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What books written by women should my husband read?

78 replies

MrsDrThorne · 05/06/2017 22:22

By his own admission my well educated and pretty well read husband has read naff all books by women. He went to a boys only school with a teacher who was obsessed by a certain male author and didn't study English Literature past GCSE. So bar some Val McDermid, Wolf Hall, Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit and some Sarah Walters he has read NO books written by women. He reads a lot and likes crime, historical crime eg CJ Sansom, surrealist literature and dry humour. Among his favourite writers are Mikhail Bulgakov, Ian Rankin and Henning Mankell. (He loves a series). He doesn't want to read anything too 'challenging' but is going to try The Handmaid's Tale as we are both loving the C4 adaptation. I don't think he would like Eliot or Austen but am going to insist he tries Wuthering Heights. What else do you think he should try??

OP posts:
ImperialBlether · 05/06/2017 22:34

Get him to read Jane Eyre and then get him to read Wide Sargasso Sea. His mind will be blown!

YoullNeverWeeAlone · 05/06/2017 22:33

Dorothy L Sayers, Antonia Fraser and PD James are all female crime writers I've enjoyed.

Also Kate Atkinson - I like all her books but the Jackson Brodie ones are probably good for a crime fan.

If he likes Handmaid's Tale, I love lots of Atwood. Alias Grace is probably favourite, although Robber Bride and Cats Eye up there. Oh and the Blind Assassin.

Backingvocals · 05/06/2017 22:32

I'm not fussed about Wuthering Heights really but Jane Eyre is a book that everyone should read imho. Especially if they want to understand how women have been powerless but are also powerful.

If you want page-turners, I'm not sure you can beat Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker.

If he wouldn't like Jane Austen (who is the queen of dry humour) then you may have to consider leaving him.