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gvstyris's review against another edition
3.0
I am not ready to pass the torch and hopefully I never will be. I want to light the torches of our daughters and granddaughters with mine. They will have to live for us, as we lived for our mothers, and carry on with the work we didn't have time to finish.
This was my first time reading Allende, funnily enough, and I'm not quite sure she knew what she wanted to do with Mujeres del alma mía. It's something of a feminist manifesto and a slightly unserious memoir combined, and I enjoyed my time reading it enough to devour it one sitting. I can't say that I've gained much from the experience, though -- beyond an increased appreciation of Allende's career and drive.
My spur-of-the-moment purchase of this novel also unfortunately led to me reading the English translation, which undeniably changed my reading experience. If nothing else, I will say that I'm now more eager than ever to get my hands on a copy of El Viento Conoce Mi Nombre.
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Abortion, Child death, Domestic abuse, and Rape
jdrosario_'s review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Abortion and Misogyny
Moderate: Murder, Physical abuse, Grief, Slavery, Sexism, Violence, Torture, Religious bigotry, Police brutality, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Trafficking, Rape, Child death, Sexual harassment, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Incest
halkid2's review against another edition
3.75
There is lots to learn about what the author's has lived through, including:
• the traditional values held by her parents and grandparents,
• the violence associated with Chile's repressive political history,
• her early determination to achieve financial independence through her writing,
• two divorces and the death of her much-loved daughter, Paula,
• and finally, at the age of 82, a reflective review of her own success, lifelong commitment to feminism, and contentment in her senior years.
At the same time, there is much in the book that can be universally applied to the lives of women in all strata of society. Particularly our skills, interests, and concerns.
I didn't find the writing as lyrical as Allende's novels. THE SOUL OF A WOMAN is more straightforward, even didactic. Her arguments in favor of making women fully equal to men (around the world) are persuasive and read, in many places, like she's delivering a political speech. I happen to agree with her so that made it easier for me to enjoy the book. If I hadn't, I might have stopped reading.
It's a relatively short book (175 pages) but quite powerful. As she explains near the end of the book, Allende wrote his one in 2020, near the beginning of the global pandemic. And it's clear that timing influenced the book -- since she writes about the opportunity we will all have when the pandemic ends. A fresh chance to remake a better world. Of course now, three years later, it doesn't appear to me that gender equality has been targeted as an important worldwide goal. In fact, you could well argue many countries are in a period of regression where women have less control, rather than more.
Nevertheless, I recommend the book for its reasoned arguments, for its optimism, and for the image Allende offers of a world populated by equals.
Graphic: Sexual violence, Abortion, Violence, and Rape
bookswithbront's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, and Abortion
Moderate: Pregnancy, Rape, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
Minor: Sexual violence, Incest, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Slavery
dreiwolken's review
4.0
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Death, Misogyny, Rape, and Violence
caroline_rt's review
4.25
What I did not like: Some statements were surprisingly conservative and did not really fit to the rest, e.g. feeling sorry for a man who cannot handle his girlfriend‘s interest in sexual psychology, or reproducing narratives about women (being sensitive/empathic, able to love unconditionally or aiming to protect their children at all cost which was presented as kind of „life goal“). In general, the book is written out of an hetero cis perspective only and might therefore not be very relatable for LGBTQIA+ persons.
Minor: Rape, Violence, Abortion, Sexual violence, and Misogyny
clarabooksit's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Sexism and Misogyny
Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, and Abortion
Minor: Trafficking, Death, Murder, Grief, and Domestic abuse
gem114's review against another edition
2.5
Graphic: Sexism and Misogyny
Moderate: Rape and Abortion
Minor: Blood, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Violence, and War
sammantha's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Death, Child death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Child abuse, Abortion, Grief, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Misogyny
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, and War
aubreyw4's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment