A review by kitkat2500
Spinster: Making a Life of One's Own by Kate Bolick
3.0
This is not the book I expected it to be, and judging by the reviews posted by other readers, I'm not alone!
Once I got over my disappointment, I found the book to be a curious mixture: part memoir, part feminist history (through her chapters about the lives of 5 historical feminists who inspired her, living unconventional lives that were sometimes as spinsters), and part sociology (interesting examination of society's expectations of women, and also the status of single women over the past 100 years).
I liked parts of the book, but overall it was too long. The 5 historical figures are mainly artists, and although parts of their stories were interesting, I found the narrative sometimes hard to follow. The author's own life is depicted as a series of relationships, between which she dates almost constantly. So although she self identifies as a spinster, it's hard to line up the definition with her love life. She seems to be more of a commitment phobe than a spinster. And the book ends as she starts another long-term relationship, and muses about whether or not she will have a baby...
The part I found interesting was about the history of women entering the labour force in the US, and how this movement allowed for women to achieve financial independence from men (thereby allowing a woman to live without the financial support of a father / husband).
It's also fun to read about someone pushing back at the societal tugs of conventionality and conformity.
Once I got over my disappointment, I found the book to be a curious mixture: part memoir, part feminist history (through her chapters about the lives of 5 historical feminists who inspired her, living unconventional lives that were sometimes as spinsters), and part sociology (interesting examination of society's expectations of women, and also the status of single women over the past 100 years).
I liked parts of the book, but overall it was too long. The 5 historical figures are mainly artists, and although parts of their stories were interesting, I found the narrative sometimes hard to follow. The author's own life is depicted as a series of relationships, between which she dates almost constantly. So although she self identifies as a spinster, it's hard to line up the definition with her love life. She seems to be more of a commitment phobe than a spinster. And the book ends as she starts another long-term relationship, and muses about whether or not she will have a baby...
The part I found interesting was about the history of women entering the labour force in the US, and how this movement allowed for women to achieve financial independence from men (thereby allowing a woman to live without the financial support of a father / husband).
It's also fun to read about someone pushing back at the societal tugs of conventionality and conformity.