This book is so quotable . . . if it were only up to me, I'd just leave all my favourite quotes from the book here and that'd be the review, but let'sThis book is so quotable . . . if it were only up to me, I'd just leave all my favourite quotes from the book here and that'd be the review, but let's try to write something.
This book is about how white middle-and-upper-class women started to realize the 'women are weak' stereotype was only that. A stereotype. Nothing more. Precision : the events here take place between late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Women’s self-defense became a rejection of the doctrine of protectionism and a means for white women to empower themselves against attacks from their alleged natural protectors - white men.
Until I'd the say middle/late 20th century, women were taught that they were weak and needed a protect them, they needed the ‘male strength’ because they would never be able to defend themselves. *coughs* BS *cough* But hey, who were they supposed to not defend themselves against? You got it : white men. White men you can't take no for an answer and get angry when women/people they feel are inferior to them resist them.
The women who were subject to these repeated insults described feeling annoyed, threatened, and even fearful. The constant harassment felt like a barrage of assaults, and many women expressed a sense of violation of their person. As women increasingly found themselves the objects of unwanted sexual attention in a variety of public places, they demanded protection against these insults.
There is this myth that black men were more dangerous than white men. Of course, blame the minority, it always works. But as I said, it's just that : a myth. It's so much easier to point the finger elsewhere, to say it's not your fault, to see yourself as the good protector. Yeah . . . but women also learned self-defense to protect themselves from men in their own family. Men who ‘owned’ them, at least that's what they believed.
Nowhere were the myth of stranger danger and the myth of the male protector more obviously disproved than in the homes of women who were subject to violence perpetrated by the men they loved. The discourse surrounding women’s self-defense helped dispel powerful myths about the sources of violence against women.
As said previously, women were taught to go to their husband/brother/father when they needed help or felt threatened . . . they were taught to feel vulnerable and to be helpless on their own. Men made sure they were ‘indispensable’ so they could act like total jerks and women would say nothing because they felt like they needed them. The self-defense movement proved how wrong it was.
By promoting an attitude of fear about the outside world and the “other”, men encouraged women to seek security in the home and look to them for protection. Patriarchal authority was thus reinforced as men took on the role of protectors and women as the protected. By buying into this notion, women capitulated to their insecurities and may have even believed stereotypes about feminine weakness and their inability to defend themselves, thus making them more vulnerable to assault.
I think men forgot that it's when you feel the most vulnerable and weak that you find a strength inside you you never knew existed. In a way - and it hurts me to say that - men made of us the women we are today : strong, independent, brilliant. They treated us like second-class citizens for centuries, and proving them wrong made us fight harder. So thanks guys, your evil plan didn't work.
Although the reasons women pursued self-defense training may have varied dramatically, the very act of learning a traditionally male-dominated physical art contested gender stereotypes and stretched the boundaries of acceptable female behavior.
3.75
Thank you Netgalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review....more
I have to say, I don’t understand why they felt the need to change the dialogues… it felt weird, especially if you’re like me and you’vIt was painful.
I have to say, I don’t understand why they felt the need to change the dialogues… it felt weird, especially if you’re like me and you’ve read Pride & Prejudice more times than you can possibly remember. To be honest, the new dialogues felt forced sometimes, and so out of character.
I didn’t like the way Mr. Darcy was portrayed, he was always embarrassed and acted like a 10-year-old experiencing his first crush. I swear I was suffering second-hand embarrassment.
And Elizabeth … she was so painful to read, what the heck happened to her ? She’s not this foolish girl looking for a husband, not being able to talk to some ‘handsome’ men, that’s just not who she is. She’s blushing ALL the time, reading her was like reading about Lydia.
Also, can we talk about the art … this was so dramatic, I don’t know what Jane Austen would think of it if she saw it. The expressions they give to the characters, the gestures, it didn’t feel like them. It doesn't mean the art wasn't pretty for a manga, it was quite elegant, but I can't get over how dramatic it was sometimes.
I would have probably enjoyed this manga more if Pride & Prejudice wasn't one of my favourite books. It wasn't bad, but saying it was great would be a lie. It was fine, nothing spectacular, but fine.
2.75 - or maybe 2.5
Thank you Netgalley for providing me an e-copy in exchange for an honest review....more
I don't really know where to start so I'll try to keep it simple.
Warning : if you haven't read Passenger but plan to, don't read this review becausI don't really know where to start so I'll try to keep it simple.
Warning : if you haven't read Passenger but plan to, don't read this review because you'll be spoiled.
I can't say I liked this book more than I did Passenger, because that wouldn't be true, but I still think they deserve the same number of stars.
Things I liked :
#1 Etta's part. I liked the way it was done and the places she got to see, and the people she got to meet. I was never bored during my read while reading her 'POV' it's probably what I loved the most. I still love Etta as a person, she's genuinely good and kind and strong. Let's not forget loyal, to her family, to her friends, to Nicholas. She's someone I'd like to have by my side during hard times because I know she wouldn't let me down no matter what.
#2 Nicholas's selflessness. He could have had everything but still decided to do what nobody would have done because it was the hard thing to do. Hard, but right. He sacrificed everything and everybody to finally make things right. And I'm glad he got to be happy in the end, because he freaking deserved it.
#3 Henry Hemlock. I wasn't prepared to love him as much I did, but it happened. He's the father I would have loved to have : proud of his daughter for being a great human being, looking at her with love in his eyes even though they only met an hour ago, loving her unconditionally and being prepared to sacrifice his life to save hers. Maybe I'm biased because if a character is named Henry, there is a 99% chance that I'll like him but Henry Hemlock truly deserves my love because he's incredible.
#4 You knew it was coming : F/F RELATIONSHIP. Okay, there is only one kiss between the two ladies, but we get to see them falling for each other and it was AMAZING.
#5 While I'm at it, Alexandra Bracken saying a big FUCK YOU to heteronormativity made my day. When Nicholas realizes Lin Min wants to kiss Sophia and not him, here is what happens : “Ma’am, I apologize,” Nicholas said sincerely, inclining his head. “Forgive my presumption.” And there was also a moment a guy, out of nowhere, said 'My husband' to talk about another guy and it made me smile SO damn much. It added nothing to the story, true, which made it even more appreciable because Alexandra Bracken didn't have to give us a gay couple but she did it nonetheless so thank you Queen.
Things that could have been better :
#1 Nicholas's part. It's not that it was boring, but the thing is, a lot of things happened during Etta's part, so obviously I wanted Nicholas's part to be as interesting. Also Nicholas, my dude, my man, why do you always trust the wrong persons ? Like, you know this person is bad, and yet you choose to work with this said person ... Why ?
#2 I wasn't a huge fan of this end, it felt a bit rushed and I would have loved the prologue to be about someone/something else.
#3 Nicholas and Etta aren't together for nearly the entirety of the book ....... and it made me extremely sad. I loved their dynamic in Passenger, they work really well together, they have a great chemistry and I wanted them to spend more time together.
#4 I wanted to know more about Julian because I really liked what I saw of him in this book. I also wanted him - like Etta - to spend more time with Nicholas, I heard Nicholas saying so many times that he loves his brother and yet we only have two lines between them ... Could have been done better, that's for sure.
BUT overall this a really great and well done duology.
Around the Year in 52 books 2017. 45. A book with a one-word title....more
Right now I don't feel like I want to pick up this book again. Let's be honest : I've read 34% of this book and so far it's just him talking about everRight now I don't feel like I want to pick up this book again. Let's be honest : I've read 34% of this book and so far it's just him talking about every guy he ever had sex with . . . Fascinating.
Maybe I will pick it up later, or maybe I won't, I guess we'll have to wait and see....more
Well, we can all admit it was an AMAZING book. First, the story was incredible. I'm not being partial because I LOVE everything that is about time travWell, we can all admit it was an AMAZING book. First, the story was incredible. I'm not being partial because I LOVE everything that is about time travel, and also I'm a huge History nerd, but let's call a cat a cat shall we ? Well, yes okay for the first 30 pages or so I was like 'I don't understand, what the hell is going on ?' but after Etta's first travel everything becomes clearer. There is a lot of action, you won't find yourself thinking 'okay, what's next ?' No, the story is always moving, everything is happening really fast, and basically you have no time to think. The romance is well done, it's not some stupid insta-love you know, because even though it happens not long after they met, you see where the feelings are coming from. Nicholas and Etta have a lot of respect for each other, it's mutual, they're partners.
As much as she respected and admired his beautiful, sharp mind, there was such a gentle heart stowed away beneath the stormy colors of his moods, his rougher layers.
So second, don't tell me this book is not all about racism and feminism. Because I won't believe you. When Etta goes back in time, she meets Nicholas whose skin colour happens to be black... in 1776. Not the best time if you ask me, and she's confronted to some fucking stupidity. And she could stay passive you know, she totally could, she's in a time she knows nothing about - and she's a girl traveling on her own in a century where she has basically no right - but no, she won't let some racist white dude talks to Nicholas like he's nothing. AND I WAS SO PROUD OF HER FOR WHAT SHE'S DONE.
It forced Etta to see that the centuries padding this time and hers, along with simple privilege, had protected her from the true ugliness of it. People believed this trash, and they were spreading it around like it was nothing. Like they weren't even talking about humans.
But Etta also has to deal with the fact she's now in a world of MEN. You know, the "good old time", the one some "men" want so badly to go back.... Yeah well Etta knows she's her own master, she doesn't need a man to tell her what to do or to protect her. She comes from a century where we, women, have way more rights than we used to have before - not yet what we should have, but that's not the discussion here - so imagine how she feels when a man has to say he 'owns her' for her to be safe.... You guessed, I'm sure, that she doesn't like it - and she's right.
“I don't need a protector,” Etta said. “I need a partner.”
SO yes, this book is well written, has deep characters with their own personality, but also deals with racism and feminism. Tell me exactly why you haven't read this book yet ?
4.75
Around the Year in 52 books 2017. 46. A time travel novel....more
I'm emotionally exhausted. I'm going to hibernate. don't talk to me again.I'm emotionally exhausted. I'm going to hibernate. don't talk to me again....more
En - I swear I tried to read this book, I didn’t want to dnf it, and yet it happened. The thing is, I really really liked The Truth About the Harry QueEn - I swear I tried to read this book, I didn’t want to dnf it, and yet it happened. The thing is, I really really liked The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by the same author, it was probably my favourite read of 2014, and I had high expectations for Joël Dicker’s other books. And I was so disappointed in this one… But I tried, really, I read a little bit more than 30% of this book, but it just wasn’t it for me. I found the story quite boring, the writing was flat, I didn’t like most of the characters and yeah, it was just description after description and STOP. I needed more. It’s a disappointment, but it won’t be my last Joël Dicker, that’s for sure.
Fr - Je jure que j'ai vraiment essayé de lire ce livre, je ne voulais pas le mettre de côté, mais c'est ce qui malgré tout est arrivé. Il faut comprendre que j'ai ÉNORMÉMENT aimé La vérité sur l'affaire Harry Quebert du même auteur, je pense que ce livre a été mon préféré de l'année 2014, j'avais donc d'immenses attentes concernant les autres livres de Joël Dicker. Et malheureusement pour moi celui-ci m'a énormément déçue. Mais quand je dis que j'ai essayé, c'est que j'ai vraiment essayé, j'ai lu un peu plus de 30% du livre, mais au final je me suis rendue à l'évidence que ce livre n'était pas fait pour moi. J'ai trouvé l'histoire - enfin ce que j'en ai lu - lente, par moments soporifique, le style d'écriture était vraiment trop plat à mon goût, j'ai eu du mal à aimer des personnages qui font des blagues misogynes toutes les quatre secondes, et c'était aussi beaucoup trop descriptif. Donc oui, c'est une déception, mais ce livre ne sera définitivement pas mon dernier Joël Dicker.
I've been obsessed with Aliénor d'Aquitaine for 5 years now, and there is nothing I love more than rereading this book. Her life has always intrigued mI've been obsessed with Aliénor d'Aquitaine for 5 years now, and there is nothing I love more than rereading this book. Her life has always intrigued me, and I really like the way it's told in this series, even though it's fairly romanticized....more
This was one of my favourite books when I was little, and I can see why I loved it that much. This is such an amazing story, and if it had been me, I wThis was one of my favourite books when I was little, and I can see why I loved it that much. This is such an amazing story, and if it had been me, I would have been so sad to leave Narnia behind and never go back.
Around the Year in 52 books 2016. 29. A book by an author who writes under more than one name....more
Disclaimer : this review was written while listening to Hamilton. Of course. Who do you think I am?
Trigger warnings : sexual assault, forced marriage,Disclaimer : this review was written while listening to Hamilton. Of course. Who do you think I am?
Trigger warnings : sexual assault, forced marriage, ‘she asked for it’
I really liked it? I had read so many mix reviews, I didn’t expect to actually enjoy the book, enjoy at the point of giving it at least 4 stars. But I did. Though I thought the story would cover more of their time together, I enjoyed seeing they came to fall in love. So I checked, and the infos in this book are pretty accurate - well history speaking, no one really knows what happened between these two during February 1780, and the conversations are work of fiction - like it’s said in the acknowledgment.
Okay, let’s admit, I read this book simply because I love the Hamilton musical and just needed more content . . . also I love Eliza and Alex’s story - well the beginning at least, not the past where he cheated on her . . . but this isn’t the subject of this review.
Do you know how hard it is to imagine Alexander Hamilton as this young ginger dude when you have Lin-Manuel Miranda in your head? The struggle was read, but in the end I SUCCEEDED! I love me some deep blushing Alex Hamilton when he sees/talks to Eliza. I forgot they were my age when they met! - which means they were babies - It’s hard to talk about him as a character when he really existed, but for the sake of this review we’ll do as if he’s fictional, okay? Otherwise I’ll never be able to write something. Same goes for all the other characters. Alex has no title, a name that means nearly nothing compared to some others, close to no money. His only way to shine in this life, is to fight in the war and win glory through his actions. But for the old aristocracy, glory means scarcely anything. When he meets Eliza, though he loves her, he doesn’t think he deserves her, doesn’t think he’s enough because somehow his lack of name and money defines his worth. He’s fighting against his own mind during the entirety of the book. People keep telling him he’s not even American because he comes from the Caribbean Islands, that he’ll always be a low born with no worth. How nice. Yet he’s more brilliant than all of these people reunited, more resourceful, and is actively working for their freedom and slaves’ freedom.
Eliza is my hero? I want to be her when I grow up? I love how strong-minded she is, she doesn’t let people tell her what she should do, she leads her life the way she wants it . . . she’s someone I admire for her strength. Eliza is my favourite sister - Angelica is hitting on my nerves, and Peggy is cute but she is ‘ and Peggy’ . . . which means we don’t know much about her unfortunately - even the face of adversity she stays true to herself and fight for what she thinks is the right thing to do. She’s conflicted between marrying someone she actually loves, or marrying a rich guy to help her family, conflicted between doing what’s best for her and her loyalty to her family, conflicted between what she thinks is her duty as her daughter and her duty to herself. She’s my fave because she’s complex, she’s flawed - her pride knows no equal - but she’s deeply kind-hearted and generous . . . she’s someone you recognize yourself in.
The relationship between Eliza and Alex was cute, but you could see it was a YA Romance, you could all the tropes - it wouldn’t have been fun otherwise - but I didn’t really mind. I loved how Eliza always put herself first, and how Alex treated her as an equal. I loved their friendship, their playfulness, you could see they were made to be together.
One more thing I loved about this book, was the friendships! I loved the friendship between Lafayette, Laurens and Hamilton! They’re troublemakers together, you can see how deep their friendship is and how much they mean to each other! I also like the friendship between Eliza and her aunt. It was something I wasn’t expecting but I liked it! Her aunt was a true force of nature and I liked how unafraid she was when she had to protect Eliza.
Overall, I had a GREAT time reading this book! It was heavily romanticized but I didn’t really care because I liked what I read and had a great time!
“I meant does it hurt when you hide every last shred of your individuality and self worth behind acres of silk and cups of powder and smiles that never, no matter how hard you try, reach your eyes?”...more
This book emotionally drained me. And I don’t feel like writing a proper review tbh, so I’ll just give you one quote per characters that I particularlThis book emotionally drained me. And I don’t feel like writing a proper review tbh, so I’ll just give you one quote per characters that I particularly liked. Sorry if it’s not what you wanted, but this book made me realize how much we lie to us at school when we learn about colonies and slavery, and right now I just want to put this book aside for a few days and not think about how ugly the world is.
Effia : “You can learn anything when you have to learn it. You could learn to fly if it meant you would live another day.”
Esi : “You want to know what weakness is ? Weakness is treating someone as though they belong to you. Strength is knowing that everyone belongs to themselves.”
Quey : This was how they lived there, in the bush: Eat or be eaten. Capture or be captured. Marry for protection. Quey would never go to Cudjo’s village. He would not be weak. He was in the business of slavery, and sacrifices had to be made.
Ness : She thought of the act of cotton picking as she had since the day she saw Sam’s head, like a prayer. With the bed, she said, “Lord forgive me my sins.” With the pluck, she said, “Deliver us from evil.” And with the lift, she said, “And protect my son, wherever he may be.”
James : “This is how we all come to the world, James. Weak and needy, desperate to learn how to be a person.” She smiled at him. “But if we do not like the person we have learned to be, should we just sit in front of our fufu, doing nothing ? I think, James, that maybe it is possible to make a new way.”
Kojo : Maybe Beulah was seeing something more clearly on the nights she had these dreams, a little black child fighting in her sleep against an opponent she couldn’t name come morning because in the light that opponent just looked like the world around her. Intangible evil. Unspeakable unfairness.
Abena : She didn’t make a scene. Instead, she turned and began walking, walking past the people dancing, past her parents crying, walking until she found the floor of her hut and lay down upon it, one hand clutching her heart and the other clutching her stomach. Holding the two places that hurt.
H : “Don’t matter if you was or wasn’t. All they gotta do is say you was. That’s all they gotta do. You think cuz you all big and muscled up, you safe ? Naw, dem white folks can’t stand the sight of you. Walking’ round free as can be. Don’t nobody want to see a black man look like you walkin’ proud as a peacock. Like you ain’t got a lick of fear in you. Slavery ain’t nothin’ but a dot in your eye, huh ? If nobody tell you, I’ma tell you. War may be over but it ain’t ended.”
Akua : It was Yaa Asantewaa, Edweso’s own Queen Mother, who stood up and demanded that they fight, saying that if the men would not do it, the women would.
Willie : “Too dark,” he repeated. “Jazzing’s only for the light girls.” “I saw a man dark as midnight walk in with a trombone.” “I said girls, honey. If you were a man, maybe.” If she were Robert, Willie thought. Robert could have any job he wanted, but she knew he was too scared to try.
Yaw - my favourite story : “This is the problem of history. We must rely upon the words of others. Those who were there in the olden days. But now we come upon the problem of conflicting stories. Whose story do we believe, then ? We believe the one who has the power. He is the one who gets to write the story. So when you study history, you must always ask yourself, Whose story am I missing ? Whose voice was suppressed so that this voice could come forth ?”
Sonny : The practice of segregation meant that he had to feel his separateness as inequality, and that was what he could not take.
Marjorie : “I mostly just feel like I don’t belong there. As soon as I step off the airplane, people can tell that I’m like them but different too. They can smell it on me.” “Smell what ?” Marjorie looked up, trying to capture the right word. “Loneliness, maybe. Or aloneness. The way I don’t fit here or there.”
Marcus : When he was young, his father told him that black people didn’t like water because they were brought over on slave ships. What did a black man want to swim for ? The ocean floor was already littered with black men.
P.S. I found the end particularly beautiful and powerful....more
This book made me feel so nostalgic, and I don't even know what I'm nostalgic for. Anyway, it was so nice to read about a f/f relationship back in the This book made me feel so nostalgic, and I don't even know what I'm nostalgic for. Anyway, it was so nice to read about a f/f relationship back in the 20's/30's/40's and a happy one. Made my heart all warm.
The truth is I don't really know what to write in this review. Sometimes it happens for books I really liked, I can't seem to find the right word to cThe truth is I don't really know what to write in this review. Sometimes it happens for books I really liked, I can't seem to find the right word to convey my thoughts.
This book had intrigued me since the day it came out. I find this all mystery surrounding Jack the Ripper extremely interesting because it’s one of the greatest unsolved criminal affair and it’s fascinating.
I liked that our main character is this girl who enjoys being arm-deep in corpses, a girl who is a scientist, and isn’t afraid to speak her mind in this world driven by men. Audrey Rose is a strong woman with high hopes for her future, and I loved that. It's exactly what I needed: someone who doesn't take a ‘no I won't let you do what's best for you’ for an answer.
Of freaking course I liked Thomas, he reminded me a LOT of William Herondale which is a compliment coming from me. It's nice to see a character who doesn't try to do what society expects from them but what they expect from themselves. That's a good thing. He didn't try to be nice, to hide the fact he thinks he's brilliant—which he is— or to make himself more lovable just to please people. He stayed true to himself.
I enjoyed their dynamic, it was hilarious at times and delicious to read. That's definitely a ship I would go down with.
For what's about everything surrounding the murders mystery itself, I must say it was good, gruesome sometimes, even disgusting, but undeniably good. I guessed who Jack is maybe 100 pages before the end, but that's something you don't really see coming, I was still surprised.
I'm definitely interested in picking up the sequel!
second read in january 2019: I had missed this book and these characters! I think I loved it even more this time, and it made me even more excited second read in january 2019: I had missed this book and these characters! I think I loved it even more this time, and it made me even more excited to pick up the second book!
first read in december 2017: I AM JUNGSHOOK.
Trust me, you do not want to know what this book is about, it's so much to go into this one knowing barely a thing. It just has such a weird atmosphere, a really good creepy vibe that keeps you on the edge of your seat for the entire read …
It's typically the kind of book you want to read and read until you're at the last page, it's just that addicting. It reminded me a LOT of Six of Crows, it gave me the same vibe, probably because of the squad.
What I liked about this book is that it doesn't shy away from the real history of America: you hear about slavery, immigrants, discrimination against everybody who isn't white or catholic or just ‘in the norm.’ That was something extremely interesting to read, and I'm really hoping to find this aspect in the books to come!
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