by Betty Friedan
This is a tough book for me to write about. I read it a long time ago, when plowing through piles of books on pregnancy, childbirth and similar topics. Not sure how this one got on my list as I don\’t consider myself a feminist. I thought I would find it uninteresting or difficult, but on the contrary it\’s an easy read, and very engaging. On the other hand, I didn\’t end up feeling indignant or frustrated like I felt the author intended me to. She thoroughly describes how housewives in the 50\’s felt bored, frustrated and oppressed, and urges them to make something more of their lives and stand up for their own interests. She makes it sound like a woman needs a job to feel fulfilled, and points out all the inequalities in how men and women are treated. I don\’t know, I just couldn\’t get riled up by it, because I\’m pretty happy to be a stay-home mom with a garden to tend, and books to read in the few spare moments I have. I never get bored or feel like my life is missing something essential. So I couldn\’t really connect with her views, although some of the points she brought up got me thinking. Others I kind of dismissed because they seemed rather forced. The sad thing is even though I know The Feminine Mystique is an important book, well-researched and chock full of thought-provoking info, I can hardly remember one specific thing from it… Hm. I got the impression that this book is to the feminist movement what Silent Spring was to environmentalism.
Rating: 3/5 …….. 587 pages, 1997
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