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Why Women Read Fiction: The Stories of Our Lives
Ian McEwan once said, 'When women stop reading, the novel will be dead.' This book explains how precious fiction is to contemporary women readers, and how they draw on it to tell the stories of their lives. Female readers are key to the future of fiction and--as parents, teachers, and librarians--the glue for a literate society. Women treasure the chance to read alone, but have also gregariously shared reading experiences and memories with mothers, daughters, grandchildren, and female friends. For so many, reading novels and short stories enables them to escape and to spread their wings intellectually and emotionally.
This book, written by an experienced teacher, scholar of women's writing, and literature festival director, draws on over 500 interviews with and questionnaires from women readers and writers. It describes how, where, and when women read fiction, and examines why stories and writers influence the way female readers understand and shape their own life stories. Taylor explores why women are the main buyers and readers of fiction, members of book clubs, attendees at literary festivals, and organisers of days out to fictional sites and writers' homes. The book analyses the special appeal and changing readership of the genres of romance, erotica, and crime. It also illuminates the reasons for women's abiding love of two favourite novels, Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre. Taylor offers a cornucopia of witty and wise women's voices, of both readers themselves and also writers such as Hilary Mantel, Helen Dunmore, Katie Fforde, and Sarah Dunant. The book helps us understand why--in Jackie Kay's words--'our lives are mapped by books.'
This book, written by an experienced teacher, scholar of women's writing, and literature festival director, draws on over 500 interviews with and questionnaires from women readers and writers. It describes how, where, and when women read fiction, and examines why stories and writers influence the way female readers understand and shape their own life stories. Taylor explores why women are the main buyers and readers of fiction, members of book clubs, attendees at literary festivals, and organisers of days out to fictional sites and writers' homes. The book analyses the special appeal and changing readership of the genres of romance, erotica, and crime. It also illuminates the reasons for women's abiding love of two favourite novels, Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre. Taylor offers a cornucopia of witty and wise women's voices, of both readers themselves and also writers such as Hilary Mantel, Helen Dunmore, Katie Fforde, and Sarah Dunant. The book helps us understand why--in Jackie Kay's words--'our lives are mapped by books.'
304 pages, Hardcover
Published February 5, 2020
15 people are currently reading
433 people want to read
About the author
Helen Taylor
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There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
This profile contains books from multiple authors of this name
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
February 26, 2020
Unfortunately this one didn't work for me. I found the lack of diversity frustrating and some of the judgemental views expressed by the author about some types of genre fiction & reading habits infuriating. Instead of a balanced look at the female reading experience or considering statistical evidence about women's reading lives and theorising on them, Taylor uses her sources as a way of backing up her own views. Often these felt like views better kept in the past. If the author had expressed this at the start then I would have known earlier on that perhaps this wasn't what I was looking for. Overall, I don't recommend but if you would like to read my extended review about why this didn't work for me you can read my full thoughts on my blog: karinareads.com
August 30, 2023
It is a fact that in the UK and the US (though I would wager the trend repeats itself in the rest of the world) women read more fiction than men. Helen Taylor sets out to find out why this is and what role fiction occupies in women’s lives.
Taylor develops two strands of argument: the first is that women and men relate to fiction differently. Men read to gain knowledge and information. Women read to escape. They read because the fictional world allows them a safe space to explore themselves, to reflect on their lives and their relationships. While I understand how seductive this argument is, I think it can veer a little towards gender essentialism. Women “feel” while men “think”. Men approach fiction in a cerebral fashion while women read it because they have “feelings” about it. I know Taylor doesn't believe this, but perhaps the book needed to be more comparative. By focusing only on women Taylor misses out on why and how men read and so it is never entirely clear whether men and women do, indeed, relate to fictional works differently.
The second argument is that because women are more enthusiastic readers of fiction, they have become the driving force behind the publishing industry. They buy more books, they go to book festivals, book signings, and attend book clubs. This seems more or less indisputable from the data Taylor presents and deserves to be highlighted. It also means that women engage with fiction differently because they are more involved in it. They know more about the author or they have done research on the subject matter. This might also be why women are a majority in fandom spaces, creating all sorts of fanworks. Women's consumption of literature (and maybe even fictional works in general) seems to be more pro-active and more creative than men's.
There were many interesting points being made in this book, but I felt they merited further development. I am intrigued by the notion that women read fiction specifically to educate themselves. Taylor mentions a few times that reading fiction allows us to become more empathetic, but she doesn't explore this idea further. In particular, I am very interested in the idea that reading is perhaps the most private hobby one can have. Taylor made much of the social aspect of reading. Women’s love of reading was passed on to them by mothers, sisters, aunts or female teachers. Women band together in book clubs, they write blogposts, they’re on BookTube, now TikTok, etc. but I am much more interested in how reading is the ultimate private activity. Before you get to the communal aspect of discussing a book, you have to sit or lie down somewhere to read it. You can’t talk to other people while reading and you can’t have too many distractions going on in the background. Reading (except on the few occasions when it’s done aloud by someone else) is private. It seems to me that this is a prime reason why women read more fiction than men. Not only do they get to escape and explore, but they can do so safely, without having to share it with anyone. I have often remarked that a book serves as a shield. People will be less likely to talk to you or bother you if you seem engrossed in a book. Unless you’re a reader spotting another reader, most people won’t remark on you if you’re reading. If there is a difference between how women and men read is, perhaps, this one. Men might not feel the need to appropriate this privacy, especially in public spaces.
Taylor develops two strands of argument: the first is that women and men relate to fiction differently. Men read to gain knowledge and information. Women read to escape. They read because the fictional world allows them a safe space to explore themselves, to reflect on their lives and their relationships. While I understand how seductive this argument is, I think it can veer a little towards gender essentialism. Women “feel” while men “think”. Men approach fiction in a cerebral fashion while women read it because they have “feelings” about it. I know Taylor doesn't believe this, but perhaps the book needed to be more comparative. By focusing only on women Taylor misses out on why and how men read and so it is never entirely clear whether men and women do, indeed, relate to fictional works differently.
The second argument is that because women are more enthusiastic readers of fiction, they have become the driving force behind the publishing industry. They buy more books, they go to book festivals, book signings, and attend book clubs. This seems more or less indisputable from the data Taylor presents and deserves to be highlighted. It also means that women engage with fiction differently because they are more involved in it. They know more about the author or they have done research on the subject matter. This might also be why women are a majority in fandom spaces, creating all sorts of fanworks. Women's consumption of literature (and maybe even fictional works in general) seems to be more pro-active and more creative than men's.
There were many interesting points being made in this book, but I felt they merited further development. I am intrigued by the notion that women read fiction specifically to educate themselves. Taylor mentions a few times that reading fiction allows us to become more empathetic, but she doesn't explore this idea further. In particular, I am very interested in the idea that reading is perhaps the most private hobby one can have. Taylor made much of the social aspect of reading. Women’s love of reading was passed on to them by mothers, sisters, aunts or female teachers. Women band together in book clubs, they write blogposts, they’re on BookTube, now TikTok, etc. but I am much more interested in how reading is the ultimate private activity. Before you get to the communal aspect of discussing a book, you have to sit or lie down somewhere to read it. You can’t talk to other people while reading and you can’t have too many distractions going on in the background. Reading (except on the few occasions when it’s done aloud by someone else) is private. It seems to me that this is a prime reason why women read more fiction than men. Not only do they get to escape and explore, but they can do so safely, without having to share it with anyone. I have often remarked that a book serves as a shield. People will be less likely to talk to you or bother you if you seem engrossed in a book. Unless you’re a reader spotting another reader, most people won’t remark on you if you’re reading. If there is a difference between how women and men read is, perhaps, this one. Men might not feel the need to appropriate this privacy, especially in public spaces.
November 11, 2021
Loved this!
January 9, 2021
Insightful and illuminating but, as often is the case in feminist studies, a bit unfair on the male reader. There's no doubt that the male perspective has been responsible for a lot of female exclusion but it's not as if males haven't evolved since. Reducing male readers to stereotypes and caricatures, against which female readership is explained, may actually impede deeper understanding of true gender issues.
March 1, 2024
As a young woman from Aotearoa New Zealand I found the scope of this book very unrelatable (focusing specifically on older English women). I feel this really only touches on the experiences of one generation, and that many of the takes on the influence of the internet and social media on reading habits were outdated. I persevered because I found some nuggets interesting but overall I wasn’t particularly interested in the material as I wasn’t the target audience/demographic. From all the way over in New Zealand I couldn’t give two hoots about regional literary festivals in England or English blogs about books. Wish I had known this before going in but I guess that’s on me!!
February 12, 2020
This book holds some very important issues surrounding our reading habits, based around interviews, research and Taylor’s own experiences and commentary. Previously unaware that women form the majority of fiction readers it was a great insight into escapism. The discussions after re-reading childhood favourites was also particularly interesting - how reading with what we understand as adults can alter our prior impressions to stories. A personal favourite book of mine is the Magic Faraway Tree: I am now intrigued to re-read and join the discussion to compare to my memories of loving the book as a child.
Although the book is not life-changing, it provides food for thought and sparks a lot of conversation for women’s role in each stage of the literary process.
Why Women Read Fiction can be found in audiobook form as Book of the Week on the BBC Sounds App.
Although the book is not life-changing, it provides food for thought and sparks a lot of conversation for women’s role in each stage of the literary process.
Why Women Read Fiction can be found in audiobook form as Book of the Week on the BBC Sounds App.
May 17, 2020
A fairly interesting book about women’s reading habits and what they mean. The author is an earnest feminist who uses the word ‘patriarchy’ a lot and perhaps is influenced by her own biases. for instance, when writing about childhood reading, she insists that boys and girls read different books, which up to a point is true but is not the whole story. For instance, she mentions the Jennings books by Anthony Buckeridge as boys books. Well, I was a big Jennings fan as a child and I Knew other girls who enjoyed them too. And she omits to mention that some authors appeal equally to both sexes - Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl, C.S. Lewis, Arthur Ransome, Malcolm Saville, were all read by both boys and girls when I was young, and I suspect still are. There’s a lot of grumbling about men and their reading habits (women’s of course being better). Her knowledge of science fiction and fantasy is slight, in her anxiety to prove that women don’t write or read these much, she omits to mention excellent writers like Tanya Huff, Mercedes Lackey, etc. The chapter on book clubs was the most interesting to me, these clubs are revealed as hotbeds of jealousy and competitiveness, especially when the club meetings are held in the homes of members, with one woman complaining “I hate the way wealthier members flaunt Their perfect lives with a Massive house aand Filipina maid laying out home made nibbles to the rest of us living in a two-up two-down with the kitchen cupboard doors falling off.” I was left wondering what this woman thought better off members should do - move to a smaller house perhaps so as not to upset the poorer members? Sack the maid? personally, I’d quite enjoy having home made nibbles in a massive house for a change. I think it helps to enjoy this book if you are, like the author, an earnest feminist. if you are not you may find it a bit heavy going.
December 31, 2020
This was interesting, but suffered badly from being neither The Book I Would Have Written or quite what I expected from the title. It's much closer to How (the) Women (who answered my questionnaire) Read. (I also never quite over my faint hope it had been written by a friend, for whom this would be a plausible firstname-surname combination, though not her actual name.)
I did enjoy the various anecdotes (though many were neither interesting nor funny/odd enough to merit transcribing into the book, IMHO) from readers who had completed Taylor's questionnaire. And the chapters about childhood reading were particularly interesting.
One area in which it fell down was the overall lack of analysis. Why is it overwhelmingly women who organise and attend book festivals, when most of the authors/guests are men? Has this always been the case (I'm sure Hay must have been male-dominated at some point??). Taylor doesn't appear particularly interested.
This strange lack of analysis also appears in the chapters focussing on particular genres. In the chapter on detective fiction, she alleges that women like detective fiction despite it's (apparent) male dominance and focus on violence against women because it pushes boundaries, provides a 'safe' way to explore uncomfortable ideas, etc. etc. And yet women don't read much sci-fi because it's all outside their experience and is male dominated. Something here doesn't add up. (I strongly suspect that Taylor reads and enjoys one but not the other). Also it is at the very least contentious that sci-fi is less 'female' than detective fiction (see, for example, the last few years of Silver Dagger and Hugo/Nebula award winners).
I did enjoy the various anecdotes (though many were neither interesting nor funny/odd enough to merit transcribing into the book, IMHO) from readers who had completed Taylor's questionnaire. And the chapters about childhood reading were particularly interesting.
One area in which it fell down was the overall lack of analysis. Why is it overwhelmingly women who organise and attend book festivals, when most of the authors/guests are men? Has this always been the case (I'm sure Hay must have been male-dominated at some point??). Taylor doesn't appear particularly interested.
This strange lack of analysis also appears in the chapters focussing on particular genres. In the chapter on detective fiction, she alleges that women like detective fiction despite it's (apparent) male dominance and focus on violence against women because it pushes boundaries, provides a 'safe' way to explore uncomfortable ideas, etc. etc. And yet women don't read much sci-fi because it's all outside their experience and is male dominated. Something here doesn't add up. (I strongly suspect that Taylor reads and enjoys one but not the other). Also it is at the very least contentious that sci-fi is less 'female' than detective fiction (see, for example, the last few years of Silver Dagger and Hugo/Nebula award winners).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2021
Not what I wanted. If you're interested in selling and conference stats, interviews with readers and authors, etc., this is your book. But the explanation that Austen and Brontè were what was read 30-40 years ago in high schools in Britain doesn't quite explain the phenomenon that exploded in the US. And the inclusion of Du Maurier seemed a bit irrelevant given that I am the only one, outside of my library acquaintance, who knows the book.
What I want are stats, combined with scientific studies about why women read books. It's a book that has never been written and needs to be.
What I want are stats, combined with scientific studies about why women read books. It's a book that has never been written and needs to be.
September 25, 2024
Some parts were very interesting like the chapters on romance, book clubs and female authors. Other parts were sorely lacking depth. I was especially disappointed by the author's dismissal of fantasy and science-fiction. F/sc have expanded greatly since the feminist sci-fi's of the 60's and 70's. What about f/sc crossing with YA, romance and erotica? Even though the women responding to her questionaire didn't read much of them, she still could've researched the genres and what they offer to female readers.
January 18, 2024
This was a bit disappointing, as I was expecting more of a broad, evidence-based overview. Instead, the author has garnered opinion from questionnaires and interviews from "over 500" female readers and writers, but there doesn't seem to be a huge amount of diversity in her questionnaire responses. I got a distinct white English middle-class married mother vibe from them, which makes me suspect they are all from Taylor's own social circle. At one point, she claims book groups are a good way for 'women' to meet since "pubs and coffee bars are largely inhabited by men, the single and childless." It's news to me that one only counts as a woman if one has children and a partner. And she assumes that the reason working class women aren't keen on literary festivals is because "there are few raucous bands or stalls of cheap tat." No judgement there then!
Another issue with this book is that it is difficult to compare the reasons men and women have for reading fiction without also interviewing men. The closest Taylor gets to this is to ask women what they think about men's attitudes to fiction. Which is not really evidence. She does occasionally quote male writers or other public figures, but always to bolster up her own arguments. I also wondered how accurate her questionnaire responses were - unless respondents kept records of their reading, statistics about fiction v nonfiction, male v female authors are only based on guesswork, which is likely to be skewed by what they already think they know. For example, I have heard it stated so often that women read more fiction than non fiction and more female than male authors that I expected this to be true of my own reading. However, when I checked my records, I found that I actually read slightly more nonfiction than fiction and more male than female authors. I wonder how many others will have made assumptions about their own reading habits, due to unconscious bias.
The further I read through the book, the more I had an uncomfortable sense that the author had already made up her mind how women relate to fiction and was simply looking for arguments to bolster her views, even if she has to contradict herself at times.
She claims that the 'plethora of films and novels' about bookshops is a sign that they are dying and 'entering the territories of nostalgia and museum'. Yet later, she writes 'So popular are these groups [book clubs] that there's been a cluster of novels and films set within them...'
She complains that men are responsible for gendered attitudes toward women writers and readers, yet goes out of her way to promote gendered views herself. While admitting that men and women read Jane Austen, she claims that men have 'cerebral' reasons for liking her work and states "I have yet to read a male critic describing his emotional or sexual passion for...one of Austen's characters." Does anyone talk like this, regardless of gender?! And am I the only female who also loves Austen for her acerbic wit, her characterisation and the quality of her prose? She goes on to claim that "By contrast, there's no doubt that Austen has a special place in the hearts of women readers..." Oh yes. Because we fluffy females can never enjoy a book for the quality of the writing, can we? Might trouble our pretty little heads...
On crime fiction, she garners quotes from other writers which claim women read Lee Child because they fancy Jack Reacher, but James Patterson is dismissed in a single line as a writer who "appeals more to men". Which I found surprising, since I can't see Patterson's 'Women's Murder Club' series, about four professional women who solve crimes, appealing more to men than to women.
Taylor also loves phrases like 'no doubt', always used to preface her own opinion about something.
It's not all bad. I enjoyed reading different individuals' opinions on books and reading, even if I didn't agree with them. But overall, I found the endless harping on the same themes: 'reading is a guilty pleasure', 'women read with the heart, not the mind', 'women read as a way of escaping the patriarchy' to be wearisome. Maybe if I were a more 'typical' female reader, this would have resonated with me more. But as it is...meh!
Another issue with this book is that it is difficult to compare the reasons men and women have for reading fiction without also interviewing men. The closest Taylor gets to this is to ask women what they think about men's attitudes to fiction. Which is not really evidence. She does occasionally quote male writers or other public figures, but always to bolster up her own arguments. I also wondered how accurate her questionnaire responses were - unless respondents kept records of their reading, statistics about fiction v nonfiction, male v female authors are only based on guesswork, which is likely to be skewed by what they already think they know. For example, I have heard it stated so often that women read more fiction than non fiction and more female than male authors that I expected this to be true of my own reading. However, when I checked my records, I found that I actually read slightly more nonfiction than fiction and more male than female authors. I wonder how many others will have made assumptions about their own reading habits, due to unconscious bias.
The further I read through the book, the more I had an uncomfortable sense that the author had already made up her mind how women relate to fiction and was simply looking for arguments to bolster her views, even if she has to contradict herself at times.
She claims that the 'plethora of films and novels' about bookshops is a sign that they are dying and 'entering the territories of nostalgia and museum'. Yet later, she writes 'So popular are these groups [book clubs] that there's been a cluster of novels and films set within them...'
She complains that men are responsible for gendered attitudes toward women writers and readers, yet goes out of her way to promote gendered views herself. While admitting that men and women read Jane Austen, she claims that men have 'cerebral' reasons for liking her work and states "I have yet to read a male critic describing his emotional or sexual passion for...one of Austen's characters." Does anyone talk like this, regardless of gender?! And am I the only female who also loves Austen for her acerbic wit, her characterisation and the quality of her prose? She goes on to claim that "By contrast, there's no doubt that Austen has a special place in the hearts of women readers..." Oh yes. Because we fluffy females can never enjoy a book for the quality of the writing, can we? Might trouble our pretty little heads...
On crime fiction, she garners quotes from other writers which claim women read Lee Child because they fancy Jack Reacher, but James Patterson is dismissed in a single line as a writer who "appeals more to men". Which I found surprising, since I can't see Patterson's 'Women's Murder Club' series, about four professional women who solve crimes, appealing more to men than to women.
Taylor also loves phrases like 'no doubt', always used to preface her own opinion about something.
It's not all bad. I enjoyed reading different individuals' opinions on books and reading, even if I didn't agree with them. But overall, I found the endless harping on the same themes: 'reading is a guilty pleasure', 'women read with the heart, not the mind', 'women read as a way of escaping the patriarchy' to be wearisome. Maybe if I were a more 'typical' female reader, this would have resonated with me more. But as it is...meh!
October 1, 2022
I appreciated this book because it reminded me of the magic of reading, especially in childhood - as an activity of the utmost privacy, and yet something that connects us with an international community. While some of the book (especially the beginning) seemed repetitive and somewhat obvious, there were some really interesting and thought-provoking ideas:
The implication that romance is a place for women to escape to a world in which she can find a man to “appreciate her for everything she is and cater to her every physical and emotional need” (111) - unlike in real life.
“In a study of true crime readers, critic Laura Browder observed that many readers use these popular documentaries to 'help themselves cope with the patriarchal violence they have encountered in the past and fear in the present', using them as 'a how-to guide for personal survival and a means for expressing the violent feelings that must be masked by femininity'." Melanie McGrath argued that women are accustomed to being appraised and viewed as vehicles for procreation or male pleasure: 'What better metaphor for the feeling of annihilation which follows the common female experience of being valued primarily as the sum of one's body parts than a murdered woman on a slab? No wonder we're so into forensics.' For her, such fiction allows women to access feelings of 'rage, aggression and vengefulness'.“ (131)
“Val McDermid claims a special power for women crime writers: 'When women write about violence against women, it will almost inevitably be more terrifying because women grow up knowing that to be female is to be at risk of attack. We write about violence from the inside. Men, on the other hand, write about it from the outside.’" (132)
A personal favourite quote: “The reader is left in a permanent state of foreplay, but I would guess that for many women this is the best heterosexual sex they ever get” [Alison Light, qtd. on page 111]
The implication that romance is a place for women to escape to a world in which she can find a man to “appreciate her for everything she is and cater to her every physical and emotional need” (111) - unlike in real life.
“In a study of true crime readers, critic Laura Browder observed that many readers use these popular documentaries to 'help themselves cope with the patriarchal violence they have encountered in the past and fear in the present', using them as 'a how-to guide for personal survival and a means for expressing the violent feelings that must be masked by femininity'." Melanie McGrath argued that women are accustomed to being appraised and viewed as vehicles for procreation or male pleasure: 'What better metaphor for the feeling of annihilation which follows the common female experience of being valued primarily as the sum of one's body parts than a murdered woman on a slab? No wonder we're so into forensics.' For her, such fiction allows women to access feelings of 'rage, aggression and vengefulness'.“ (131)
“Val McDermid claims a special power for women crime writers: 'When women write about violence against women, it will almost inevitably be more terrifying because women grow up knowing that to be female is to be at risk of attack. We write about violence from the inside. Men, on the other hand, write about it from the outside.’" (132)
A personal favourite quote: “The reader is left in a permanent state of foreplay, but I would guess that for many women this is the best heterosexual sex they ever get” [Alison Light, qtd. on page 111]
January 24, 2021
It’s only in recent years that I’ve noticed that reading fiction can be perceived as ‘girly’. I’ve had conversations with men who say they don’t read fiction because they don’t see the point in it and I’ve also spoken to men who say they’d love to join a book club but that there don’t seem to be any ‘for men’. I picked up this book with these interactions in mind, hoping to understand how and why the reading of fiction became a ‘feminine’ hobby and why female readers of fiction are so much more prevalent than male ones. Through extensive research and over 500 personal interviews with female authors and readers alike, Helen Taylor explores the history of women’s fiction reading from beloved novels, to favourite genres to book clubs (amusingly referred to as ‘the female equivalent of freemasonry’). Taylor ultimately explores how the reading of fiction has shaped and influenced the way that women understand their own lives and stories, while not shying away from how factors such as race and class can impact attitudes and access to fiction. This book is a total treat for book lovers - while the topic is fascinating I got so much joy out of reading the excerpts from interviews of female readers. It’s such a wonderful feeling to feel connected to others through a hobby and shared love of reading just seeps out of the pages of this book.
December 28, 2020
The author is up-front that her work surveys mainly white middle-class native-English readers in America and Great Britain. Although some respondents had more diverse family or childhood backgrounds and some ethnic or country-of-origin diversity, there was a definite majority. So rather than overlay results onto all female readers, it's more appropriate to assume the generalities apply only to a certain subset of female readers.
As a frequent and indiscriminate reader myself, it was interesting to read about what other readers think about their reading lives. An optional read for library staff, especially collection services and readers' advisory.
As a frequent and indiscriminate reader myself, it was interesting to read about what other readers think about their reading lives. An optional read for library staff, especially collection services and readers' advisory.
April 27, 2022
I bought this book 3 weeks before the first UK lockdown, in March 2020, and for various reasons never managed to start it until 2 years later. I like to think this book has arrived for me now at the perfect time though; I've found it immensely comforting to read about reading, and to discover the wider community of women readers, especially reflecting on a time before the pandemic. I wonder whether there would be many differences if this book were written in a post-lockdown world? In any case, it has been a great treat to read about like-minded women and has given me an even greater appreciation for the books on my shelves!
February 7, 2025
Unfortunately I did not finish this book. While it had the potential to be so much more, it only delivered a white, British, middle-aged perspective that was incredibly narrow. I wish it could have been so much more. There is no mention of contemporary literature as such, only focusing on Fifty Shades of Grey and a few other controversial books. The book in large part reports on the books that older white British women want you to be impressed they read. Too much inclusion of other people’s narratives without much analysis.
May 15, 2022
Read this as a part of a research paper I did on Women's History and the (English) novel. It was insightful. Learned a lot from the literature I collected. It was interesting to learn about the feminization of novels, gender binary opposition, etc. While novels were dismissed as being "feminine" and of less importance compared to "serious" genres, women embraced the novel as a tool for women's advancement and a way to gain a sense of personal agency/self-authority/etc.
May 23, 2020
A really enjoyable and interesting read, although imperfect because it gives an overwhelming impression of white middle class-ness, and the focus is very much on certain types of writing
Want to read
June 22, 2020SOUTH 028.9 :: READ0 :: LITCRIT, NOT SOCIAL SCIENCE, BUT PULLS A LOT TOGETHER :: INTRODUCTION FILED :: ONE_NOTE
Read
January 4, 2023I confess that I only read the beginning and the Romance section and then DNFd because bored.
Want to read
June 25, 2024I learned of this book here: https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2...
Want to read
January 24, 2025028.9 Tay
August 26, 2025
I’m frequently drawn to books ABOUT reading as the whole subject interests me.
Helen Taylor does take a feminist slant to her book and there are many generalisations on the side of women readers which I’m certain would aggrieve many male readers.
Nonetheless, her research does point to some interesting trends and stats.
She asks you to think about WHY you read - escape? Experience the human condition? Learn something?
Personally, I don’t go to a book expecting something specific but when I’ve finished it, I know if I got it!
My reading seems to be based on ‘Afraid of Missing Out’ as there’s so many good and worthwhile books out there & I want to catch them all!
As a child I did read of magical lands like Wonderland and Narnia & I really wished to be there. As an adult I read to extend my understanding & views & concepts of life. Sounds pretentious perhaps - but it’s the only way to describe my insatiable need to read.
Taylor looks at a variety of genres and proposes some of these are gender biased.
Sci-fi Fantasy for example sacrifices character development to the exploration of ideas’ She reckons female readers crave the emotional & male crave to ‘fix’ or investigate issues. Again, a huge generalisation.
During her comments on women’s disinterest/dislike of Sci-fi she observes that probably the first & one of the greatest science fiction novels was Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley. BUT, I note, the character of the Monster is portrayed from a highly humanistic stance and the emotional pull is great. Which kinda supports the female writer & reader may prefer the human emotional take of that novel.
Taylor asks us to think about where we read and why.
Like many I personally can’t understand people who only read on holiday & it is comforting to know there are people like me out there for whom reading is an essential part of life.
The author considers book clubs and her research implies different opinions about the value of these but undoubtedly they offer companionship of like- minded people in the ever increasing fragmenting society. And it’s often good to share right?!
So….. if you love reading about reading you’ll find a lot of interesting snippets of info but try to steer clear of those horrendous generalisations and carry on reading what the hell you like! 👍
Helen Taylor does take a feminist slant to her book and there are many generalisations on the side of women readers which I’m certain would aggrieve many male readers.
Nonetheless, her research does point to some interesting trends and stats.
She asks you to think about WHY you read - escape? Experience the human condition? Learn something?
Personally, I don’t go to a book expecting something specific but when I’ve finished it, I know if I got it!
My reading seems to be based on ‘Afraid of Missing Out’ as there’s so many good and worthwhile books out there & I want to catch them all!
As a child I did read of magical lands like Wonderland and Narnia & I really wished to be there. As an adult I read to extend my understanding & views & concepts of life. Sounds pretentious perhaps - but it’s the only way to describe my insatiable need to read.
Taylor looks at a variety of genres and proposes some of these are gender biased.
Sci-fi Fantasy for example sacrifices character development to the exploration of ideas’ She reckons female readers crave the emotional & male crave to ‘fix’ or investigate issues. Again, a huge generalisation.
During her comments on women’s disinterest/dislike of Sci-fi she observes that probably the first & one of the greatest science fiction novels was Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley. BUT, I note, the character of the Monster is portrayed from a highly humanistic stance and the emotional pull is great. Which kinda supports the female writer & reader may prefer the human emotional take of that novel.
Taylor asks us to think about where we read and why.
Like many I personally can’t understand people who only read on holiday & it is comforting to know there are people like me out there for whom reading is an essential part of life.
The author considers book clubs and her research implies different opinions about the value of these but undoubtedly they offer companionship of like- minded people in the ever increasing fragmenting society. And it’s often good to share right?!
So….. if you love reading about reading you’ll find a lot of interesting snippets of info but try to steer clear of those horrendous generalisations and carry on reading what the hell you like! 👍
August 25, 2022
Enjoyed it! Very conversational way of talking about the reading us female folk do. Feel like it covered a lot of subtopics. Nice mix of anecdotes and stats.
Love the chapters around romance, crime/sff and the discussion around book clubs and literary festivals.
4*
Love the chapters around romance, crime/sff and the discussion around book clubs and literary festivals.
4*
December 14, 2020
It was like talking to someone that sees reading the some way I do.
February 29, 2020
I thought this was an interesting book, which provoked a lot of personal reflection on my reading habits and what reading means to me, as well as interesting and new conversations with my family and friends (male and female) about their own reading, and the influence of gender and class. The questionnaire used in the research is included in the back of the book, and is a great discussion starter.
The book is informed by a huge number of interviews and mix of perspectives, including female authors, individual women, and book groups, which I think gives it a good depth and breadth, though not every perspective is covered - the author is aware of this, but there is a bit of a lack of diversity. I’m also not much of a romantic or crime reader, which are two of the genres discussed in detail in the second section (that said, I noted down a few of the books mentioned on my “Want to Read” list).
One of the book’s overarching themes is how fiction, and particularly “women’s fiction” (a notion the author rightly questions) is often dismissed as frivolous, low-brow, or not as important as other genres, squeezed into the day between or after more essential tasks. I found the descriptions of what reading meant to different women and the astounding importance of fiction to their lives – whether for expanding horizons, supporting them through hard times, forming bonds with others, escaping from day to day life – to resonate with my own feelings about fiction in a way I have found hard to articulate myself.
In addition to finding this book an interesting exploration of the role of fiction in women’s lives, it struck me as a powerful call in support of reading for all – regardless of genre or gender. I’d already decided to try and read more than I did last year, and starting the year with Why Women Read Fiction has only strengthened that ambition!
The book is informed by a huge number of interviews and mix of perspectives, including female authors, individual women, and book groups, which I think gives it a good depth and breadth, though not every perspective is covered - the author is aware of this, but there is a bit of a lack of diversity. I’m also not much of a romantic or crime reader, which are two of the genres discussed in detail in the second section (that said, I noted down a few of the books mentioned on my “Want to Read” list).
One of the book’s overarching themes is how fiction, and particularly “women’s fiction” (a notion the author rightly questions) is often dismissed as frivolous, low-brow, or not as important as other genres, squeezed into the day between or after more essential tasks. I found the descriptions of what reading meant to different women and the astounding importance of fiction to their lives – whether for expanding horizons, supporting them through hard times, forming bonds with others, escaping from day to day life – to resonate with my own feelings about fiction in a way I have found hard to articulate myself.
In addition to finding this book an interesting exploration of the role of fiction in women’s lives, it struck me as a powerful call in support of reading for all – regardless of genre or gender. I’d already decided to try and read more than I did last year, and starting the year with Why Women Read Fiction has only strengthened that ambition!
February 4, 2020
I was very excited when I discovered this book and expected it to do for books what Women in Clothes by Sheila Heiti and others did for clothing and personal identity. It did not. This book does not share the personal stories of women interviewed and does not present their words in different topical collections.
What this book does do is tell us what the author thinks of women, of women reading habits and choices, how women fit in with publishing houses, festivals, bookclubs, female authors and what this means and delves into various genres. All the while these opinions from the author are backed up by extensive research into books, statistics and articles and also quites from authors and quotes from women whom she has interviewed. These quotes are used as evidence to illustrate her points, rather than being merely showcased. Personally I wanted this mere showcasing of womens stories about their own reading habits and preferences.
I did not like the first few chapters. However, chapter 3 about Pride and Predjudice and Jane Eyre, I loved and found free from such conjectures. It was spoken about as cultural phenomenons, drawing upon lines from the interviews with women she conducted, giving accounts of events and retellings and mentioning the male opinion through a few, well backed up quotes from male authors or historical figures.Chapter 4 about romance and erotic novels and Chapter 5 about Crime and Murder novels was very interesting. Neither of these are genres I enjoy or read, so it was interesting hearing what attracts people to them. These chapter were also far better written like chapter 3. I think the author is great at writing around a topic and that the intro and first two chapters acctually just lacked focus.
Overall this book was a little dispointing (because I was expecting it to be more like Women in Clothes by Sheila Heti and Co), but interwsting at times. Most of her conclusions felt very obvious to me: men dont read female looking covers, books help women to make decisions and survive hard times in life, women authors have many struggles which male authors do not have, literature is dominated by the white middle class... It wasnt new or profound to me. And it also wasnt personal accounts I had hoped for.
My favourite part, as I said was the chapter on romance and erotica and also on crime and murder.
What this book does do is tell us what the author thinks of women, of women reading habits and choices, how women fit in with publishing houses, festivals, bookclubs, female authors and what this means and delves into various genres. All the while these opinions from the author are backed up by extensive research into books, statistics and articles and also quites from authors and quotes from women whom she has interviewed. These quotes are used as evidence to illustrate her points, rather than being merely showcased. Personally I wanted this mere showcasing of womens stories about their own reading habits and preferences.
I did not like the first few chapters. However, chapter 3 about Pride and Predjudice and Jane Eyre, I loved and found free from such conjectures. It was spoken about as cultural phenomenons, drawing upon lines from the interviews with women she conducted, giving accounts of events and retellings and mentioning the male opinion through a few, well backed up quotes from male authors or historical figures.Chapter 4 about romance and erotic novels and Chapter 5 about Crime and Murder novels was very interesting. Neither of these are genres I enjoy or read, so it was interesting hearing what attracts people to them. These chapter were also far better written like chapter 3. I think the author is great at writing around a topic and that the intro and first two chapters acctually just lacked focus.
Overall this book was a little dispointing (because I was expecting it to be more like Women in Clothes by Sheila Heti and Co), but interwsting at times. Most of her conclusions felt very obvious to me: men dont read female looking covers, books help women to make decisions and survive hard times in life, women authors have many struggles which male authors do not have, literature is dominated by the white middle class... It wasnt new or profound to me. And it also wasnt personal accounts I had hoped for.
My favourite part, as I said was the chapter on romance and erotica and also on crime and murder.
October 25, 2020
It was interesting but not everyone can relate to it because she stays focused on the most female-dominated aspects of reading such as romance and crime. She particularly talks about why women in general love some books and writers that I am not bothered about, such as Jane Austen. And she says about how sci-fi is mostly read by men without getting into how some women are passionate about it. I enjoyed getting the insights into the communities of readers that she gave though, and I could relate to the parts about reading being a "guilty pleasure" for females who are expected to spend their attention on other people and/or being useful.
October 21, 2020
Interesting but a little repetitive. I wish she'd covered more contemporary fiction than the ubiquitous Brontes, Austen, Eliot, etc.
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