Germaine Greer

The female eunuch

The publication of Germaine Greer's The Female Eunuch in 1970 was a landmark event, raising eyebrows and ire while creating a shock wave of recognition in women around the world with its steadfast assertion that sexual liberation is the key to women's liberation. Today, Greer's searing examination of the oppression of women in contemporary society is both an important historical record of where we've been and a shockingly relevant treatise on what still remains to be achieved.

The Female Eunuch

Alexandra Gillgrass

After recently becoming increasingly interested in Feminism I thought what better place to start with the so called Feminist Bible. Like a lot of people have heard there has always been a lot of hype around this book and there still continues to be despite the book being published in the seventies. Whether this was because of the controversy of it all or the actual truth that there was in this book, as a result, is of course open to interpretation. 

I'm still debating whether this was a good place to start on the topic of Feminism because of this book's controversy and how heavy it actually is. If you're looking for a feminist book for dummies then I don't think this is the best place to start. In retrospect I think I would have enjoyed this book much more if I was a more advanced reader on the topic of Feminism, and as a result would have most likely understood the theories and ideas much more clearly. 

For me personally, I was absolutely desperate to enjoy this book, and there were some sections which I found beyond interesting and agreed with. But for the majority this was not the case. I think even if you aren't a Feminist than this would still be a good book to read as you can imagine yourself arguing with Greer in your head. 

All in all, I am glad I read this book and stuck with it- and she definitely raised some valid points which really got me thinking about today's society. But some of the theories were far too complex for my little brain which is why I have given the Female Eunuch three stars, through no fault of its own.

The female eunuch

Reviews

Highlights