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hallsifer's review
slow-paced
1.5
Right off the bat this book is written with the assumption readers will have a background in academic reading and theory - the language and structure is intimidating even for me who enjoys this kind of challenge. It took me a few passes of parts even in the introduction to fully get a hold of what Braidotti was writing. I picked it up on a whim and probably should've looked into the book beforehand - it’s 100% a book that needs you to be in the mood to read it. There are frequent references to philosophers and their theories and writings so be prepared to be taking notes to look up later. All of this is pretty much unsaid in the introduction though - the author reassures that it’s readable by itself. It’s not. The most understandable parts of the chapters are the conclusions, and I would’ve gladly read a book composed entirely of those points.
The repeated use of schizoid and schizophrenic to describe aspects of society and views on subjects in the book is a touch confusing. Obviously these are both mental illnesses/a part of neurodiversity (depending on the definitions of both) so using that phrasing to describe society and it’s attitudes is a little jarring to say the least. If anyone has insight into why Braidotti chose this particular language - please let me know. It seems to be used to invoke specific ‘scary’ imagery and the othering of self.
Despite the intimidating text and it’s difficulty to follow, there are threads that can be easily picked out and followed without the surrounding knowledge that I think would be required to fully read and digest this book. The discussion of labour is nuanced and insightful with very good critique - as are the sections on pornography. It includes the notion that women are treated as machines, which is a very good way to express the division of labour. However, the allusions to transgender people and “transgender openness” are considered bad and it swings rapidly between bioessentialism and...something else, which is is undefined as a lot of the terms used within the book & seem specific to the text (none of which are defined).
It does have very good & relevant critiques of what's now equatable with girlboss feminism - tackling Margret Thatcher & specifically white girlboss feminism and the racism present in “girlboss-washing” right-wing women through history.
Overall I really didn’t enjoy this - I usually love academic-heavy texts but I found this unreadable, rambling, often doubling back on itself and referencing previous chapters (which doesn’t work well unless copious notes are taken). It feels like a string of vaguely-related essays and texts edited together overnight, which is disappointing. So...good points, hidden in very inaccessible texts.
The repeated use of schizoid and schizophrenic to describe aspects of society and views on subjects in the book is a touch confusing. Obviously these are both mental illnesses/a part of neurodiversity (depending on the definitions of both) so using that phrasing to describe society and it’s attitudes is a little jarring to say the least. If anyone has insight into why Braidotti chose this particular language - please let me know. It seems to be used to invoke specific ‘scary’ imagery and the othering of self.
Despite the intimidating text and it’s difficulty to follow, there are threads that can be easily picked out and followed without the surrounding knowledge that I think would be required to fully read and digest this book. The discussion of labour is nuanced and insightful with very good critique - as are the sections on pornography. It includes the notion that women are treated as machines, which is a very good way to express the division of labour. However, the allusions to transgender people and “transgender openness” are considered bad and it swings rapidly between bioessentialism and...something else, which is is undefined as a lot of the terms used within the book & seem specific to the text (none of which are defined).
It does have very good & relevant critiques of what's now equatable with girlboss feminism - tackling Margret Thatcher & specifically white girlboss feminism and the racism present in “girlboss-washing” right-wing women through history.
Overall I really didn’t enjoy this - I usually love academic-heavy texts but I found this unreadable, rambling, often doubling back on itself and referencing previous chapters (which doesn’t work well unless copious notes are taken). It feels like a string of vaguely-related essays and texts edited together overnight, which is disappointing. So...good points, hidden in very inaccessible texts.
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