A review by dorothy_gale
Women & Power: A Manifesto by Mary Beard
3.0
"Britain's best-known classicist". I wouldn't be surprised if the 4.04-star average rating by 21,564 readers is predominately European readers. Her comments on America have been controversial -- good for her for being outspoken.
While I have not read Homer's Odyssey (zero interest in a 2700-year-old, non-linear, 9-hour-long poem), the author doesn't make clear the benefit of tracing mysogeny back that far. It's great that this book is short, and makes ties to modern strong women. But it's more scholarly/academic than compelling, and I expect my modern feminist material to be compelling.
She also tells a VERY personal story at the end, but somehow managed to depersonalize it.
While I have not read Homer's Odyssey (zero interest in a 2700-year-old, non-linear, 9-hour-long poem), the author doesn't make clear the benefit of tracing mysogeny back that far. It's great that this book is short, and makes ties to modern strong women. But it's more scholarly/academic than compelling, and I expect my modern feminist material to be compelling.
She also tells a VERY personal story at the end, but somehow managed to depersonalize it.