Reviews

Abolish the Family: A Manifesto for Care and Liberation by Sophie Lewis

apk98's review against another edition

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challenging funny hopeful fast-paced

4.0

roweky's review against another edition

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4.0

"Violent and scary movie-making is, more often than not, a popular vehicle for mass anti-family desire ... The monster is coming from inside the house."

Once more, radical Feminist literature is bringing me so much joy, and Sophie Lewis does such an amazing job at opening up this realm of ideology. The family is an ideological construct which, until now, I'd never questioned all too much in its ties to capitalism, colonialism, and queerness.

The book charts an effective history, spanning from Plato to the current moment, showing that family abolitionism has existed for a long time and isn't nearly as scary as everyone might think. Lewis effectively argues how and why the family structure is upholding capitalist and colonial structures, and does so in a readable way!

While she's not the first, Lewis revitalises the family abolition movement for the current moment, and stresses how (now more than ever) we need to move past the family. I'm convinced of many of her arguments, but, as she describes, it's difficult to change my views as my subjectivity has been so fundamentally formed through the familial structure.

Overall, I really enjoyed this, and it has opened up so many avenues to care politics that I can't wait to explore. Definitely give it a read!

themitchelrowe's review against another edition

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4.0

"Violent and scary movie-making is, more often than not, a popular vehicle for mass anti-family desire ... The monster is coming from inside the house."

Once more, radical Feminist literature is bringing me so much joy, and Sophie Lewis does such an amazing job at opening up this realm of ideology. The family is an ideological construct which, until now, I'd never questioned all too much in its ties to capitalism, colonialism, and queerness.

The book charts an effective history, spanning from Plato to the current moment, showing that family abolitionism has existed for a long time and isn't nearly as scary as everyone might think. Lewis effectively argues how and why the family structure is upholding capitalist and colonial structures, and does so in a readable way!

While she's not the first, Lewis revitalises the family abolition movement for the current moment, and stresses how (now more than ever) we need to move past the family. I'm convinced of many of her arguments, but, as she describes, it's difficult to change my views as my subjectivity has been so fundamentally formed through the familial structure.

Overall, I really enjoyed this, and it has opened up so many avenues to care politics that I can't wait to explore. Definitely give it a read!

cowboylikestoread43's review against another edition

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funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

5.0

rystonlentil43's review

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hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.75

spcanelon's review against another edition

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hopeful informative reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

j_roth's review against another edition

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5.0

read the first chapter of this book last year as part of a uni course. since then I always wanted to read the full book so I’m happy I got round to it!
Safe to say I am now in favour of the argument this book puts forward.

padraigmm's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

eljel's review against another edition

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challenging hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

3.0

an interesting proposal with somehow unsatisfactory ending and lack of speculation that would provide any idea what should happen AFTER one so keenly abolishes their family

slimecomet's review against another edition

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hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.75