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Original poster

My DH has expressed an interest in reading a book by a woman

169 replies

ringle · 18/11/2017 16:12

He is an academic and very well and widely read. Save that he has never read a book by a woman.

He likes classic texts basically. Stuff that would make him better read.

Where to start? Could you help me make a shortlist?

OP posts:
Original poster
ringle · 19/11/2017 10:46

To be fair, he is a superb lecturer and supervisor, and his students are not shortchanged. He doesn't lecture on English lit.

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NotDavidTennant · 19/11/2017 10:44

At a guess, I suspect that when he says he has never read a book by a woman he really means that he has never read a book that deals with stereotypically "feminine" subject matter (i.e. stories about romance and relationships with female leads). The things he has read by women (e.g. Adrian Mole) haven't been remembered by him as being by women because they don't fit this stereotype.

Original poster
ringle · 19/11/2017 10:44

Re Shakespeare, I expect he had some minor exposure at school but didn't get it /it didn't sink in at that stage.

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Gruach · 19/11/2017 10:42

There are (and have been) countless brilliant writers who are female all across the US, the Caribbean, Australasia, Africa (north, south, east and west - some English speaking some less so,) the rest of the UK and Ireland (not to speak of the not primarily English speaking bulk of Europe. And all the places I've missed out - and all the literature available in translation)

Personally I feel sorry for every single student "taught" by this man. They have been dreadfully shortchanged. (I also worry about the effect on his research.)

Meeep · 19/11/2017 10:40

You could search for women Pulitzer prize winners and buy him a few of those for Christmas.

Original poster
ringle · 19/11/2017 10:39

Yes, he will have read more than he knows.

I think the problem is that the world considers him well read. There is something that makes me uneasy.

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TheAntiBoop · 19/11/2017 10:38

The country he grew up in won't out you - this site is full of foreign born people!! Particularly from English speaking countries

Original poster
ringle · 19/11/2017 10:37

Herat rtft

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Heratnumber7 · 19/11/2017 10:34

Did he never read any Enid Blyton as a child even??
Has it been a deliberate decision of his, or just a coincidence? I don’t even consider the author’s name when choosing a book, unless in deliberately looking for a book by an author I like.

00100001 · 19/11/2017 10:33

I still don't believe any of this.

He has read books by women, more than he knows, because clearly he forgot about the three you mentioned, so there will definitely be more.

Just tell him, he's read books you women, and it is a non issue, he can easily look up books by women that he might like.

Why does his wife have to post on MN for him if he is so ashamed as he claims? Confused

Original poster
ringle · 19/11/2017 10:33

Apologies, there are multiple posts about my mum's mental health under this name so I can't out us.

I have tried to start threads on the topic before but never got a response. Only my criticism of DH provoked answers!

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TheAntiBoop · 19/11/2017 10:32

And many posters have made the point that female writers throughout history have published under a male relatives name or with initials only

Dick Francis admitted his wife did most f the writing didn't he?

Original poster
ringle · 19/11/2017 10:31

So.... to be fair, he would not describe himself as "well read". He would describe himself as having a deep knowledge of X,Y and Z.

Also to be fair, the background lit. In this field is very international.

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TheAntiBoop · 19/11/2017 10:31

Sorry but the country he is from makes a huge difference

the fact he hadn't read Shakespeare shows that as anyone who did English exams at school in this country would have read him

ADishBestEatenCold · 19/11/2017 10:28

"we are talking pre Boy George"

How much "pre"? What country.

Original poster
ringle · 19/11/2017 10:28

Yes I've read it. I'm thinking!

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Original poster
ringle · 19/11/2017 10:27

Fairly (ish) similar culture to ours at that time.

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BertrandRussell · 19/11/2017 10:26

"Thanks Bertrand. Hurray for the more realistic answers! I had forgotten the JK Rowling thing"

I suggest you read the rest of my post.........

Original poster
ringle · 19/11/2017 10:26

Not Britain, English speaking though.

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Original poster
ringle · 19/11/2017 10:25

"I can completely understand the idea of a boy hiding a reading habit. It still happens nowadays. We had a concerted campaign at our school to challenge the "reading is for girls" stereotype. And boys and men who do read are less likely to read women authors-why do you think JK Rowling did not publish as Joanna? "

Thanks Bertrand. Hurray for the more realistic answers! I had forgotten the JK Rowling thing...

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TheAntiBoop · 19/11/2017 10:24

dis he not grow up in Britain? Or you just mean the song was different in his part?

Youcanstayundermyumbrella · 19/11/2017 10:22

Yes, I know he has read Adrian Mole. I was merely recording verbatim the reaction of someone with a very similar background. Rest assured that I did pass on that information in my verbal reply.

Original poster
ringle · 19/11/2017 10:21

Thanks JoJoBow x,

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Youcanstayundermyumbrella · 19/11/2017 10:21

But, ringle, to have gone another 25-30 years without reading a book by a women because of school teasing is just odd, and to think of yourself as well-read?

Original poster
ringle · 19/11/2017 10:20

Re Adrian Mole, please RTFT

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