Reviews

Fifty Shades of Feminism by Rachel Holmes, Susie Orbach, Lisa Appignanesi

kyreads15's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

laurenw22's review

fast-paced

5.0

Re-reading this one took me back to when I was around 21 and read this for the first time. I already considered myself a feminist by then but i remember this anthology of essays by 50 different women really lighting a fire in my belly. I can honestly say I felt no different reading it a second time. It is a brilliantly intersectional feminist read - including the experiences of queer women and women of a variety of races, and will have definitely been the first diverse piece of feminist literature I will have read! I think it was published in 2013 but I would still recommend it today. 

bbz's review against another edition

5.0

Great piece of feminist literature! 50 essays from 50 different women from all across the world. I love the diversity in this book as it really highlights the different intersectionalites of feminism and features women from different countries, ethnicities, sexualities, etc.

stefhyena's review against another edition

4.0

Kind of the tapas meal of feminist theory. You get bites of everything and for the things you love it's frustrating and you want more and for the things you are not that into at least it's short. Probably necessary to show difference (although interestingly all writers appeared to be anti-porn and I would have expected a broader spectrum on that). I really craved more depth on some of them. I did enjoy some of the more arty farty ones (the one about Wollstonecraft that I didn't completely agree with was particularly fun).

Quotes and pictures were nice probably making this a good gift book for the teenage girl in your life (or someone). I didn;t understand the Bechdel cartoon but I am sure that is me not her as I usually like Bechdel but sometimes find her slightly over my head.

But actually I want depth. How about 3 shades but carefully painted over several chapters?

duartebrekker's review against another edition

5.0

Such a great book if you are lloking to know about intersectional feminism and sexism in literature

theliteraryowl's review against another edition

3.0

*3.75/4 stars*

dunneniamh's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 *

laura_dreams_of_literature's review against another edition

4.0

Highly recommend for anyone wanting to get a "taste-test" of feminism. Each story is only a few pages long so you can read as much or as little as you want. Each story appears personal but I found myself saying "me too" or "finally - someone has put that feeling into words!"

amanda_'s review against another edition

3.0

I am hardly suggesting that women cease to criticize other women. That would be ridiculous. What I am saying is that we can disagree . even vehemently and without that criticism being reduced to mere bitchiness. But we don't need to tear apart another woman's view out of the fear that we are being misrepresented.

FIFTY SHADES OF FEMINISM offers fifty different women's thoughts on what it means to be a woman, feminist, or just life in general. It's not a manifesto that wants to proclaim they are right, that this is real feminism. It's merely a collection of voices to show that no, there is no 'right' way to be in life. Given the limited number of pages for each contributor, they focus on various things each, but that also means it's not worth reviewing each piece; instead I'll say that it's diverse, but it's also not. Yes, the women in this book work in different sectors, but most of them are also authors, to some degree. It's understandable, but one doesn't have to be a author to contribute with an opinion piece on roughly three to five pages, as most pieces in this book are. As it is, I agree with some and disagree with many in this book to various reasons and level. Still, it does a good job showing the variety of interpretation of what it means to be a feminist or a woman, or how to live your life.

ewoo670's review against another edition

3.0

The Concept: 50 women, 50 experiences, 50 stories about journeys through feminism.

Favourite Stories: Sharon Haywood - "I was always a feminist... I just didn't know it", because I feel like this statement definitely applies to me and my views on feminism; Martha Spurrier - Women in Law, being a law student myself; and Alice Stride's short story, because being an older sister, I can relate to the desire of wanting the best for my younger sister.

Pros: This book presented a diverse range of stories, especially with regards to cultural background.

Cons: This book did not contain any stories (as far as I'm aware) or transgender women, even though transfeminism is coming to the spotlight.

Overall Opinion: I found this book interesting, and really enjoyed seeing the way that feminism has shaped and played a role in all these different women's lives, crossing a variety of times, countries, sexualities, religions, and professions.