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annabelfenton's review against another edition
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.25
Unspeakable things is a well-written, thought-provoking reflection about love, sex, and gender, and how it’s transformed under late capitalism. Penny presents her reflections in a personal and engaging way, and I found many nuggets of wisdom in the book’s pages.
I will say, though, at times it felt a bit like a feminist rant in the sort of “I’m with the cool kids” fashion.
I will say, though, at times it felt a bit like a feminist rant in the sort of “I’m with the cool kids” fashion.
tildahlia's review against another edition
2.0
I love Laurie Penny (google her review of Ivanka’s book), but this book just didn’t do it for me. It lacks structure and fails to move beyond pretty basic feminism/patriarchy 101. I wanted more!
mrs_bonaventure's review against another edition
5.0
Reading this, at 43, a book written by a 27 year old, simultaneously depressed and inspired me. Her history begins in the Nineties, if that, so she has no personal references from the earnest Seventies or the more confident Eighties - just the Nineties when the backlash against feminism was gaining ground, and the early 2000s when lad culture was firmly established. So it feels to her as though those things I took for granted in the Eighties - decent educational progress for girls, being financially independent, carrying condoms - may as well never have happened.
However - like all of us, she's angry, and starry-eyed - always a great combination, with the energy of fireworks, and that's what's needed. I found myself agreeing with most of this book, particularly its emphasis on how feminism should help all of us, men and women (and if you've never realised that before then like, Duh..)
A big difference was that she grew up online and there's a lot here about privacy, surveillance, branding and power, but ultimately the internet means the oppressed can organise, and that's crucial.
I liked her voice and I want to hear more.
However - like all of us, she's angry, and starry-eyed - always a great combination, with the energy of fireworks, and that's what's needed. I found myself agreeing with most of this book, particularly its emphasis on how feminism should help all of us, men and women (and if you've never realised that before then like, Duh..)
A big difference was that she grew up online and there's a lot here about privacy, surveillance, branding and power, but ultimately the internet means the oppressed can organise, and that's crucial.
I liked her voice and I want to hear more.
remedy's review against another edition
3.0
Overall I enjoyed reading Unspeakable Things. It did stoke my rage quite a bit, but I’m ok with that. Penny’s writing is smart and acerbic, and I found her arguments well constructed. My main criticism is that Penny writes from and for privileged, middle-class, white vantage points, leaving out entire intersections that matter a great deal, and are subjected to far worse under the capitalist patriarchy than white women.
90sinmyheart's review against another edition
3.0
There was a lot of brilliance here, including some extremely quotable lines, but it was buried under sweeping generalizations and chapters that went on too long. Despite my privileges, I still recognized a lot of truths in the text. I think most boys should read it.
cetoria's review against another edition
5.0
Loved. Loved. Loved. As the title suggests, some parts are difficult to get through (because sometimes it's awfully to be a girl). I encourage you all to pick up a copy.
adamchalmers's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic read. A lot of individual points she made were familiar, but they were tied together in a cohesive structure that explains WHY things are so fucked up, not just listing fucked up things. It mixes the abstract philosophical points with personal anecdotes really well, so it's always captivating. The writing is mostly wonderful prose with occasional poetic passages thrown in - not poetry, but figurative imaginative writing that feels like it.
Penny's book is probably the grimmest I've read, she doesn't hold back at all, she lists exactly how and why gender relations are fucked up in the 21st century and what battles are left to feminists. But it's not a gloomy book. There's an undertone of hope and revolution throughout the whole thing. I finished it and felt inspired and excited for 2017.
It's also a great book for our generation because unlike so many other social texts it's written by a real digital native - someone who, like me, grew up on forums and journal sites and chatting to internet friends. She really captures the spirit of those days and combines it with her time in Occupy and other social movements. I fucking love this book and would recommend it to anyone hoping for a better world.
Penny's book is probably the grimmest I've read, she doesn't hold back at all, she lists exactly how and why gender relations are fucked up in the 21st century and what battles are left to feminists. But it's not a gloomy book. There's an undertone of hope and revolution throughout the whole thing. I finished it and felt inspired and excited for 2017.
It's also a great book for our generation because unlike so many other social texts it's written by a real digital native - someone who, like me, grew up on forums and journal sites and chatting to internet friends. She really captures the spirit of those days and combines it with her time in Occupy and other social movements. I fucking love this book and would recommend it to anyone hoping for a better world.
niamhsleeps's review against another edition
1.0
I would call this literary equivalent to the America Ferreira monologue from the Barbie film but that would be an insult to Greta Gerwig. Shallow and toothless, it offers nothing new to contemporary discussion of feminism.
ferdy_goat's review against another edition
5.0
Funny, informative, and biting critique of capitalist patriarchy which controls and affects all our lives. The section on cyber sexism is outdated but it’d be hard not to be at the pace with which the internet moves. Highly recommended.