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Bess's Reviews > Blonde
Blonde
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Finally finished, wish I were still reading, all magic is gone from life now, pls advs.
This is the New Feminist Text. I honestly think if every gal too young to remember (or too young to even have a mother who actively remembers the effects of) the women's movement of the 60s were given a copy of this book, we'd have much less patriarchy snackdom in the world, much more equal pay, and way fewer pointy-toed stilettos.
Marilyn Monroe was continuously, systematically screwed over, pawned, and sucked dry by man after man (playwright and athlete and high school sweetheart alike) -- as well as by Men�, which includes not just men, but all the women, gentlemen, scholars, mathematicians, AND carpenters' wives who agree that the female body is but a glittery, soft object for boys to ogle, pet, and circle-jerk off to from the comforts of the Oval Office or locker-room bench alike -- an object off of which there's billions to be made! -- throughout her brief life.
All the girls these days who walk around purring docilely between bouts of bulimia in designer skinnyjeans on their way to have their antidepressant prescriptions refilled need to read this book and then get back to us on whether or not they still think calling themselves -- and maybe actually BECOMING -- feminists is unnecessary.
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Update: I'm absorbing this book slowly through a long & visually unremarkable osmotic process... or maybe it's the other way around, and I'm ITS prey. Either way, I'm only a little more than halfway through, and I think I might experience actual, physical withdrawal when I'm done.
For madness is seductive, sexy. Female madness.
So long as the female is reasonably young and attractive.
= why I love Joyce Carol Oates
This is the New Feminist Text. I honestly think if every gal too young to remember (or too young to even have a mother who actively remembers the effects of) the women's movement of the 60s were given a copy of this book, we'd have much less patriarchy snackdom in the world, much more equal pay, and way fewer pointy-toed stilettos.
Marilyn Monroe was continuously, systematically screwed over, pawned, and sucked dry by man after man (playwright and athlete and high school sweetheart alike) -- as well as by Men�, which includes not just men, but all the women, gentlemen, scholars, mathematicians, AND carpenters' wives who agree that the female body is but a glittery, soft object for boys to ogle, pet, and circle-jerk off to from the comforts of the Oval Office or locker-room bench alike -- an object off of which there's billions to be made! -- throughout her brief life.
All the girls these days who walk around purring docilely between bouts of bulimia in designer skinnyjeans on their way to have their antidepressant prescriptions refilled need to read this book and then get back to us on whether or not they still think calling themselves -- and maybe actually BECOMING -- feminists is unnecessary.
___________________________________________
Update: I'm absorbing this book slowly through a long & visually unremarkable osmotic process... or maybe it's the other way around, and I'm ITS prey. Either way, I'm only a little more than halfway through, and I think I might experience actual, physical withdrawal when I'm done.
For madness is seductive, sexy. Female madness.
So long as the female is reasonably young and attractive.
= why I love Joyce Carol Oates
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Finished Reading
January 28, 2008
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Elisse
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rated it 5 stars
Feb 18, 2012 07:57PM
One of my top favorite books of ALL TIME! I simply adore Oates and am working on aquiring all of her work! I'm hunting down people with similar interests...so add me as a friend so we can follow each other! dogearrinit.blogspot.com
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My advice for missing the magic of Joyce Carol Oates is reading more - she wrote enough to fill most of two shelves at my local library. If you particularly liked Blonde, you might enjoy White Oleander and some of A.M. Homes.
"Finally finished, wish I were still reading, all magic is gone from life now, pls advs."^ Exactly.
Your review did it for me. I am immediately buying this book!
Why is it that women must skewer one another on the subject of the body?I am acutely aware, hyper aware, of how naive this question rings. But please hear me out. I swear on this most sterling (and really peerless in its genre) book: I come in peace. I relished your review,nodding my head in agreement with your right-as-rain observations. Until I ran smack into the brick wall of your skinny- mini-diatribe (sense of humor intact). Wham!Suddenly this (pointedly casual) caustic verdict--every bit as demoralizing as the appraisals delivered by Joe Shmoe himself! There it was, in the most unlikely of forums: your basic skinny bitch archetype, the sumarily angry declarations: skinny girls are eating disordered, skinnyjean-clad, uneducated, and--most hurtful--likely unencumbered. I don't know how, or why, for as common as this sort of vapid speech is--well, it never fails to take my breath away. In what world is such the sweepong condemnation of the skinny bitch in boots a positive contribution to our shared cause, our shared Feminist perspective--one that is so wildly personal and, yes thank you Audrey!-- so unremittingly political--how and why is it accebtable--and it is standard, this sort of language--- for you to reflect what is essentially an inverted, funhouse-ish male gaze--on my body (I am thin; I love a kick ass pair of boots; I take antidepressants. And the latter is due in part to the suffering I incurred at the advantaged hands of others). Why is depression and its sometimes-treatment a joke? And generally I can take a joke. This is the thing, where we serate and tear each other apart (from all 'sides'):Women of ALL body types are survivors of the same violent abuse endured by Marilyn. I suspect this is why countless women are drawn to --and somehow identify with-- her. And I suspect you are aware of this, as clearly you are educated and eloquent. It is painful to read such damning words--but never more than when they are spoken (so off handedly) by a woman. A woman who I am almost positive would be a kindred, afriend; a woman with whom conversation is always boils with urgency and conviction--a conviction equal and IN PARTNERSHIP to and with mine. This is often a rarity (for me) outside of intimate, likeminded circles, you know? However, we may never get even seminally close to a dialogue as I've no doubt you would measure me byyour splintering assumptions. NOW: none of this--NONE--is to say that you have somehow randomly come by such a restricted and short sighted summation . Surely you have had some variety of brutal encounters--whether personal or social or...god knows their are endless experiences to internalize! I have no doubt that you have been the target of cruelty having to do with your body-as-subject. This cruelty is inflicted on women of all shapes, sizes, self-IDs & orientations, ad infinitum...and I have no doubt that it is inflicted with more venom and less reproach on the 'average sized' woman 'on up.' Please don't think that I am minimizing your reality. I felt compelled to bring my perspective into this vital and NESSESARILY unflinching conversation. I am at home on every level when immersed in intensive dialogue about feminism--and how it has essentially become a dirty word. Very long (but valid) story short--your woman-centered review was a vividly refreshing drink of water. Until it got thrown in my face. Addendum..apologies for errors, etc. Just looked up at the clock!
Hi Bess. I LOVED your review of Blonde. I’m reading it now for book club, simultaneously loving it, and rethinking it. Your point of it being the book to give women and men alike who question the need for Feminism is right on! Thank you. Thank you. I want to save this review to share with my book club, but how to do it. Cut and paste doesn’t work. Any ideas?
Wow pick me over here.
Love your review! But - I will never give up my pointy toed stilettos 👠😄
