We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
This little text was born from a TEDx talk. Nigerian Chimamanda gives her perspective on feminism. It's refreshing in how it's clear and direct. She defines feminism as equality for genders, and gives examples of how she's seen life without it in Nigeria. She shows how non-feminist thinking results in behavior that is illogical, and based on old thinking that's not challenged. Upon closing the book, one is thoroughly convinced that feminism is what's best for everyone.
General consensus: Yup.
Showing posts with label Essays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Essays. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 04, 2018
Monday, May 18, 2015
Book Report #151 - This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage
This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett
Ann Patchett is the beloved author of Bel Canto, a book so beautiful that I put it on my short list of all time favorites. She's a celebrated contemporary author. I always thought she honed her writing skills at the Iowa Writer's College and then went off to write novels. Turns out she wrote articles for Seventeen, and then graduated to more mature magazines. That's how she paid the bills until she "made it."
This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage is a collection of essays she's written over the years, most previously published, some fleshed out because word count was no longer important. I was surprised to find they all featured Ann, considering I was used to her novels and only got to know her through her memoir about her best friend, Truth and Beauty.
My favorite essay was The Sacrament of Divorce, a touching story of forgiveness that features the ending of Ann's first marriage. My second favorite was This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage, about her second marriage to a kind doctor who dearly loves her. It's funny how when you stop fighting and resign yourself to what is in front of you, you sometimes find that it's exactly what you never thought you could dream of having. And that what you wanted was more simple than you ever let yourself believe. But Ann imparts all that with more eloquence than I probably can ever hope to have.
There are plenty of interesting essays here, and I appreciated the order of them. They carried the book well. Don't miss The Wall about Ann trying out for the LAPD! It's gold.
General consensus: A pleasant and thought-provoking journey.
Ann Patchett is the beloved author of Bel Canto, a book so beautiful that I put it on my short list of all time favorites. She's a celebrated contemporary author. I always thought she honed her writing skills at the Iowa Writer's College and then went off to write novels. Turns out she wrote articles for Seventeen, and then graduated to more mature magazines. That's how she paid the bills until she "made it."
This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage is a collection of essays she's written over the years, most previously published, some fleshed out because word count was no longer important. I was surprised to find they all featured Ann, considering I was used to her novels and only got to know her through her memoir about her best friend, Truth and Beauty.
My favorite essay was The Sacrament of Divorce, a touching story of forgiveness that features the ending of Ann's first marriage. My second favorite was This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage, about her second marriage to a kind doctor who dearly loves her. It's funny how when you stop fighting and resign yourself to what is in front of you, you sometimes find that it's exactly what you never thought you could dream of having. And that what you wanted was more simple than you ever let yourself believe. But Ann imparts all that with more eloquence than I probably can ever hope to have.
There are plenty of interesting essays here, and I appreciated the order of them. They carried the book well. Don't miss The Wall about Ann trying out for the LAPD! It's gold.
General consensus: A pleasant and thought-provoking journey.
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