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Most Helpful Reviews
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Liked It “A life changing book for me. Marilyn French captured the oppression and persecution of women who wanted more choices perfectly. The fact that in the beginning, the woman did not even realize what the problem was makes the story that much more poignant and relatable.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “Book had an obvious feminist theme and the bias was laughable at times, very dated. All the men are idiots or abusers, not one positive male role model in the whole book. I"m surprised at the good reviews. Overall, a pretty ridiculous book.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
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“A life changing book for me. Marilyn French captured the oppression and persecution of women who wanted more choices perfectly. The fact that in the beginning, the woman did not even realize what the problem was makes the story that much more poignant and relatable. ”
Cee wrote this review Monday, October 12 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Evidently a modern feminist classic (that I had never heard of!), several of my friends read "The Women's Room" in college and were profoundly affected by it. The book is long (too long?), with many, many characters and no true driving plot line. I think of it more as a memoir, encompassing many different women's experiences in the '50's-'70's. I came away from it thanking God and science (again) for modern birth control - the single most important invention for freeing women to a life beyond procreation. It's a bit over the top with the man-bashing, but it all rang true. My book club wondered if men are any different now. I think, because women do now hold positions of power in government and the workplace, that today's men are more comfortable with the fully developed people women can be. Now, if we can just get society to accept that homemaking is just as important and carries just as much worth as a career!”
DrRenee wrote this review Tuesday, October 6 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I approached this book with a little trepidation. I would not consider myself to be a radical feminist, although I think all women should be feminists. The main character, Mira, sort of reminded me of myself.
Kiki68 wrote this review Saturday, October 3 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
This is a very long book, maybe a little too long. Here and there French goes off an a diatribe that may be a little over the top for me. This book is set in the late 60's suburbia/early 70's Harvard; there's lots of anti war protesting. A variety of characters, housewives and later students at Harvard are here, with all there experiences and points of view. Some characters, like Val and Mira, are more explored and expanded upon than others, but French ambitiously tries to give view points of many different female experiences.
Overall, I'm glad I read this, I don't even want to try and summarize this novel. Though long, all women should probably read it, and whether you agree with all of the sentiments presented, much of the book is timely and current to 2009.”
“A modern classic.”
latebeach wrote this review Thursday, May 14 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This may be dated now, but I remember loving it way back. ”
Lisa W wrote this review Tuesday, March 31 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I really liked this novel when I read it in college. I don't know how well it has aged.”
Monica T wrote this review Sunday, December 28 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Between Betty Friedan's very public book, The Feminine Mystique, and this story of a private life. it is a toss what one should pick to come to an understanding of all that went behind the need of women's movement.”
Dr. J. G. wrote this review Wednesday, September 10 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Book had an obvious feminist theme and the bias was laughable at times, very dated. All the men are idiots or abusers, not one positive male role model in the whole book. I"m surprised at the good reviews. Overall, a pretty ridiculous book.”
Karen J wrote this review Sunday, June 1 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I first read this book when I was a woman in my 20s, about 30 years ago. I come from the generation of women who were beginning to 'think', to blaze trails, for ourselves and this book truly touched some very raw places in my heart. I come from a long line of very independent thinking women and I know my maternal grandmother and my mother both felt so stifled, so imprisoned in the social mores of their times. I could hear the cries of both women screaming "Let me OUT!" as I read this book. Fortunately for me, I married a man who embraced my intelligence, my independent spirit, and has never done anything to try to keep me 'under his control'. My grandmother and my mother weren't so fortunate, and I know my mother's resentment seethed just under the surface for all the years of her adult womanhood. This book disturbed me deeply and yet made a profound impression on me that has stuck with me all these years. I think any young woman of today should read it...maybe it'll help them to understand why we 'bra-burners' felt we needed to stand up and change the world for women.”
Kris S wrote this review Wednesday, April 16 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
