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albanueva's review against another edition
5.0
Sarà che vivo in Francia, ma l'ho trovato estremamente interessante. Non vedo l'ora di leggere altro di Emma. Consigliato.
jentidders's review against another edition
4.0
You may well have seen some of Emma's comics as they went viral across French, British and then international media. In this, her first book compiling her strips, she reflects on some crucial social and feminist issues.
The chapter that stood out most to me was the one on the mental load of the title; all the invisible and unpaid organizing, list-making and planning women do to manage their lives, and the lives of their partners and family members. A lot of people think their relationships are equal, but often the burden is not distributed fairly within households or office.
Other chapters cover racism, maternity leave, domestic violence, the clitoris, ignorance about the wearing the hijab, medical violation, police violence, and the influence of capitalism on our work/life balance.
Her simple yet charming drawings convey the information in an easy to understand way, but she does not hold back from what are hugely important issues in our current cultural climate.
Essential reading.
The chapter that stood out most to me was the one on the mental load of the title; all the invisible and unpaid organizing, list-making and planning women do to manage their lives, and the lives of their partners and family members. A lot of people think their relationships are equal, but often the burden is not distributed fairly within households or office.
Other chapters cover racism, maternity leave, domestic violence, the clitoris, ignorance about the wearing the hijab, medical violation, police violence, and the influence of capitalism on our work/life balance.
Her simple yet charming drawings convey the information in an easy to understand way, but she does not hold back from what are hugely important issues in our current cultural climate.
Essential reading.
nhumble's review against another edition
1.0
i read the initial comic after i heard people using the term on tiktok and came away feeling like the complaint was asking men to be mind readers. after having read the whole
book, i will slightly amend my initial takeaway because women in heterosexual relationships frequently do take on the role of the household managers, but the issue still stands that if women want equal relationships then we have to communicate those needs. it’s not fair to us or our partners if we’re not sharing what our expectations and needs are.
overall, the rest of the book is entirely reliant upon personal experiences and a tiny study. i understand that this is a beginners’ guide to feminism for moms but it feels entirely insulting to their intelligence to not use either better sources or work with an editor to flesh out the anecdotes. also the font is so hard to read and the drawings are infantile. not to mention there’s little to no flow with the chapters.
another critique was during the internalized misogyny chapter, she cited women objectifying themselves or other women as examples of this. which the former is fine but the latter excludes women who attracted to other women.
book, i will slightly amend my initial takeaway because women in heterosexual relationships frequently do take on the role of the household managers, but the issue still stands that if women want equal relationships then we have to communicate those needs. it’s not fair to us or our partners if we’re not sharing what our expectations and needs are.
overall, the rest of the book is entirely reliant upon personal experiences and a tiny study. i understand that this is a beginners’ guide to feminism for moms but it feels entirely insulting to their intelligence to not use either better sources or work with an editor to flesh out the anecdotes. also the font is so hard to read and the drawings are infantile. not to mention there’s little to no flow with the chapters.
another critique was during the internalized misogyny chapter, she cited women objectifying themselves or other women as examples of this. which the former is fine but the latter excludes women who attracted to other women.
carleesi's review against another edition
4.0
Great bite sized but very educational comics about a range of social justice issues.
lmayfield's review against another edition
5.0
I identify with so much of this! Some of these comics should be required reading for all.
hauntedjen's review against another edition
4.0
Super thoughtful conversations about women, the roles they are expected to play, and the possibilities of a new way to view those roles. Very eye-opening. Share with any relative or colleague who commented on your maternity leave as a "vacation" from your job.
jmarchek's review against another edition
4.0
If you're trying to explain mental load to someone (a man) who doesn't understand it, the comics here will help.
nikkideeley's review against another edition
informative
fast-paced
4.0
Book 87 of 2024: The Mental Load - Emma
A book of comic strips focusing on social and feminist issues.
Review:
⭐️4/5
A great selection of comics covering a wide breadth of topics. I’d been expecting a sole focus on the mental load with the title but I was still happy that a large number of topics were covered.
Challenges:
📚Books in 2024: 87/60
Book Information:
📖 Pages: 216
📖 Format: e-Book (Library)
📖 Type: Non-Fiction
📖 Genre: Comics, Feminism
📖 Series: Un autre regard
Favourite Quotes:
“The mental load means always having to remember”
“I’ve become incapable of identifying the situations in which I have a right to be angry”
erine's review against another edition
4.0
A series of comic essays that pokes at preconceived notions. Although the book focuses on gender issues, there are also some good swings taken at racism and power struggles generally. There's so many opportunities for the reader to say, "yes, but what about... [insert exception or minor quibble here]?" But she's pretty good at heading those off: her comics don't represent a universal experience, but instead try to tie together a lot of common threads into a coherent narrative. And despite the subtitle, this is more of a "Broad Equality Comic" that addresses a variety of awkward inequities. I found it particularly interesting to read this French perspective about problems that also haunt us here in the United States.
perfect_leaves's review against another edition
3.0
Basic intro to some feminist ideas
I'd consider this book a primer on the practical application of feminism. It doesn't go deep into any of the theory and lays out examples and solutions for most of the illustrated scenarios. I rated it so low because for me, none of the ideas were new. I'm also not a fan of the art style. But if you come across someone who doesn't understand why we need feminism, this may be a good place to start.
I'd consider this book a primer on the practical application of feminism. It doesn't go deep into any of the theory and lays out examples and solutions for most of the illustrated scenarios. I rated it so low because for me, none of the ideas were new. I'm also not a fan of the art style. But if you come across someone who doesn't understand why we need feminism, this may be a good place to start.