arkwen452's review against another edition
3.0
I liked that this book has so many different perspectives and voices. And although the writers are older, I found their experiences moving and at times humbling. However, there were a several instances where a lack of connectability on social-economic statuses, racial/ethnic background/up bringing and professional experience levels that hindered any real ability to be 100% moved by this book as a whole. Full Review to come soon.
mkat303's review against another edition
3.0
Horrible title. Loved the essay by Pam Houston. Can't really remember the other ones. I do recall that it was a pretty uneven collection, as many anthologies are.
lauracaro's review against another edition
2.0
A bit of overkill here. Many essays about white, upper class women and the problems they face relating to marriage, career, sex, aging, etc., a few of which were interesting. Mostly I forgot about each woman's story as soon as it was over.
mercenator's review against another edition
4.0
This certainly harps on some themes: being a middle-aged woman, wanting sex, giving sex and balancing kids/career. Despite the tropes, I thought it well-written and thought-provoking rather than tedious. I’m curious to read the book that the former-selves of these authors wrote.
ewf's review
3.0
A few weeks ago I read a GoodReads review that said a memoir was too self-absorbed. That made me laugh. However, that is how I unjustifiably felt about this book. Maybe it was just too many at the same time, and many of them sounded similar. However, it's important to not take the role of feminism for granted in the variety of choices the writers have had in their personal lives. Fifty years ago most of the writing in this book could not have even been imagined. We have come a long way, baby.
mrshendricks's review
4.0
This was interesting from start to finish but then I'm in the age group this book is targeted for :)
pattydsf's review
4.0
“In short, they, we, ‘difficult’ women, we thinking women, we women who finally have the opportunities and chutzpah to carve and design our own lives, had looked inward to see what was there and what was not, what we could live with or without , and what we still needed. And then we’d adjusted our lives and expectations accordingly.”
I can’t quite believe it has been almost fifteen years since Hanauer put together the essay collection, The Bitch in the House. I found those essays maddening, funny and often too close to my own life. When I saw that Hanauer had put together a new collection, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. How many of these essays would focus of the parts of life I am struggling with?
Well, I am not sure that I related as closely to this collection, but I found most of these essays fascinating. I shared the first collection of essays with my book group and I might do so again. These essays are well written and some are very thought-provoking.
There are 25 essays in this book about women living in the 21st century. These 25 women couldn’t possibly write about every aspect of being a woman in the United States, but they do cover a lot of ground. There is humor, tears, triumphs and failures. If you are a woman and like essays, there has to be at least one in here for you. Other readers may also find something of interest, but I feel that the main audience for this book is women.
I can’t quite believe it has been almost fifteen years since Hanauer put together the essay collection, The Bitch in the House. I found those essays maddening, funny and often too close to my own life. When I saw that Hanauer had put together a new collection, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. How many of these essays would focus of the parts of life I am struggling with?
Well, I am not sure that I related as closely to this collection, but I found most of these essays fascinating. I shared the first collection of essays with my book group and I might do so again. These essays are well written and some are very thought-provoking.
There are 25 essays in this book about women living in the 21st century. These 25 women couldn’t possibly write about every aspect of being a woman in the United States, but they do cover a lot of ground. There is humor, tears, triumphs and failures. If you are a woman and like essays, there has to be at least one in here for you. Other readers may also find something of interest, but I feel that the main audience for this book is women.
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