my full review at http://www.bibliobeth.com
October 30, 2014
Not perfect but close, more thought provoking than thought providing it's 50 opinion pieces with other scattered snippets, quotes and some cartoons about feminism, some of them explore the elephant in the corner of 50 Shades of Grey but many of them just talk about their experience of feminism and what it is to be female in the 20th and 21st Century. Many of them are asking why it's so hard for some people to see that it's still necessary and that maybe, just maybe, we're walking into another series of problems instead of solutions.
The last quote: 'You can tell whether some misogynistic societal pressure is being exerted on women by calmly enquiring, "And are men doing this, as well?" If they aren't, chances are you're dealing with what we strident feminists refer to as "some total fucking bullshit".' by Caitlin Moran, resonated particularly with me. All of it opened up some thinking, some of which will take me a while to process.
The last quote: 'You can tell whether some misogynistic societal pressure is being exerted on women by calmly enquiring, "And are men doing this, as well?" If they aren't, chances are you're dealing with what we strident feminists refer to as "some total fucking bullshit".' by Caitlin Moran, resonated particularly with me. All of it opened up some thinking, some of which will take me a while to process.
June 13, 2015
The Concept: 50 women, 50 experiences, 50 stories about journeys through feminism.
Favourite Stories: Sharon Haywood - "I was always a feminist... I just didn't know it", because I feel like this statement definitely applies to me and my views on feminism; Martha Spurrier - Women in Law, being a law student myself; and Alice Stride's short story, because being an older sister, I can relate to the desire of wanting the best for my younger sister.
Pros: This book presented a diverse range of stories, especially with regards to cultural background.
Cons: This book did not contain any stories (as far as I'm aware) or transgender women, even though transfeminism is coming to the spotlight.
Overall Opinion: I found this book interesting, and really enjoyed seeing the way that feminism has shaped and played a role in all these different women's lives, crossing a variety of times, countries, sexualities, religions, and professions.
Favourite Stories: Sharon Haywood - "I was always a feminist... I just didn't know it", because I feel like this statement definitely applies to me and my views on feminism; Martha Spurrier - Women in Law, being a law student myself; and Alice Stride's short story, because being an older sister, I can relate to the desire of wanting the best for my younger sister.
Pros: This book presented a diverse range of stories, especially with regards to cultural background.
Cons: This book did not contain any stories (as far as I'm aware) or transgender women, even though transfeminism is coming to the spotlight.
Overall Opinion: I found this book interesting, and really enjoyed seeing the way that feminism has shaped and played a role in all these different women's lives, crossing a variety of times, countries, sexualities, religions, and professions.
September 6, 2017
There were some outstanding essays in this anthology - thoughtful, bold, challenging, clever. It was a delight to read the perspectives of so many women in one collection. But it left me with one question: where are the Black women? There are women of colour in this collection. It's not all white. And there was a non-apology in the introduction saying the book made no claims about being representative. But basically overlooking the perspectives of Black women when compiling a sampler of worthwhile feminist voices says very little about the feminist principles that went into editing this book.
April 15, 2017
A good friend got this for me for Christmas because she knows I like puns and feminism! This book is an awesome collection of feminists from all walks of life, exploring the myriad of reasons why we all need feminism in our lives. It's an easy way to get exposed to different thoughts and experiences that I quite frankly will never experience. We should all be feminists: but how we do so is up to us.
July 8, 2016
Highly recommend for anyone wanting to get a "taste-test" of feminism. Each story is only a few pages long so you can read as much or as little as you want. Each story appears personal but I found myself saying "me too" or "finally - someone has put that feeling into words!"
November 6, 2017
I expected more from this, I guess. Some great writers with important topics, but with 50 women contributing to this book, each of them is just gently touching the subject. At this point I need something more in depth.
April 8, 2018
I enjoyed reading this book, but I found that a lot of the chapters weren't focused enough and kind of vague. I found myself thinking about other things while reading the text because it was a little confusing. The book was very informative and gave me a lot of insight, but I wish that the chapters would have been more easy to understand. I love how they told stories of women from all over the world, and it really showed the differing lives of women from different cultures.
All in all, an important topic and very educational, but not as good as I would have hoped.
All in all, an important topic and very educational, but not as good as I would have hoped.
October 23, 2017
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01r0cbw
On Start the Week Anne McElvoy explores the state of feminism today. It's fifty years since Betty Friedan's landmark book, The Feminine Mystique, questioned the role of women in society. Anne McElvoy discusses that role today with the Living Dolls author, Natasha Walter, the proponent of erotic capital Catherine Hakim, the radical feminist Finn Mackay and the journalist and academic Shereen El Feki who has been looking at the changing sexual attitudes and behaviour in the Arab world.
On Start the Week Anne McElvoy explores the state of feminism today. It's fifty years since Betty Friedan's landmark book, The Feminine Mystique, questioned the role of women in society. Anne McElvoy discusses that role today with the Living Dolls author, Natasha Walter, the proponent of erotic capital Catherine Hakim, the radical feminist Finn Mackay and the journalist and academic Shereen El Feki who has been looking at the changing sexual attitudes and behaviour in the Arab world.
September 14, 2016
Fifty Shades of Feminism is a collection of short, bitesize pieces from a range of "some of the most significant feminists of our time". The list is impressive, juxtaposing Alison Bechdel with Elaine Showalter with Sandi Toksvig and Kathy Lette amongst many other equally talented writers and voices. The editors are overt in acknowledging that limiting the book to fifty was a struggle; and there's something in me that's both proud and sad of that. A struggle because the voices are out there and demanding to be heard, and yet, the options for them to be heard are so limited, so tight -
There are omissions, naturally, as with every compendium of this nature. I'd have welcomed some more diversely formatted entries; illustration features, and yet, I want more, somehow, always.
Of the many entries that left me staring and breathless, Laura Dockrill's entry captivated me. It's a handwritten piece sprawling across two pages and yet, I didn't somehow figure this out until I was halfway down one page and loving the free, blank verse. Sentences that ran together as fluid, questioning prose across both pages, broke up and became direct, wonderful things: "that's your job handing out / purpose. Become a woman". A wilful misreading, yes, but one that left me breathless.
Maybe that's the thing about compilations of this nature. There will always be omissions but there will always be space. And that's what we need to find, need to occupy, need to own -
Shelve this with Louise O'Neill, with Holly Bourne, and allow the questions to be formed -
There are omissions, naturally, as with every compendium of this nature. I'd have welcomed some more diversely formatted entries; illustration features, and yet, I want more, somehow, always.
Of the many entries that left me staring and breathless, Laura Dockrill's entry captivated me. It's a handwritten piece sprawling across two pages and yet, I didn't somehow figure this out until I was halfway down one page and loving the free, blank verse. Sentences that ran together as fluid, questioning prose across both pages, broke up and became direct, wonderful things: "that's your job handing out / purpose. Become a woman". A wilful misreading, yes, but one that left me breathless.
Maybe that's the thing about compilations of this nature. There will always be omissions but there will always be space. And that's what we need to find, need to occupy, need to own -
Shelve this with Louise O'Neill, with Holly Bourne, and allow the questions to be formed -
June 9, 2017
I am hardly suggesting that women cease to criticize other women. That would be ridiculous. What I am saying is that we can disagree . even vehemently and without that criticism being reduced to mere bitchiness. But we don't need to tear apart another woman's view out of the fear that we are being misrepresented.
FIFTY SHADES OF FEMINISM offers fifty different women's thoughts on what it means to be a woman, feminist, or just life in general. It's not a manifesto that wants to proclaim they are right, that this is real feminism. It's merely a collection of voices to show that no, there is no 'right' way to be in life. Given the limited number of pages for each contributor, they focus on various things each, but that also means it's not worth reviewing each piece; instead I'll say that it's diverse, but it's also not. Yes, the women in this book work in different sectors, but most of them are also authors, to some degree. It's understandable, but one doesn't have to be a author to contribute with an opinion piece on roughly three to five pages, as most pieces in this book are. As it is, I agree with some and disagree with many in this book to various reasons and level. Still, it does a good job showing the variety of interpretation of what it means to be a feminist or a woman, or how to live your life.
September 21, 2017
For me has been what I was looking for in the very right moment. I was very happy to be able to read what women around the world believe about feminism. And I was impressed to discover good, strong arguments for each story. This is a book for open minded people only!
June 3, 2013
It's probably not a good reason to be attracted to a book but I loved its cover and decided to buy it as soon as I could, bearing in mind I don't usually buy hard covers.
The fact that the book is about feminism was enough of an attraction for me, being a feminist an' all that. But then my BFF informed me that 50 different women had contributed their views and experiences to this and my jaw drawer and my purse opened itself.
The various stories have inspired me and renewed my belief in a better future for women as I have been fighting to maintain some sort of equality within my own family and culture since realising that I just couldn't not fight for myself. It feels like the world has been against women for a very long time and this is changing, but ever so slowly.
I will be reading this book again and lending it to friends because it makes you think.
The fact that the book is about feminism was enough of an attraction for me, being a feminist an' all that. But then my BFF informed me that 50 different women had contributed their views and experiences to this and my jaw drawer and my purse opened itself.
The various stories have inspired me and renewed my belief in a better future for women as I have been fighting to maintain some sort of equality within my own family and culture since realising that I just couldn't not fight for myself. It feels like the world has been against women for a very long time and this is changing, but ever so slowly.
I will be reading this book again and lending it to friends because it makes you think.
September 2, 2014
This is an inspiring book with a wonderful range of content, and not just in subject matter, but in form too. Over fifty women have submitted to this book, each entry around three-four pages long. It consists of personal stories, poetry (Laurie Penny's was my favourite poem), inspirational, rally-like talks, historical accounts of women I didn't know about before and artwork.
There are moments of heartbreak as women share stories I never could have imagined, stories of women we never really hear about in the West. But overall, this is an uplifting book. I didn't agree with a few details in a few entries, but I've learnt a lot, heard fifty different experiences and have fully grasped the concept of feminism without a single one of those entries sitting me down to give an explanation.
This is a must have for your political shelf.
There are moments of heartbreak as women share stories I never could have imagined, stories of women we never really hear about in the West. But overall, this is an uplifting book. I didn't agree with a few details in a few entries, but I've learnt a lot, heard fifty different experiences and have fully grasped the concept of feminism without a single one of those entries sitting me down to give an explanation.
This is a must have for your political shelf.
December 3, 2016
I only read about 10 of these essays, as I don't have much time at the moment, and I needed to give this back to my teacher. But for what I read, it was very well thought out and written, especially given that each author only had 5 or so pages to express their point. Each one gave a different account and something interesting to think about, and the history of the subject they chose was also often explained to give more insight to the argument and how some things really haven't changed for hundreds of years. It was very easy reading and something you could definitely just pick up when you want to, the essays I read all had quite a funny undertone to them as well which gave it all quite a light undertone
July 4, 2017
As introduction to this book begins, there are as many flavours of feminism as there are women on the planet so no one book can truely cover it all. That being said the 50 essays by prominent women across many fields offers a interesting insight into some of these strands. Although there is a strong bias towards British figures, the majority of the essays touch on issues broader than just those of English white women. However, while some of the writers touch on intersectionality, none as far as I could see touch on transfeminism nor was it obvious if this was an oversight or a concious decision. Given that some feminist dialogues can be borderline transphobic, I struggled to place this slip.
January 8, 2014
Enjoyed this book, attracted mainly due to the seemingly unfortunate demise of the Feminist debate. Did some photographs last spring in Derbyshire titled Fifty shades of green so was intrigued by this expression of fifty shades of feminism!. It is obviously a debate which needs to remain extremely active especially in the current culture of overt self mutilation and stereotypes, I wonder why after so many years of the Feminist struggle, the women before me my mother grandmother, etc etc, none of us would succumb to the surgeons knife or the beauticians needle, so many have done and will continue the demise. Well done Virago some excellent contributions.
January 3, 2014
I loved this book. It provides a great variety of perspectives from several sorts of women (I wrote 'all sorts' but that's not really true - they're largely professionals in some sphere and pretty well-educated and financially pretty well off as far as I'm aware.) Something I really liked is that some of the statements actually contradict each other, demonstrating neatly that feminism doesn't mean a set of commandments that all women agree entirely with and from which no deviation will be brooked. Don't be put off by the title if you hate and/or resent the series it's referencing. Some of the statements do discuss the Fifty Shades trilogy but most have nothing to do with it.
April 14, 2016
A good mixture of feminist essays from women of all walks of life. Some of the essays were uninteresting to me, as I'm sure that some will be to everyone: a lot of the essays are contradictory, because feminism is obviously a very personal aspect of life. Would have been nice to have an essay from a feminist man, because learning why men support equality for the sexes could be interesting, as they are on top in our society so they don't need to support the lesser sex. However overall it was an enjoyable book; a sense of female solidarity is prevalent throughout, and the inclusion of women of multiple ages and ethnicities opens your eyes to what is going on with feminism all over the globe.
March 2, 2017
Even though I have mixed feelings with some of the essays in this book, this is one of the most interesting and inspiring things that I've read on feminism in the last years. It contains 50 stories from 50 extraordinary women with different ages, professions, ethnicities, and backgrounds. Ergo, it portrays feminism from 50 different perspectives; and I guess it is this diversity that makes the book extremely relevant to really understand the feminist movement. This does not mean that the book contains all the answers to understand the difficult and extensive topic of feminism, but it is a great starting point.
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