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Charlotte Perkins Gilman's 1915 book Herland is a thought-provoking work of utopian fiction and a time capsule of early twentieth-century feminism. On the eve of the First World War, sociology student Vandyck Jennings goes on an expedition with two of his friends to search for a society rumored to consist only of women. On the way to what they will name "Herland," Van and his friends ponder the type of women they hope or expect to see when they...

Herland keeps showing up on feminist book lists I'm trying to read through. Noticed it's book #2 in a trilogy. But book #1 is rarely mentioned. Do I need to read the first to understand what is happening in Herland?

While I overall liked this, it was a bit too pedantic, and the all female country was a little too perfect. The practice of eugenics that led to their utopia was, although only mentioned once as history, disturbing. The narrator also views attempted rape in a “boys will be boys” manner. I loved that their society included pockets — lots of them— in the women‘s clothing, showing not much has changed since Gilman wrote this.

Well, it started snowing here, so I‘m inside with Charlotte Perkins Gilman and the lovely cup of tea my husband just made me.

Recent fiction acquisitions:

📖 Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy
📖 Testimonies by Patrick O'Brian
📖 Falling for Hamlet by Michelle Ray

#UniteAgainstBookBans #LetUtahRead

Herland was written in 1915! It‘s feminist speculative fiction about a group of 3 men who discover a utopia of women who live completely free of men. They‘ve survived 2000 years this way and the men who discover them can‘t quite believe it. In fact, they can‘t quite believe women can do anything without men. Pretty forward thinking.

There were some parts of this novel I didn‘t like, and I felt it dragged a little.

Overall an interesting read.

I love her and her habit of laying on my current read.

About halfway through Herland now!

#littenkitten #catsoflitsy

A lost feminist utopia? Why yes please!

Borrowed from a friend, this novel was written in 1915! In it, a utopian society is discovered solely composed of women who are able to reproduce without men.

“The great soul, meanwhile, pursued his way, using every art he knew--and his experience was not narrow--to reach the heart of the brown and ruddy nymph beside him.”

he is boarder and she is the frock wearing, golden skinned daughter of his widowed landlord. who takes “mischievous delight in teasing him.” on a lake. resulting in his death. published when nabokov was twelve.

A soft pick for me. I find it amazing that this book was written over 100 years ago but, while some ideas are revolutionary, other themes are troubling; very much of their time.

I found it a little dry in places and the sudden ending was a let down but I‘m still glad I read it, hence the soft pick.

#pop22
#aboutorsetinanonpatriarchalsociety