Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

Original poster

Would we like a fiction Book Club?

162 replies

Unrulysun · 15/02/2011 13:00

So that we could do some feminist analysis of fiction I mean? I was thinking maybe some classics but possibly we all know that Rochester has to be emasculated before Jane blah blah and we'd prefer to do others?

Would anyone be up for it? Would it work? What would we read? Other questions I haven't thought of?

OP posts:
Rhadegunde · 15/02/2011 13:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TondelayoSchwarzkopf · 15/02/2011 13:31

Yes please. Please can we do some contemporary stuff too? Just reading One Day and have some thoughts on that.

And can female authors be a focus? We can all moan about McEwan, Amis et al until the cows come home but I like to support female authors and get them talked about. Smile

alexpolismum · 15/02/2011 13:45

Yes, I second that Tondelayo. More discussion of women authors.

(But if we're doing the classics, PLEASE don't start with Tess of the D'Urbs because I've had enough of it for the time being!)

What should we start with?

Prolesworth · 15/02/2011 13:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

HandDivedScallopsrgreat · 15/02/2011 13:58

Sounds like a great idea! (It might get me reading more classics and off the crime fiction!!). I too have just read One Day and have some thoughts about it.

Blackduck · 15/02/2011 14:49

I'm up for this too....

claig · 15/02/2011 14:52

Sounds fascinating, yes please.

vezzie · 15/02/2011 15:49

Yes, yes, great idea.

I want to read Middlemarch (someone mentioned it on the other thread) after reading a thing in the New Yorker (I had to buy it to read Tina Fey! She was great about it. I don't think that is a good start though because it will take so long to read - maybe we could notionally pencil it in for the future, at least it is cheap / easy to get hold of so anyone who wants to could have that on the back burner.

vezzie · 15/02/2011 15:50

Missing )

Sorry

charitygirl · 15/02/2011 15:52

Will always join if I have read the book, but probably cant commit to managing to do so (read book that is!).

But good idea!

EngelbertFustianMcSlinkydog · 15/02/2011 15:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Rhadegunde · 15/02/2011 16:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

EngelbertFustianMcSlinkydog · 15/02/2011 16:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TondelayoSchwarzkopf · 15/02/2011 16:30

If we are starting with a classic may I suggest Villette? Familiar Bronte territory but not done to death in the way that WH and JE are.

sethstarkaddersmackerel · 15/02/2011 16:35

great idea.

I would like to do the occasional biting feminist critique of a bloke's book though, it would be such fun. Maybe once a year to celebrate International Men's Day or something.

Rhadegunde · 15/02/2011 16:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Hullygully · 15/02/2011 16:49

Villette.

That is one weird book.

Blackduck · 15/02/2011 17:04

How about The tenant of wildfell hall (Anne Bronte)? Interesting read and plenty to get your teeth into...

vezzie · 15/02/2011 17:18

Can't read Mary Barton. Had to put it away. Can't bear all the clemming children [sobs]

Prolesworth · 15/02/2011 17:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
Unrulysun · 15/02/2011 17:44

Ooooh good. Have been out for afternoon and just checked this page and I-phone hadn't refreshed so saw 1 reply (mine starting the thread) and was about to get Middlemarch down from the shelf sobbing quietly and try to get past the first chapter read it alone.

Fantastic!

I agree with everything everyone has said (including that we might not all get to read all books). In the spirit of inclusivity shall we start with something many of us have read, segue into the modern (One Day or similar), then do the suggested more off the beaten track Brontes and I lurve the idea of 'celebrating' international men's day by vivisecting Seb or something like him.

So what do we know well enough to start with? I could do most Austens and Shakespeares (no not Pericles obv). And could get my head round Hardys and Brontes quickish.

OP posts:
Original poster
Unrulysun · 15/02/2011 17:46

X post - rather than ignoring overwhelming support for Vilette. :)

OP posts:
HoodedCrow · 15/02/2011 17:51

I'm in Grin

Just don't get me started on Tess...

Rhadegunde · 15/02/2011 18:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FlamingoBingo · 15/02/2011 18:32

yes please - just tell me what and when Smile

ps. Could we not just have a 'book club' but be actually critiquing them with a feminist slant? IS that what you mean anyway? I kind of thought you might mean books that have an obvious feminist/anti-feminist theme, but I'd really like to get practised at seeing sexism/misogyny in everything, and being able to understand why it is sexist/misogynist IYSWIM