Review by New York Times Review
Books have long lead times, and so for another few months at least, we'll be reading books meant to be read under a Hillary Clinton presidency. Crispin directly criticizes Clinton; by contrast, Solnit's new collection sounds like practice scales for a celebration that never arrived. Solnit explores a range of topics relevant to contemporary feminism, including the phenomenon that propelled Solnit herself to internet stardom when she wrote an essay describing (but not naming) it: "mansplaining." The introduction proposes, with the playfulness and precision of aphorism, that "there is no good answer to how to be a woman; the art may instead lie in how we refuse the question." Read in order, the essays chart a progression from a condition of voicelessness to a feminist outpouring. She concludes with an unexpected and dazzling art essay - an account of watching and rewatching the 1956 film "Giant." Over time, Solnit finds all her themes in it. "This is a film about a man who found he couldn't control anything at all, and he's not Job and this is not a jeremiad," she writes on the text's final page. "This, says 'Giant,' is the future; get used to it." If only it had been.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [June 18, 2017]
Review by Booklist Review
In 2010, the term mansplaining was one of the New York Times' words of the year; it was coined during the conversation surrounding an essay Solnit wrote in 2008 about gendered communication styles, which eventually became the title essay in Men Explain Things to Me (2014). Solnit's newest book of essays serves as a companion and follow-up to that collection, moving beyond the mansplain into a keen and timely commentary on gender and feminism. Though the topics vary wildly Solnit touches on everything from the language of public-health guidelines to the unexpected feminism of an early Elizabeth Taylor film each essay echoes the ways it can feel impossible simply to be a woman or, indeed, the ways traditional views of gender fail us all. Solnit writes, There is no good answer to how to be a woman; the art may instead lie in how we refuse the question. Solnit's voice is calm, clear, and unapologetic; each essay balances a warm wit with confident, thoughtful analysis, resulting in a collection that is as enjoyable and accessible as it is incisive.--Winterroth, Amanda Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The latest collection of essays from author and activist Solnit continues in the same vein as 2014's popular Men Explain Things to Me with short, incisive essays that pack a powerful punch. This collection examines age-old philosophical questions: What does it mean to live a happy life? What is the role of art and entertainment in our day-to-day lives? How does language create myths about happiness and art?-from a contemporary, feminist perspective. As Solnit chronicles recent events, including comedian Amy Schumer's parodies of rape culture, Esquire magazine's list of 80 books every man should read, Gamergate, and the Isla Vista massacre, the book's themes gain greater significance. Solnit argues that books, movies, and other forms of entertainment reinforce self-centered concepts of heroism and happiness that promote entitlement and decrease empathy. Solnit points out that women are frequent targets of this entitlement and decreased empathy, but she also credits men such as government whistle-blower Edward Snowden, stand-up comedian Hannibal Buress, and activist Richard Martinez, whose son was killed in a mass shooting, for standing up for their principles and carving out a less violent or self-centered definition of manhood. Chock-full of references to the work of women at the forefront of contemporary feminist thought, Solnit's essays will stir minds and spark further investigation. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Solnit's latest collection of essays, a follow-up to Men Explain Things to Me, is, unapologetically, a self-described feminist book. Yet Solnit makes it clear that "it is not a book about women's experience alone but about all of ours: men, women, children and people who are challenging the binaries and boundaries of gender." The essays, written from 2014 through 2016, are grouped into two parts. In "Silence Is Broken," -Solnit writes about "the history of women's rights and lack of rights as a history of silence and breaking silence." "Breaking the Story" highlights the need to shatter old story lines that reinforce hurtful gender stereotypes and perceptions of women in society. The collection does seem repetitive at times. However, each essay builds on the previous idea and delves deeper into the subject. The only thing missing is the vocal interpretation of the sass and sarcastic wit evident from Solnit's writing. Narrator Tanya Eby plays it too straight, delivering a smooth and unemotional reading. VERDICT An insightful and thoughtful audiobook worth listening to again and again for any additional nuggets missed the first time around. ["This thought-provoking and important anthology will [appeal] to anyone interested in gender and feminism": LJ 2/1/17 review of the Haymarket hc.]-Gladys Alcedo, -Wallingford, CT © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A distinguished cultural critic tackles "the binaries and boundaries of gender" while examining the continuing evolution of feminism.In her latest collection, Harper's contributing editor Solnit (Men Explain Things to Me, 2014, etc.) examines how women continue to struggle to make their voices heard in a violent, misogynist world. In the first section, the author deals with the act of silencing. Whether in professional situations involving unfair treatment or personal ones involving abuse or rape, patriarchal culture has discouraged women from speaking out against gender injustice. At the same time, men have also been forced into silence about their interior lives in exchange for "power and membership" in patriarchy. Yet womenand mencontinue to make progress. Solnit points to the changes in attitude toward rape and how comedians like Tina Fey and Amy Schumer have openly challenged perpetrators. They have not succeeded in winning the war "for everyone to have their basic human rights respected," but they have helped turn the tide against acceptance of rape culture. Moreover, social initiatives like the Obama administration's 2014 "It's On Us" project to "get bystanders, particularly men," to protect potential victims of assault are positive signs of further change. In the second section of the book, the author focuses more on language used in discourse about women, which not only emphasizes dependency, but also overlooks how the concept of gender is built upon categories that exclude differences that transcend the male/female binary. She also offers commentary on how culturally iconic workse.g., Lolitacontinue to feed into ideas of women as "disposableabsent, or worthless." Others, like the 1956 film Giant, can be read to suggest that patriarchy can successfully be replaced by "some kind of open, negotiated reshuffling of everything." Trenchant and hopeful, the book reveals that the ongoing work of righting the wrongs of patriarchy is only part of a much larger project of social justice for all people. As always, Solnit is eloquent and sharply insightful. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
