A review by readingwithk
Cunt: A Declaration of Independence, by Inga Muscio
1.0
While I appreciated the premise of this book and was looking forward to reading about the history of the word cunt, that was not what I got. I do not think that this book has aged well.
I was not impressed with the lack of gender/transgender representation (not even mentioned until page 240ish) and I found some of what she said about rape culture troubling. I think what bothered me the most was the finality of her writing and statements. It was as if what she was saying was truth without taking into consideration that everyone has a different body/life experience.
For example, when it came to abortion, she insisted that what worked best for her was to just will to not be pregnant. That was better than an abortion. I was livid when I read this. She fell on this idea of willing things into existence as a way to empower women. From giving yourself a miscarriage to preventing yourself from getting raped. The more I think about this book, the more angry I get, which is a shame because I would love to read a book that actually celebrates vaginas.
I was not impressed with the lack of gender/transgender representation (not even mentioned until page 240ish) and I found some of what she said about rape culture troubling. I think what bothered me the most was the finality of her writing and statements. It was as if what she was saying was truth without taking into consideration that everyone has a different body/life experience.
For example, when it came to abortion, she insisted that what worked best for her was to just will to not be pregnant. That was better than an abortion. I was livid when I read this. She fell on this idea of willing things into existence as a way to empower women. From giving yourself a miscarriage to preventing yourself from getting raped. The more I think about this book, the more angry I get, which is a shame because I would love to read a book that actually celebrates vaginas.