A review by edulaia
The Unwomanly Face of War, by Svetlana Alexievich
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Here is someone who deserved that Nobel prize. Not by writing her own thoughts but because she gave voice to others.
This book shows all the horrors of war, but it does more than that. It reflects on what it means to be female, what it means to be feminine, what gender is and how it affects people in this extreme situation. It could be read alongside Simone de Beauvoirs Le deuxième sexe and Judith Butlers Gender Trouble. The only thing it misses is any reference to queerness. I get that that is because of the context. Alexievich had trouble getting this past the censors as it is. And maybe it was something that was not even part of the conversations. In any case, this book is well worth reading.
This book shows all the horrors of war, but it does more than that. It reflects on what it means to be female, what it means to be feminine, what gender is and how it affects people in this extreme situation. It could be read alongside Simone de Beauvoirs Le deuxième sexe and Judith Butlers Gender Trouble. The only thing it misses is any reference to queerness. I get that that is because of the context. Alexievich had trouble getting this past the censors as it is. And maybe it was something that was not even part of the conversations. In any case, this book is well worth reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and War
Minor: Rape