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erinlcrane's review against another edition
5.0
I give this 5 stars not because it was perfect but because it was very thought provoking and new to me. I’m not well-versed in formal logic, so I couldn’t begin to critique this work. I’m sure there are some critiques out there. But I found this an extremely helpful book for framing a discussion about misogyny. She defines patriarchy as an oppressive system, sexism as the academic justifications for it, and misogyny as the enforcement and punishment piece. She also argues that women aren’t dehumanized, instead that they have the role as “human giver,” and when they don’t fulfill that role, they are punished. This means if you are “good” and fulfill the giver role, you are a good woman who isn’t subject to punishment like the “bad” women. This allows for a misogynist to love his mom but hate other women and still be a misogynist. Misogyny isn’t general hate of women, it’s hate of women who do not fulfill their proper role. All of this is a lot to mull over, and by no means did I grasp everything she said. Worth a reread at some point!
rose508's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.0
thelaurelwreathcrowned's review against another edition
Better read as actual book
mcckey's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
“I propose taking sexism to be the branch of patriarchal ideology that justifies and rationalizes a patriarchal social order, and misogyny as the system that polices and enforces its governing norms and expectations. So sexism is scientific; misogyny is moralistic.”
Kate Manne you absolute genius this book is life changing
ignatzv's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
Down Girl is a philosophical analysis and extended definition of the concept of misogyny in relation to sexism. There is a disclaimer in the beginning of the book explaining that issues pertaining to transgender people and people of color are not as well-explained or expanded upon as they could be due to the fact the author is cisgender and white. It would have been nice if she had just done additional research and wrote about these subjects rather than casting them aside, but the disclaimer is appreciated, I guess. Despite this, the author still makes exceptionally intriguing and valid points pertaining to social perceptions of women, specifically in relation to men. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about what misogyny is, how it plays out, and what the feminist movement's response to this problem could be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, and Sexual violence