The War Against Women

by Marilyn French

Bestselling author and feminist scholar Marilyn French has written a shocking and fascinating analysis of the history of women's political, cultural, physical, and economic repression that is as controversial as it is utterly convincing. In this stunning work of resarch, Ms. French creates a devastating portrait of today's male-dominated global society, with its underlying aim of destroying, subjugating, or mutilating women. Here is a devastating indictment of our values and an important step toward an urgent public discussion of human morality.

Genres: Feminism, Nonfiction, History, Womens, Politics, Sociology, Gender

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

She attended Hofstra University (then Hofstra College) where she also received a master's degree in English in 1964. She married Robert M. French Jr. in 1950; the couple divorced in 1967. She later attended Harvard University, earning a Ph.D in 1972. Years later she became an instructor at Hofstra University.

In her work, French asserted that women's oppression is an intrinsic part of the male-dominated global culture. Beyond Power: On Women, Men and Morals (1985) is a historical examination of the effects of patriarchy on the world.

French's 1977 novel, The Women's Room, follows the lives of Mira and her friends in 1950s and 1960s America, including Val, a militant radical feminist. The novel portrays the details of the lives of women at this time and also the feminist movement of this era in the United States. At one point in the book the character Val says "all men are rapists". This quote has often been incorrectly attributed to Marilyn French herself. French's first book was a thesis on James Joyce.

French was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 1992. This experience was the basis for her book A Season in Hell: A Memoir (1998).

She was also mentioned in the 1982 ABBA song, "The Day Before You Came". The lyrics that mentioned French were: "I must have read a while, the latest one by Marilyn French or something in that style".

French died from heart failure at age 79 on May 2, 2009 in Manhattan, New York City. She is survived by her son Robert and daughter Jamie.

Reviews

[RB · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book the first time when I was enrolled at a Gender Studies course at the University of Copenhagen. Sadly, this book is still very relevant today. It should be read by every one, especially if you are female and living in the Middle East or in the United States of America. The extreme right turn, and with the consequent denial of women's rights to their own bodies) that is happening in several American states today is frightening, the American government needs to wake up. I hope that someone will pass this book on to Obama and his administration so they can put a stop to it. I'm definitely happy to be a female Dane living in the Netherlands.

[Deb Omnivorous Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

OK. I tried my best with this one but I am giving up.

A lot of the facts are good, there is obviously a lot of research in there especially in the industrial revolution onward and I actually do agree with many of the points being made. I do not think however that the author has a good understanding of prehistory, and it is unstated but quite clear that much of what is said about this period is the personal opinion of the author with no supporting archaeological facts.

Unfortunately, in my opinion, this book reads more than a little like hate literature and this is why I will not be finishing it at present. It is of course strongly polarised to a feminist viewpoint but I think it has taken it to such an extreme that a large proportion of cultural understanding is lost.

Minimising a culture to ‘male’ and ‘female’ as a way of emphasising specific issues I understand, but here the minimisation is extended to the point where the social conclusions are often meaningless. The viewpoint is also unremittingly American, I think the author makes an attempt to incorporate other cultures but I see no true understanding of actual differences in society; it is all simplified down to ‘male’ and ‘female’.

I might pick this book up again one day but only if I am in the mood to be browbeaten for a while.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

At once dated and still revelent, this is a book where you find yourself reading closely and then skimming parts. I wonder, for instance, how the bits about Zimbabwe if have gotten worse considering.

I also, quite frankly, what to point out some bits.

(1) Rap music, today, one could agrue gets far more "censorship" attacks than rock, but in the 1990s, it was Rock music as well as rap.

(2) I have no idea what she is talking about when she goes on, at length, about women not being out on the streets during the day because unlike men the women are working. Um, really? Because it never looked that way to me. Okay, maybe the women aren't in the bars, but maybe, just maybe, that has more to do with the fact that women need to worry about what gets added to their drinks? This ties in with French's thesis, but doesn't get a mention.

(3) She explains why it is understandable that Louis Farrakhan is racist but then questions why he is anti-semitic.


So dated in places, off topic in others, yet still an important read, especially when looking at the treatment of women in culture.

[Anusha Jayaram · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am all for feminism, gender equality and protection for the weak. While there is much to be written on a topic such as this, The War Against Women is a work of paranoia. The author does cite genuine instances of crimes against women (as if there were any dearth of those). But she also construes every little thing said or done by most people as an affront to womanhood. Uncalled for. In one word, "hyper"!

[Ryan Mishap · Rating 4 out of 5]

From 1990, an ambitious attempt to identify, in a global context, the wars waged on women in this patriarchal era. Sobering, enraging, and important, this book should be shoved in the face of anyone who dismisses the notion of male oppression of women.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though the book came out in 1991, the points it makes are still valid today. It is amazing how little progress has been made in the intervening 18 years. Women still lack parity in employment, status and, unfortunately, even under the eyes of the law.

[Chrissie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Horrifying, enraging, very thorough and detailed account of patriarchy. Somewhat outdated now 20 years later. It would be wonderful if someone put in the time and effort to update French's work and could give an accurate account of today's state of affairs for women. Wonderful resource and a book every woman should read.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marilyn French is an amazing woman!

[Suveera · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS 1992 BOOK ENTITLED "THE WAR AGAINST WOMEN" BY FEMINIST AUTHOR/SCHOLAR MARILYN FRENCH IS A DEVASTATINGLY ACCURATE, TRUTHFUL PORTRAYAL AND EYE-OPENING ANALYSIS ABOUT THE SHOCKINGLY HEARTBREAKING ATROCITIES FACED BY ALL WOMEN FROM MEN IN PRACTICALLY ALL SPHERES OF LIFE - WHETHER THEY BE RELIGIOUS, NATIONAL, POLITICAL, LINGUISTIC, ETC.
ALL WOMEN ARE TREATED AS SECOND-CLASS CITIZENS WITH ABSOLUTELY NO RIGHTS AND THE REAL SECRET OF MEN IS THEIR UNDYING NEED FOR ABSOLUTE CONTROL AND DOMINATION OVER WOMEN, AND MEN HAVE CLEVERLY DEVISED ALL SORTS OF MEANS TO ACHIEVE THEIR SECRET AGENDA OF SUBORDINATION AGAINST AND OVER ALL WOMEN.
THE FEMINIST REVIVAL REVEALS ALL THIS WITHIN THIS MUST-READ BOOK BY ALL WOMEN WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND WOMEN'S LEGAL STATUS BECAUSE THIS BOOK LAYS BARE THE SECRET DECISIONS AND DIRTY MISSIONS OF MEN AGAINST WOMEN.
THIS BOOK IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AND SHOULD BE QUOTED OFTEN AS WELL.
AS A WOMAN OF EAST INDIAN ETHNIC DESCENT, I CAN PERSONALLY VOUCH AND PROVIDE TESTIMONY ABOUT THE ALREADY-KNOWN ATROCITIES DISCUSSED WITHIN THE BOOK AGAINST INDIAN WOMEN AND THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY 100% TRUE, SINCE I'VE LIVED AND EXPERIENCED ALMOST ALL, IF NOT ALL, THE DEFINED AND DISCUSSED ATROCITIES AGAINST INDIAN WOMEN WITHIN THE BOOK.
I WAS EQUALLY SHOCKED ABOUT CERTAIN NEW ASPECTS OF MALE AGGRESSION AGAINST WOMEN I NEVER KNEW ABOUT UNTIL I READ THIS BOOK.
IN CONCLUSION, REGARDLESS OF RACE, RELIGION, NATIONALITY, ALL MEN ARE DESTROYING WOMEN EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME WITH THEIR AGGRESSIVE NATURE USING EVIL THOUGHTS, ABUSIVE WORDS, HURTFUL ACTIONS IN BOTH THE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIVES.
WOMEN NEED TO SPEAK OUT AND EXPOSE THEIR PAINFUL PASTS IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT SOME SICK MEN DO NOT CONTINUE THEIR PERSONAL WAR AGAINST WOMEN ANYMORE.
P.S. ON A PERSONAL ENDNOTE, I AM A DOMESTIC ABUSE VIOLENCE SURVIVOR, REDEEMED BY MY RELIGION FAITH AND THE UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT OF MY ENTIRE BLOOD FAMILY.
AUTHOR = MS. SUVEERA AMIN.

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating, if not slightly outdated. Would be interesting to see more updated statistics, I need a 2.0 of this book for the present day.

“If we continue at this rate, we may expect men to share maintenance tasks by 2025” - Ladies, this means you best be putting your men to work this year 💅🏽

I just googled the author and she looks so c^nty, a real diva, period. 💁🏻‍♀️

[Alleydancer07 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would have received more stars had the overbearing opinions of the author not tainted the facts presented; every author has certain biases, Ms French happens to trumpet hers throughout what is supposed to be an informative research book. The facts presented were, as far as I could tell, not tweaked, but the overwhelming colour of the language used throughout the book made it less than desireable to quote when doing research.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

How truthful. Fact packed book. We are in danger of losing all our mothers and grandmothers fought for in ages passed. Yet there are women who believe we don't need to fight any more. Any way this is a great women's study book. But if I'm allowed to go on my soap box will self destruct in 24 hours. So I'll shut up now. Just read it okay!

[Marlaina McCauslin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amaizng read about how women are still being repressed in every country including U.S.

[Bastian Greshake Tzovaras · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read giving you about all the reasons why what should be ~50% of humanity are fucked over by the men time and again, including the reasons why in terms of numbers they are less than 50%…

[Lucas · Rating 4 out of 5]

TW: virtue signaling

Denna bok var mycket ögonöppnande för mig. Jag har ändå länge sett mig själv som feminist men har aldrig seriöst engagerat mig i feministisk teori och litteratur. När jag såg att d va massa skämt online om "feminist literature" kände jag typ mest att det var lökigt att män bara skämtade om det typ istället för att faktiskt läsa på och ta frågan seriöst. D kändes som väldigt tydligt sätt att va en del av problemet haha.

Denna boken presenterade övertygande argument och data på hur kvinnoförtrycket genomsyrar samhället och hur förankrat det är i samhällsstrukturerna. Det kanske låter självklart at face value, men att faktiskt se statistiken och visar att det är en rätt absurd situation vi lever i då halva jordens befolkning är under förtrycket av den andra halvan. Det är extra absurt i Sverige då vi menar att vi är mer jämlika än andra länder, men ändå så lever kvinnor under rätt extrema förtryck både i hemmet, ekonomiskt, kulturellt och politiskt. Enda anledningen till varför vi inte ser d som extremt i Sverige är för att d e ännu värre i andra länder.

Denna bok skrevs på 90-talet så vissa delar kändes lite utdaterade, andra delar var inte helt klockrena rent argumentationsmässigt, men trots det håller den upp och jag tycker att den är minst lika relevant idag, speciellt när pendeln verkar svinga tillbaka till en mer konservativ mainstream.

Jag gillade att French, trots att hon uppenbarligen är vänster, kritiserar arbetarrörelsens roll i att uppehålla kvinnoförtrycket och hur vänstern idag svikit kvinnorörelsen. Det kändes väldigt sant och nyanserat och är ett perspektiv som absolut saknas i den radikala vänstern idag.

Det jag tog med mig var nog hur jag och män runt mig bidrar till kvinnoförtrycket i vardagen både i beteende och förväntad privilegium. Även den globala situationen sattes i perspektiv och min syn på den feministiska rörelsen och kvinnokampen har förändrats rätt radikalt.

Boken avslutas även med en rad olika framgångsrika kvinnorörelsen jag aldrig hört talas om vilket jag uppskattade väldigt mycket. T.ex. womens strike for peace och Greenham common.

[Inès · Rating 5 out of 5]

i know i said i wont review essays but this was utterly good, read it for good conscience.

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es un libro muy directo y no se anda con tapujos.
Me gusta como expone todo, mostrando la cruda realidad. Algunas cosas las conocía, en mayor o menor detalle, otras me las imaginaba o podía suponer que ocurrían. Pero hay cosas que se me escapaban (como los diferentes tipos de mutilización genital, que pensé que solo existía un tipo. Iluso de mí). Da rabia, tristeza e impotencia.

Me gustaría ser optimista y decir que las cosas han cambiado, han mejorado, que el libro se publicó hace ya sus 30 años aprox. Pero desgraciadamente, muchos problemas que menciona no han cambiado en absoluto. La mayoría de los que describe como que estaban empezando a surgir como respuesta al feminismo no están más que en auge en nuestros tiempos. Otras simplemente más visibles, aunque siempre han estado ahí (como las violaciones en pandilla, o "manada"). Es desalentador ver el pensamiento tan retrogrado y enfermizo, la hostilidad y el rechazo de tanta gente a un movimiento que busca el bienestar de todo el mundo. Yo vivo en España y hablo desde el punto de vista occidental del Norte Global, donde las cosas se supone que están "mejor" (mucha gente que desacredita el feminismo en Europa usa el argumento de "¿qué más queréis? Si ya lo tenéis todo, el feminismo de ahora es puro capricho, nada que ver con la real de hace 100 años que luchaba contra problemas de verdad...").

Quizá en occidente lo que ha pasado es que se ha reducido, cambiado el pensamiento en gran medida, pero el machismo sigue latente y ocurre de puertas para adentro, puesto que se recibe con gran criticismo cualquier comentario fuera de lugar contra cualquier minoría, pero sigue habiendo mucha violencia doméstica, violaciones, comentarios innecesarios por la calle, discriminación quizá más sutil...
Por ejemplo, el caso reciente de un señor del congreso de los Estados Unidos de América que insultó a las puertas del Capitolio a AOC, una compañera del congreso y la persona más sensata en el mundo político estadounidense ahora mismo, bajo mi punto de vista. O las violaciones en grupo de España (las llamadas "Manada"). El persistente acoso, sea escolar, en el trabajo o por la calle. Sobre todo, con el Internet (cosa que aún era joven cuando se escribió el libro) se han visto nuevas herramientas que tiene el patriarcado y el machismo para librar la guerra contra la mujer y, en general. las minorías de la sociedad. Por ejemplo, el hackeo y la subida de material íntimo de famosas, o los pedofilos 'disfrazados', o amenazas de ex parejas de subir también material íntimo bien como forma de venganza o de chantaje (han habido casos tanto de mujeres jóvenes como adultas, de hecho, el año pasado una mujer que trabajaba en una fábrica se suicido al difundirse un vídeo suyo íntimo por toda la plantilla de su trabajo)... veo más problemas sociales que legales hoy día, pero sigue muy arraigado en nuestra sociedad, el machismo y los problemas del patriarcado.

La guerra continua. Hay pequeñas victorias, pero si se sigue con la misma lentitud que con la lucha contra el cambio climático, nos vamos a extinguir como especie antes de que la guerra contra la mujer acabe.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE FEMINIST NOVELIST PROVIDES AN OVERALL PICTURE OF OPPOSITION

Author Marilyn French (1929-2009) wrote in the Introduction to this 1992 book, “Feminist ideas had been articulated for centuries by writers like … Mary Wollstonecraft, George Sand, and a host of others, and a feminist movement arose during the French Revolution. But feminism as a widespread political movement dates to 1848 at the Seneca Falls movement in the United States… It distressed all men, not just the elite, by creating discord at home, and … challenging men where they are most vulnerable, in their self-definition…. I define as ‘feminist’ any attempt to improve the lot of any group of women through female solidarity and a female perspective. Considering the power and solidarity of the forces arrayed against them, feminists’ success in improving women’s lot in so brief a time is dazzling.” (Pg. 12)

She states, “elite AND working-class men… continue to seek to find ways to defeat feminism, by rescinding or gnawing away at its victories… confining women to lower employment levels… or founding movements aimed at returning them to fully subordinate status (‘fundamentalism’)… The war is aimed at reasserting or tightening men’s control over female bodies, especially sexual and reproductive capabilities, and women’s labor…. Knowing that someone must fulfill this role [motherhood] or the race will perish, [men] will have to reward women for what they do (unpleasant), or they can use every means … to urge, demand, and force women to continue in their role and their subordination… they persecute women without recognizing they are destroying the human race.” (Pg. 13-14)

She notes, “Religions are major vehicles for subjugating women. To keep women from having political power—power within churches, a voice on public issues---religions concentrate mainly on women’s bodies, treating the female body as if it incarnated the morality of the entire human race.” (Pg. 19)

She argues, “If we set out (for a change) to prove men inferior, we could cite the fact that men die at a greater rate than women in every decade of life, that they are emotionally stunted… cannot have babies or raise them, or even make their own dinners. Subject to hormonal swings that cause them to flare into rages that threaten life (their own and others’)… They have certain redeeming features: they are sexually passionate, and their irresponsibility frees them to be playful or brilliant about matters unconnected to the real business of life. Surely, such a species should be set in a playpen to amuse itself while women take the burden of responsibility for managing society, raising children, and cooking dinner. If this were the prevailing ideology... protests by male groups would be seen as resulting from hormonally caused mood swings.” (Pg. 23-24)

She observes, “women are overburdened not by being in the ‘real world,’ but by having two jobs. It seems never to occur to men that taking care of themselves and raising their children should be everyone’s work, not solely women’s. That overworked women have less energy and time for demanding jobs legitimates men in excluding women from them. The circle again.” (Pg. 39)

She contends, “If the ‘pro-life’ campaign succeeds, far more women will die of illegal abortions and more women will have babies they do not want and cannot support, adding to the burden borne by welfare agencies. We must question the motivation underlying a campaign directed at such ends. The real motivation of the campaign to criminalize abortion is to establish the principles that women’s bodies belong to the state and that women bear the responsibility for sex.” (Pg. 90)

She points out, “Divorced women cannot easily find lawyers to represent them and get little help in collecting child support. Male lawyers and judges refuse to take charges of sexual assault seriously when victim and accused are acquainted. The top echelons of the judicial system are overweighted with men: women make up only 10% of trial judges, but 90% of the clerks.” (Pg. 128)

She explains, “In the United States, where 55% of women work for wages, all face discrimination. Those in professions and managerial jobs point to a ‘glass ceiling’ over their heads. Businesses and institutions claim they place no barrier to the promotion of women, yet few advance, and professional and managerial women early considerably less than their male counterparts.” (Pg. 133)

She reports, “The issue of infertility was revived in the 1980s to become the subject of… books and articles and television news and dramas… Yet there is no substantive evidence that the overall incidence of infertility in the United States has grown in the past decade… It is another part of the worldwide war against women waged in the knowledge that egalitarianism---or, put another way, female autonomy---threatens ‘the family’; i.e., male prerogatives.” (Pg. 152)

She recounts, “Years ago, few women were upset about pornography. Sadistic porn was rare… But some women felt ‘popular’ pornography to be dangerous… I read some. It was not sadistic; it centered on intercourse and was extremely … repetitive… It seemed harmless, maybe even a boon … if it kept men from rape… Those were days of innocence… pornography changed, growing far more widespread and moving from books to film to video. When it began to portray children as well as women, we discovered that men were sexually molesting children… In the late 1960s, pornography reached staggering depths of violence, hatred, and cruelty… feminist analysis had taught us that even mild pornography degrades women and teaches men to see them through a distorted, deforming lens.” (Pg. 165-166)

She asserts, “As long as some men use physical force to subjugate females, ALL men need not… A man can simply refuse to hire women in well-paid jobs, extract as much or more work from women than men but pay them less, or treat women disrespectfully at work or at home. He can fail to support a child he has engendered, demand the woman he lives with wait on him like a servant. He can beat or kill the women he claims to love, he can rape women… he can rape or sexually molest his daughters, nieces, stepchildren, or the children of a woman he claims to love. The vast majority of men in the world do one or more of the above.” (Pg. 182)

She notes, “Women protest their exclusive responsibility for housework because they are overworked but also because the division of labor sets up an uneven power arrangement: the person responsible for maintenance automatically becomes a servant of the others. And since housework is unpaid, the woman serves without reward or respect.” (Pg. 186)

Not quite a ‘scholarly’ book (it lacks documentation for some of its statistical claims, for example), this still a powerful book, that will interest all those concerned about the life situations of women.

[Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book that is definitely of its time. The author makes points that are still valid today and I learned some things I wasn't aware of growing up in the 80s and 90s, but it feels dated. Plus I really don't recognise the men I grew up with and worked with in the descriptions of men the author gives. Things really aren't that black and white. Rating: 3 stars.

[Karen]

* Understanding Oppression: Women's Rights (Then and Now)

The War Against Women by Marilyn French | Bestselling author and feminist scholar Marilyn French has written a shocking and fascinating analysis of the history of women's political, cultural, physical, and economic repression that is as controversial as it is utterly convincing. #socialsciences #politics #womensrights

[Lex · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some of the statements presented as fact in this book are misleading and some are outright false. While I agree with many of French’s observations, I was seeking a book with more evidence and analysis.

[Triin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book. It's from 1990's, a lot has changed and a lot hasn't since then. I could have added so much more, but I learned a lot also!

[C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent, succinct overview.

[Gaby · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is very informative and explains the real struggles of women throughout history and around the world in their quest for better treatment and egalitarian conditions.
At times crude, citing concrete evidence of government as well as individual alienation of females from worship, work and domestic arenas the book is as current today as it was at the time of printing in 1992.
Perhaps the following paragraph towards the end of the book better summarizes the entire message:

‘While men strut and fret their hour upon the stage, shout in bars and sports arenas, thump their chests or show their profiles in the legislatures, and explode incredible weapons in an endless contest for status, an obsessive quest for symbolic “proof” of their superiority, women quietly keep the world going. Women know that men will not do this, that either they do the job or it will not be done. They grow or buy, they carry and prepare food for the essential, inevitably, necessarily female-prepared dinner; they give birth to the children and feed them and bathe them and hold them and teach them and hope they will survive. They encourage their men, nurture them, soothe them, nag them, hoping they too will survive and help the children to survive. They do not -as a caste- want the same things men want, and so different are the motivations driving the two sexes that men shake their heads wondering “what do women want?” Women know what men want-but they too shake their heads.

[Anna Lightwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 ✨️ un libro muy doloroso y real que te hace pensar en que la humanidad no tiene ningún tipo de corazón, es desgarrador ver como años tras años vamos retrocediendo y la mujer ha sido la que peores golpes ha recibido...

Es curioso porque la mujer es la portadora de vida pero es la que siempre ha sido atacada. ¿O es que los hombres se creen tan superiores que ya pueden reproducirse entre ellos?

El hombre ha generado una "superioridad" a costa de la sumisión de las mujeres porque realmente su cerebro no les da para más, pobres, y pobres nosotras que hemos tenido que soportar la falta de inteligencia de estos seres que se hacen llamar humanos.

Es un libro tan triste que me hizo perder todo tipo de esperanza en la raza humana.

[Gizem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her ne kadar kisisel gorusunu ileri tasiyip her kulturel imgeyi erkeklerin kadina olan nefretine baglamaya calismis olsa da yazar buyuk feminizm tarihine iliskin carpici anekdotlar aktarmis. Buyuk bir arastirmanin emegi oldugu goz ardi edilemez. Okurken tuylerimin diken diken oldugu bolumler oldu, feminizm tarihine ilgi duymami sagladi diyebilirim bu kitap icin. Kuskusuz bu konu uzerine okumaya devam edicem. Bunun disinda dedigim gibi yazilanlara katiliyorum bazi noktalarda fanatizme varan tespitler var. Kisinin kendi suzgecinden gecirmesine kalmis cok da onyargili olmamak lazim diye dusunuyorum. Bir kadin olarak tespitlerinin bir coguna hak veriyorum.

[Bread · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marilyns bestes Werk, dass den Sexismus beschreibt wie es ist: ein Krieg gegen die Frauen und es ist mit der Zeit nur relevanter geworden. Kritik, dass es sich hier um Hass Literatur handelt, zeigt voreingenommene Leser, die die Situation nicht außerhalb von konventionellen Denkensweisen sehen möchten. Marilyn beschrieb oft genug die Implikationen unserer patriarchalen Gesellschaft gegen Männer und spricht ebenso FÜR Sie. Das Buch ist für Einsteiger in feministische Literatur perfekt geeignet und bietet Möglichkeiten seine eigenen Meinungen bezüglich dieser Situation zu formen.

[Paola Cortes · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried and failed. I don't know, it quite feels like it was deffinitely written by a white woman: I'm sorry but the fact that she took as example countries (and in the case of Africa, the whole continent) of mostly black and brown people to compare the level of mysoginistic laws and culture felt a little racist to be honest. I couldn't finish it, maybe I'll try later again

[Emilie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It feels like invisible women sort of pivoted from this book. This was a lot more brutal, in a good way, but less coherent.

[Fadillah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an amazing read. The book came out in 1991, yet the points she's making in the book is still relevant. Patriarchy still rooted deeply in society, toxic masculinity still heavily influenced the community's thinking and feminism still considered by 'some men' as an evil force that needed to be taken out. Overall, French's writing is backed by facts and cases to support the points she made in this. Feminism has evolved ever since especially now and the struggle of the idea to make women and men are equal still considered radical. If Marilyn french is still alive, i'm sure the updated version will come out and more critical analysis will be added in the book. This is easily 5 stars for me.