*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Blurb: Tired of explaining reality to fiercely obstinate men about why women need feminism, Journalist Andreia Nobre, a writer at Brazilian publication QG FEminista, took the task to clarify some of the misconceptions widely spread about the radical feminism and the feminist theory. The author would like to make it very clear that feminists don’t hate all men – but you can, if you want to.
Andreia Nobre presents an accessible guide to RadFem ideas, which is not so much ‘grumpy’ as downright furious… and not without good reason!
Still, the tone is leavened with plenty of sarcasm and humour, whilst retaining a blunt, no-nonsense approach to this always-topical and definitely touchy subject.
For those unsure what constitutes ‘Radical Feminism’ (as opposed to ‘feminism’), this book explains it way better than I ever could, and covers a lot of issues that you will have seen raised in the news and on social media – things like the need for ‘women-only’ spaces, or why ‘not all men’ provokes such rage, or why women aren’t keen on being extorted to smile by strange men.
I did find that the whistle-stop approach to complex subjects like gender politics and sexual identity, while entertaining and easily digestible, really doesn’t lend itself to detail, nuance or structured arguments/explanations, and therefore I would expect this book to be more suitable for reaffirming and solidifying currently-held RadFem beliefs, rather than to making any new converts to the cause.
The most important thing though, is that such issues continue to be held up to the light and talked about on all sides, rather than stifled in the name of sensitivity. Whether you agree with this author’s position or not (and on a personal note, my beliefs are firmly feminist, but in no way ‘radical’), these are incredibly important issues and ought to be discussed freely, without fear of name-calling, threats or ridicule.
For more detail and debate on this issues, further reading and research would be required, but if you’re looking for a short, snarky summing-up of some of the key points of Radical Feminism, then this guide is just the thing.
For the sake of truth, fairness, and for being fed up about not being able to take down Patriarchy because – quelle surprise – most people won’t even fathom the idea that we live in a patriarchal system – I’ve decided to try and dismantle a few misconceptions about what radical feminism actually is.
But in the sacred tradition of ranting relentlessly.
– Andreia Nobre, The Grumpy Guide to Radical Feminism
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Bookshine And Readbows 