Men Explain Things to Me - March 2024 Book Club Reading

[Falselogic]

Men Explain Things to Me is a 2014 essay collection by the American writer Rebecca Solnit. The book originally contained seven essays, the main essay of which has been cited as the source of the term "mansplaining." The September 2015 expanded edition of the book included two new essays: "Cassandra Among the Creeps" and "#YesAllWomen: Feminists Rewrite the Story."

Each chapter of the book is a stand-alone essay. Each essay examines aspects of women's lives under Patriarchy.

 

[Falselogic]

I just got this book from my library (I asked for it earlier after last month's fiasco of missing the book club) and am excited to start it!

 

[Falselogic]

Apologies for posting this late! Even giving February an extra day it still ends earlier than you expect!

 

[John]

i read the first two essays so far, and CW/TW, lot of talk of sexual assault, rape, violence. I personally gave a couple days in between reads to let it ruminate, and to decompress.

 

[lincolnic]

Going to have to sit this one out -- I'm not in the best place mentally and I need my books to be escapism right now. Sorry to miss another month!

 

[Olli]

I read this one a few years ago, so I might not revisit it this time. I'm interested in hearing your thoughts!

 

[John]

It's interesting how some essays are both dated and timeless at the same time. When she references contemporaneous events that happened recently to her it adds a sense of urgency, but readers today have all the context of #metoo and the entire Trump years and abortion rights that both put more spotlights on inequality while adding to the systemic misogyny that just makes people despondent that real change will never come (in the United States at least). It's not a fun read, but I'm absorbing it.

 

[Violentvixen]

Started this tonight, on the second essay. I remember the parody "tips to end rape" poster that she mentions in the essay and remember being struck by the dark humor at the time.

It's fairly depressing that my reaction to so much of the what's here is "well yeah, of course I already know that" or just head-nodding as I am all too familiar with so many of these experiences.

Also made me think of this one which must have felt so damned good.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1361332337678639107

 

[Violentvixen]

I don't like that she writes about mistaking a woman in a burqa for "furniture or drapery" (top of page 68). As much as there need to be serious conversations about them and how they relate to women's rights and freedoms this doesn't seem like a good way to do it. It is an essay that's a collection of short snippets with different tones but I dunno, it bothers me.

Not based on anything particular about the book but just the imbalances overall I also recommend everyone read Emma's famous comic "you should've asked". It's a glaring yet well argued and clear description of the imbalances at home.

She's done a number of others including one about how dangerous and racist/sexist it can be to cast blanket judgement on burqas but it's not online which is too bad. A new one to me was this comic about COVID and the huge effect it had on employed women here, which ends with this powerful statement:

 

[Falselogic]

I've got two more essays to read before I finish it. @John 's advice was good, so thank you for sharing it here. That first essay is especially hard. I know all of this and have heard it before but when it is put all in one place at one time, the weight of it all...

 

[John]

I also noticed the burqa comment @Violentvixen, which is a whole big thing I am in no way qualified to touch at all. So many different factors from women's rights to societal expectations to religious morality, which all are influenced and mostly generated from patriarchy.

I stalled out after essay 5, want to jump back to it but I need to be in the right space for what feels like assigned reading for a 101 women's studies class.

 

[Falselogic]

I finished it. I don't want to say this was a good read, but I think it was a necessary one? Does that make sense? Like, I didn't enjoy it. But, I learned things from it and it being written, published, and read is necessary.

I mostly just worry that in the 10 or so years since it has been published I don't know if anything has changed for the better...