Have you ever liked a book so much that you wanted every woman to read it too?
Books that trigger strong opinions are the need of this hour. Well, they always were but we need them now more than ever, given the year is 2020 and unfortunately, we still follow demeaning traditions. Similarly, the word ‘Feminism’ is enough to pop questions. Brows are still raised whenever the word – ‘Feminist is rubbed against. Feminism literally means equality but there are so many different layers to it depending on the people who associate themselves with it or who do not, it is a personal choice, nevertheless. To learn about feminism and making it a part of your daily life is a continuous learning and re-learning process.
Here are the 5 best feminist books every woman should read and introduce her femme friends to so that we collectively inspire and shine the feminists within!
The Feminine Mystique by Betty Freidan
Pages: 368
“The only way for a woman, as for a man, to find herself, to know herself as a person, is by creative work of her own.”
One of the most influential books to begin a second wave of feminism when it was first published in 1963, it is parts philosophy and social criticism. She wanted women to realize their full potential. Surprisingly, many women shared similar frustrations in their roles as housewives and mothers and did not feel happy or fulfilled because they never realised their full human potential. This book is still very relevant.
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
Pages: 240
“but whatever came, she had resolved never again to belong to another than herself.”
We cannot simply comprehend the sheer number of women whose own awakenings were provoked by Kate Chopin’s classic. Published in 1899, ‘The Awakening’ shocked readers with its honest portrayal of female marital infidelity. People were astonished by her daring representation of a woman trapped in an oppressive marriage, finding love outside the limits of her marital life.
The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carte
Pages: 240
“She herself is a haunted house. She does not possess herself; her ancestors sometimes come and peer out of the windows of her eyes and that is very frightening.”
If you love a retelling of a classic fairy-tale, but with unseen dark twists – where the beauty turns into the beast, you owe it to Angela Carter’s 1979 collection of short stories. Her writing style has inspired numerous writers such as Neil Gaiman. Salman Rushdie said in her honour that she was the first great writer he has ever met. She is the reason behind the acceptance of twisted narratives in literary spaces.
Fat Is A Feminist Issue by Susie Orbach
Pages: 400
“Dare to be as physically robust and varied as you always were.”
First published in 1978, ‘Fat is a Feminist Issue’ is just as relevant today as it was back then. Questioning women’s relationships with their bodies, the hypocritical nature of the weight loss products, and societal ideal of what a perfect body should be like, this book offers a feminist vocabulary to think about these questions. Susie Orbach’s classic helps women to feel comfortable in their skin and be confident irrespective of shapes and sizes.
“There is no “beginning” of feminism in the sense that there is no beginning to defiance in women.”
A depiction of times when women started to break all the rules about sex, politics and everything that restrained them, ‘Promise of a Dream’ is a moving and poignant recollection of anecdotes where women took their sexuality and pleasures in their own hands, refusing to bow down to patriarchy, becoming forbearers of liberation, freedom and revolution.
