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samdalefox's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The Stepford Wives is a book that deserves its iconic status. It succeeds as both a feminist text and a psychological horror story. And it is no less needed now than it was in 1972. The text does not feel dated at all. It's short and punchy. I enjoyed the pacing of the book and that older style of horror, where the most horrible stuff is strongly implied and happens just off-screen... one of my favourite moments was when Bobbie is in the kitchen holding a knife and has rock music turned all the way up to cover Joanna's screams but the story cuts away before the action happens, that moment was TENSE .
I suspect I would have enjoyed this more if the twist hadn't had been ruined for me before beginning reading. The version I had spoiled it by explicitly stating the twist in the first line of the preface. I beg you, if you don't know what the twist is, SKIP THE PREFACE.
There are plenty of points for feminist discussion. Firstly, Ike Mazzard and Dale Coba with their lewd male gaze (Simone de Beauvoir’s existentialist feminism). Secondly, the backlash against women’s liberation in Stepford is a backlash against the rejection of “Occupation: housewife" (Betty Firedan's The Feminine Mystique). Thirdly, the role of men in the feminist movement and their progressive 'allyship'. I was devastated at Joanna's husband's betrayal , there are plenty of examples of gaslighting, manipluation, guilt tripping, and control of men over their partners. All of these points brilliantly highlight the pervasive undercurrent of misogyny thought that still pervades our society today.
I suspect I would have enjoyed this more if the twist hadn't had been ruined for me before beginning reading. The version I had spoiled it by explicitly stating the twist in the first line of the preface. I beg you, if you don't know what the twist is, SKIP THE PREFACE.
There are plenty of points for feminist discussion. Firstly, Ike Mazzard and Dale Coba with their lewd male gaze (Simone de Beauvoir’s existentialist feminism). Secondly, the backlash against women’s liberation in Stepford is a backlash against the rejection of “Occupation: housewife" (Betty Firedan's The Feminine Mystique). Thirdly, the role of men in the feminist movement and their progressive 'allyship'. I was devastated at
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny
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