2015: The Year of Reading Women discussion

For me the most obvious here would be The Mandarins and The Second Sex.

Traveller wrote: "For me the most obvious here would be The Mandarins and The Second Sex."

Agree with those two!

I liked her Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter far more than Mandarins, if less so than TSS.

Apparently I'm the only person who adored All Men are Mortal but there you have it. A love that dares speak its name even if it is but to die, at least dying in sunlight.

Will wrote: "Apparently I'm the only person who adored All Men are Mortal but there you have it. A love that dares speak its name even if it is but to die, at least dying in sunlight."

I remember liking it, but in all honesty I can't remember much about it at all.

I do recall that Les belles images was amazing: it's definitely my favorite of her novels (that I've read). I should trace down a copy of that and re-read it this year.

I own a copy of the Second Sex and have only read selections from it and would like to read the whole thing so I'm up for TSS. I've never read any novels of her and would love to but first I'll have to see if I can get a hold of one.

Okay, I'd be in for Second Sex, though just not January, February, May or October.

I'm in for The Second Sex and Les belles images.

Anyone else for Les Belles Images? And what would be an agreeable starting date for those interested, given other group reads already going on here and such?

Can't wait to re-read that one!

I'm in for Les Belles Images!

Will wrote: "I'm in for Les Belles Images!"

Lovely.

Maybe in the summer? It's quite short, so whenever seems to work for everyone is fine by me. It can be hard to find a copy: not sure it's in print in translation, but secondhand copies are certainly easy (and cheap) to come by.

Does Sept. work for LBI? I just now realize I've perhaps bitten off more than I can chew group-read-wise through August...

If Sept. sounds good to Will, Kris, and anyone else interested, I'll gladly set up the upcoming/bookshelf stuff for it.

The only book that I have read is 'Adieux' , a very intimate and touching memoir about her relationship with Sartre, especially about his last days that brings out many of the contradictions of Sartre without any malice. A transformative piece of writing about the enduring relationship between two great artists.

Oh, hi PGR! Long time no see. Adieux certainly sounds very enticing...

September is great for me for LBI.

And waving hello to you, PGR!

Kris wrote: "September is great for me for LBI."

Great - aded to the group bookshelf with Sept 15th start date through end of Sept. (it's short, and some other group reads going on at the start of September, so hope this mid-month start is okay with everyone.)

We can set up a thread for it when the time gets closer.

Er... anybody for Second Sex?

Traveller wrote: "Er... anybody for Second Sex?"

I was wondering the same thing!

I would have liked to join in Les Belles Images but can't find a copy of it anywhere.

Well, I'm a bit of a feminist, and it just seems to be something I should have read by now, and I haven't, so...

Traveller wrote: "Well, I'm a bit of a feminist, and it just seems to be something I should have read by now, and I haven't, so..."

Yup, same for me. I love the trio of French Feminist Theorists: de Beauvoir, Hélène Cixous and Julia Kristeva. For me Cixous has one of the most beautiful writing styles I've ever seen.

I haven't read Cixous really. Hmm, I have quite a lot on Kristeva of course, though perhaps not read as much by her as I should have, either. Feminism is so diverse, and I don't agree with all the schools of it. Is any group as divided as the feminists, I wonder?

Traveller wrote: "I haven't read Cixous really. Hmm, I have quite a lot on Kristeva of course, though perhaps not read as much by her as I should have, either. Feminism is so diverse, and I don't agree with all the..."

Ha, probably not ;) I loved the essay of Cixous - The Laugh of the Medusa. You should read that if you haven't yet.

Yolande wrote: "Ha, probably not ;) I loved the essay of Cixous - The Laugh of the Medusa. You should read that if you haven't yet. ..."

Will do!

Yolande wrote: "I would have liked to join in Les Belles Images but can't find a copy of it anywhere."

Your profile doesn't say where you are... But Amazon has a bunch for about a dollar, as does Abebooks.com.

It's also an easy enough book to get through a public library, I'm sure.

Les Belles Images -- should be able to use this to click through to Amazon offerings, which is what I am going to try, based on Proustitute's suggestion.

P.S. Well, that's a French edition; search for an English one when you get to Amazon.

Yes; I bought one for about a dollar or two used on Amazon last week. There were a bunch on there, as well as Abebooks, Alibris, etc. It's easy to find secondhand in English translation, but it's out of print - as far as I know - if you want a brand-new copy of the translated edition.

Here's the link on Amazon to the English translation: http://www.amazon.com/Belles-Images-S...

Used from a mere penny! (Of course, it may be that edition is falling apart, but you can definitely find a bargain in there, I'm sure.)

Thanks for the info Lily and Proustitute. However I think I'll check in the library first. I live in South Africa and checked Amazon's international shipping costs and it's just too expensive for me for buying a book. I usually only buy ebooks on Amazon and bypass all print editions.

I'd definitely be interested in reading "The Second Sex". Another one that has been on my list for ages!
(And I'll try and check in the LBI group read, too.)

The_Freddy wrote: "I'd definitely be interested in reading "The Second Sex". Another one that has been on my list for ages!
(And I'll try and check in the LBI group read, too.)"

Oh goodie! I'm doing a bit of a feminist project later on in 2015, on some of the authors listed in this group, so maybe it would be nice to read Second Sex before that.
How does August sound? Otherwise I might have to move it on to November...

August work's for me. I might be reading in advance a bit, but I'm up to discuss it in August.

August is fine for me.

Ok, will be sticking it onto the August slot then, yaye. :)

TSS is 822 pages in my edition. This is going to take some time ;)

Yolande wrote: "TSS is 822 pages in my edition. This is going to take some time ;)"

Oh dear... I haven't looked at mine yet... I wonder how it would work if just discussed some parts of the book? Or divide it into 2 parts and discuss part 1 in August and Part 2 in December?

I'm up for the TSS read -- I will probably read it over a period of time from July/August through November/December. I think that dividing into two parts and setting discussions of those parts in August and late November may give people some time to read and discuss what they find interesting, etc.

Kris wrote: "I'm up for the TSS read -- I will probably read it over a period of time from July/August through November/December. I think that dividing into two parts and setting discussions of those parts in A..."

Sounds good.

Okay, you guys are on. Glad that you agree in principle. We can sort out the finer details shortly then. (Such as exactly what to read when, etc.)

I'm reading TSS now and would love to join in on a discussion whenever it's set up :)

Karin wrote: "I'm reading TSS now and would love to join in on a discussion whenever it's set up :)"

In that case, I wonder if we shouldn't perhaps start a thread to commence a bit earlier than August - like July first, maybe?

I'll be honest in saying that I don't know if I will have time to read the entire work, but I would like to give it a bash, in any case. :P

Okay, I set it up. Discussion thread here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

This is quite funny:

http://www.critical-theory.com/wp-con...

Yolande wrote: "This is quite funny:

http://www.critical-theory.com/wp-con..."

oh my gosh that's too good!

Just to be clear, our Simone de Beuavoir discussion of The Second Sex is now for July 1, 2015.

Traveller wrote: "The_Freddy wrote: "I'd definitely be interested in reading "The Second Sex". Another one that has been on my list for ages!
(And I'll try and check in the LBI group read, too.)"

Oh goodie! I'm do..."

I'm also really keen to read The Second Sex. Also a feminist and I haven't read the book. I'm curious, have you ever read any of Violette Leduc? She was a close friend of De Beauvoir.

Did anybody read "Second Sex" in July?
I totally didn't and I don't find a thread for the group read either? (Please correct me if I'm wrong!)

So should we find a new date for the group read? I'd still be interested! :)

The_Freddy wrote: "Did anybody read "Second Sex" in July?
I totally didn't and I don't find a thread for the group read either? (Please correct me if I'm wrong!)

So should we find a new date for the group read? I'd ..."

Yes, I'm interested.

That makes two of us. :)
I wonder if anybody else would like to try again...
Maybe we wait for a few days and if not we just do it as a buddy read?

I am also still interested but I will wait and see what happens.

The_Freddy wrote: "That makes two of us. :)
I wonder if anybody else would like to try again...
Maybe we wait for a few days and if not we just do it as a buddy read?"

Happy to do a buddy read and also happy to join with others if they are interested. :)

Yolande wrote: "I am also still interested but I will wait and see what happens."

Great, Yolande! :-)

And so we'll definitely get a chance to read this together, Helen. :-)

Does anybody already have a preferred date to start?