“Is it possible to read a book about anger and not get mad? I haven’t found it possible in writing one. What are we doing? Why does anyone think that men who cannot say the word ‘period’ and do not know that the vagina and stomach are not connected are competent and trustworthy leaders?”
I want to get my thoughts out before my book club meeting tomorrow (during which I have been told we will be smashing things! with protective eyewear*). I almost feel like I should have read this twice, because I already don’t really remember specifics, but I know this was a hugely, uh, enjoyable? That’s not right. Entertaining? No no no. Well-written, engaging, infuriating. There we go! Yes, literally I had to stop reading this for extended periods because I could feel my blood pressure physically rising, and the veins in my head were like thrumthrumthrum.
*I wrote this over a week ago, and we did indeed smash things.
It’s like, there’s a certain base level of things you just learn to live with, but when laid out back to back like this, and when she’s constantly dropping in stories about women and their worst case scenarios, your brain just unconsciously starts to go, wait a second, FUCK THIS. Like, the husband stitch? WHAT EVEN. Her great-grandparents and her poor great grandmother? The entire chapter about sexual assault?? Just, rage emoji, FU meme, fuck all of this cat.
Helpfully, this isn’t just a book that makes your blood pressure rise and leaves you hanging, it’s also a book about how to use that rage to make productive change. It’s about ungendering emotions, not just rage. She doesn’t advocate going on a rage and fucking shit up. In fact, she explicitly says the opposite. That anger festers when repressed, that it should be acknowledged and used as fuel, not let alone until you feel like you’re about to explode. I would give more specific examples, but I refer you again to the first paragraph, and remind you kindly about my terrible memory.
Highly recommend this one. Will be buying myself a hard copy. (The audio version was great if you’re into that! The author reads it herself and does a great job.)
[4.5 stars, rounded up]
