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sidharthvardhan's review against another edition
3.0
(The spoilers are no spoiler. They just go into some of my intellectual queries which have little to do with book.)
Another of those books that would have been better if it was shorter. The book has several divisions and each division has a section of a short novella 'Free Women' (by omniscient narrator) and sections of diaries Anna, the protagonist, keeps.
Now, as a matter of principle I do not ... don't laugh, I'm perfectly capable of having principles, so, I was saying As a matter of principle, I do not read anyone's personal diaries. If you know me, you can guess that it has nothing to do with respect of privacy or anything, just that people are often more judgmental and critical in their personal diaries.
Not so free women
That is problem with Anna. Either she is surrounded by lousy people all around or she is lying when she says she doesn't easily dislike a person. In fact, she can be highly useful friend for women - she is like this litmus paper which turns red on seeing every guy that is going to be bad relationship. If she finds a guy charming, you can be sure he is either a bully or suffers from some neurological disorder, the degree of which is can be ascertained by how quickly she sleeps with him - her normal average being three pages and two nights. I have no problem with her sexual life, but I have a problem with over-analysis and complaints that follows in next few pages when relationship has fallen apart. Reading those diaries like being a platonic friend of a woman who just had a breakup. And you do not need to overanalyse the thing, since most of the men are married. Think of it, a married guy wants to sleep with her the first time they meet feeling no guilt for his wife - what are chances he is going to respect a woman who is prepared to sleep with him first time she met him, herself feeling no guilt towards his wife.
BTW, this reminds me of a intellectual crisis I am having. why do they call it sleeping togather? I mean just think of it, won't it be a disappointment if you and your significant other were just sleeping together? Even new born babies sleep together, there is nothing wrong in that. And assuming you want something vague, shouldn't it rather be called staying up together?
And, while we are on subject, why do you have to be vague at all? Of course, one would think it is modesty, people want to hide their achievements, the way Indians are modest when it comes to declaring their income for tax purposes, right? But no, that is not the case, for you see, people use sexual jargon like 'fuck' as much and as uselessly as the word 'the'. We use it to describe almost anything, that is anything except the very act it is suppose to describe. In fact, when a woman wants to reject a pass made on her, she might easily say in anger 'fuck you' when that is exactly opposite of what she means. I wonder what linguists and psychologists have to say to that!
And this Anna is supposed to be a modern 'free woman'. She decides she will live independent of man. So does her sister. The two women are 'free women' giving the title to a short novella contained within the book. A joke really, since while Anna lets herself being controlled by men in her life, her sister believes she is being controlled by .... her own 20year old son who has just lost his eye-sight. I mean get some perspective - the boy lost his eyesight at twenty! And he is sitting in his room making no demands. Where is control in that?
I actually started getting the feeling that the two women actually are looking for bullies. The sister sleeps again with a man who singing abuses to her just after last time they did - because she can't helping pitying the puppy face the menake when theywho come asking for sex. Why I don't I find women like that? Anna darling actually finds all normal guys she comes across boring. And it is not just heterosexual men, but then according to her homosexual men are not proper men. And will badly influence her daughter. But then to be fair, she doesn't entertain verry high opinions of homosexual women either - she won't join her sister not-so-kind mankind because it is being lesbian in mind if not body.
Lessing said the book is not about sex war - maybe, although the part about Anna's life in South Africa seems to be an orgy in which, according to her own words, a group of twenty youngsters is busy sleeping with each other.
But what the hell is all that about? That woman need someone to live for, while men can live freely and this lets men control them? Because Anna is either needing to care for her daughter or have a man in her life. In fact, Anna's sister seem to think that all the individualism their generation has gained is meaningless and the next generation should have married in twenties.
On balance, Anna does make some telling observations - comparatively very few from experience (though she herself refuses to learn from them).
So much about women liberation.
Communism
Now diaries - there are four to begin with, each with a cover of different color. The Black notebook, is about her experience as author. A bit of good writing here about artist struggling against commercialisation of his work. For most part, Anna dwells on her African experience, which was source of her book. Her African experience makes a fine satire of joke communist revolution was in Africa, some semi-rich white people led by a couple of bullies busy having good time.
In red one she records her political life, her disillusionment with communism - she meets lots of people (obviously sleeps with some)- but this is still best part of novel. She draws her fears about McCarthyism which, if you ask me, is a perfect example of people wanting to punish thought crime. She is disillusioned as she slowly comes to understand that like any mass organization, communist party depeneds on a system of illusions developed by resisting vocabulary and forcing the language of all discussion into a few words and slogans. The anti-intellectual nature of communism must have affected Anna's self-image - which might be part of reason behind her failed relationships. There are some other brilliant observations made by Anna, who is strangely so clever when it comes to observing politics. These two diaries are best part of the book.
In a yellow one she writes a novel in which the heroine tries to fictionalize part of her own experience (a failed relationship of course). In the blue one she keeps a personal diary - meetings with her therapists etc.I have no idea what the Golden Notebook which she undertook to write in an effort to unite other four was about.
Another of those books that would have been better if it was shorter. The book has several divisions and each division has a section of a short novella 'Free Women' (by omniscient narrator) and sections of diaries Anna, the protagonist, keeps.
Now, as a matter of principle I do not ... don't laugh, I'm perfectly capable of having principles, so, I was saying As a matter of principle, I do not read anyone's personal diaries. If you know me, you can guess that it has nothing to do with respect of privacy or anything, just that people are often more judgmental and critical in their personal diaries.
Not so free women
That is problem with Anna. Either she is surrounded by lousy people all around or she is lying when she says she doesn't easily dislike a person. In fact, she can be highly useful friend for women - she is like this litmus paper which turns red on seeing every guy that is going to be bad relationship. If she finds a guy charming, you can be sure he is either a bully or suffers from some neurological disorder, the degree of which is can be ascertained by how quickly she sleeps with him - her normal average being three pages and two nights. I have no problem with her sexual life, but I have a problem with over-analysis and complaints that follows in next few pages when relationship has fallen apart. Reading those diaries like being a platonic friend of a woman who just had a breakup. And you do not need to overanalyse the thing, since most of the men are married. Think of it, a married guy wants to sleep with her the first time they meet feeling no guilt for his wife - what are chances he is going to respect a woman who is prepared to sleep with him first time she met him, herself feeling no guilt towards his wife.
Spoiler
BTW, this reminds me of a intellectual crisis I am having. why do they call it sleeping togather? I mean just think of it, won't it be a disappointment if you and your significant other were just sleeping together? Even new born babies sleep together, there is nothing wrong in that. And assuming you want something vague, shouldn't it rather be called staying up together?
And, while we are on subject, why do you have to be vague at all? Of course, one would think it is modesty, people want to hide their achievements, the way Indians are modest when it comes to declaring their income for tax purposes, right? But no, that is not the case, for you see, people use sexual jargon like 'fuck' as much and as uselessly as the word 'the'. We use it to describe almost anything, that is anything except the very act it is suppose to describe. In fact, when a woman wants to reject a pass made on her, she might easily say in anger 'fuck you' when that is exactly opposite of what she means. I wonder what linguists and psychologists have to say to that!
And this Anna is supposed to be a modern 'free woman'. She decides she will live independent of man. So does her sister. The two women are 'free women' giving the title to a short novella contained within the book. A joke really, since while Anna lets herself being controlled by men in her life, her sister believes she is being controlled by .... her own 20year old son who has just lost his eye-sight. I mean get some perspective - the boy lost his eyesight at twenty! And he is sitting in his room making no demands. Where is control in that?
I actually started getting the feeling that the two women actually are looking for bullies. The sister sleeps again with a man who singing abuses to her just after last time they did - because she can't helping pitying the puppy face the menake when theywho come asking for sex. Why I don't I find women like that? Anna darling actually finds all normal guys she comes across boring. And it is not just heterosexual men, but then according to her homosexual men are not proper men. And will badly influence her daughter. But then to be fair, she doesn't entertain verry high opinions of homosexual women either - she won't join her sister not-so-kind mankind because it is being lesbian in mind if not body.
Spoiler
lesbians don't? I thought we could be friends - same intreste, you know. It heterosexual women and gay men I don't like - what is so possibly so attractive about a man's body?Lessing said the book is not about sex war - maybe, although the part about Anna's life in South Africa seems to be an orgy in which, according to her own words, a group of twenty youngsters is busy sleeping with each other.
But what the hell is all that about? That woman need someone to live for, while men can live freely and this lets men control them? Because Anna is either needing to care for her daughter or have a man in her life. In fact, Anna's sister seem to think that all the individualism their generation has gained is meaningless and the next generation should have married in twenties.
On balance, Anna does make some telling observations - comparatively very few from experience (though she herself refuses to learn from them).
So much about women liberation.
Communism
Now diaries - there are four to begin with, each with a cover of different color. The Black notebook, is about her experience as author. A bit of good writing here about artist struggling against commercialisation of his work. For most part, Anna dwells on her African experience, which was source of her book. Her African experience makes a fine satire of joke communist revolution was in Africa, some semi-rich white people led by a couple of bullies busy having good time.
In red one she records her political life, her disillusionment with communism - she meets lots of people (obviously sleeps with some)- but this is still best part of novel. She draws her fears about McCarthyism which, if you ask me, is a perfect example of people wanting to punish thought crime. She is disillusioned as she slowly comes to understand that like any mass organization, communist party depeneds on a system of illusions developed by resisting vocabulary and forcing the language of all discussion into a few words and slogans. The anti-intellectual nature of communism must have affected Anna's self-image - which might be part of reason behind her failed relationships. There are some other brilliant observations made by Anna, who is strangely so clever when it comes to observing politics. These two diaries are best part of the book.
In a yellow one she writes a novel in which the heroine tries to fictionalize part of her own experience (a failed relationship of course). In the blue one she keeps a personal diary - meetings with her therapists etc.I have no idea what the Golden Notebook which she undertook to write in an effort to unite other four was about.
laura_corsi's review against another edition
2.0
I know this book received many good reviews. That's why I read it. However, I found it hard to get through. A seemingly aimless and wandering tale with no real beginning and no real end. The character didn't seem to learn or grow much along the way either. One interesting subplot was the writer's involvement with the communist movement in the UK during the 60s.
savaging's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book a decade ago. This second time around, the book again wrapped around my life. Made me feel understood. And then gently carried me to the edge of sanity.
I love how this book deals with art and politics. Lines like: "The real reason why so many artists now take to politics, 'commitment' and so on is that they are rushing into a discipline, any discipline at all, which will save them from the poison of the word 'artist' used by the enemy."
Or: "Sometimes I think the one form of experience people are incapable of learning from is the political experience."
This time, I was more annoyed by the book's treatment of gay people. Anna treats her gay lodgers almost exactly the way the butt-of-the-joke Mrs. Boothby treats her black cook. I almost believe this is intentional, to force us to see that rapid cultural change can always crack a person apart a little bit, and we can't assume easy superiority over the 'backward.' But there are too many other strange jabs at queerness, an equation of gay males and misogyny.
Also this time I had even less patience for Saul Green. Ugh, Saul Green. Just the worst.
I love how this book deals with art and politics. Lines like: "The real reason why so many artists now take to politics, 'commitment' and so on is that they are rushing into a discipline, any discipline at all, which will save them from the poison of the word 'artist' used by the enemy."
Or: "Sometimes I think the one form of experience people are incapable of learning from is the political experience."
This time, I was more annoyed by the book's treatment of gay people. Anna treats her gay lodgers almost exactly the way the butt-of-the-joke Mrs. Boothby treats her black cook. I almost believe this is intentional, to force us to see that rapid cultural change can always crack a person apart a little bit, and we can't assume easy superiority over the 'backward.' But there are too many other strange jabs at queerness, an equation of gay males and misogyny.
Also this time I had even less patience for Saul Green. Ugh, Saul Green. Just the worst.
savazelena's review against another edition
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
DNF at 464 which is a shame, I try to decide within the first 100 pages but I really thought this was gonna work. Truth is, this is at least 3 books in one and they're all meh.
novabird's review against another edition
2.0
“What's terrible is to pretend that second-rate is first-rate."
This was a stark look at women's bitter use of their tongues and the author's stated goal was to move towards 'integration.' It may do this in a Jungian fashion, but I continue to work on my own integration and actualization. This means I still avoid the culture of women who are prone to backbiting/gossip and slander as a means of power in the world and I do not want to immerse myself in that world.
“Sometimes I dislike women, I dislike us all, because of our capacity for not-thinking when it suits us; we choose not to think when we are reaching our for happiness.”
I thought this through. And I can't pretend it is any more than a 2. I give this a flat 2 as it didn't help me, but I could see how it would help others.
This was a stark look at women's bitter use of their tongues and the author's stated goal was to move towards 'integration.' It may do this in a Jungian fashion, but I continue to work on my own integration and actualization. This means I still avoid the culture of women who are prone to backbiting/gossip and slander as a means of power in the world and I do not want to immerse myself in that world.
“Sometimes I dislike women, I dislike us all, because of our capacity for not-thinking when it suits us; we choose not to think when we are reaching our for happiness.”
I thought this through. And I can't pretend it is any more than a 2. I give this a flat 2 as it didn't help me, but I could see how it would help others.
tildahlia's review
3.0
There was a lot to like about this book. It had been sitting on the bedside table for years and I finally decided to tackle the almost-600 page beast on holidays when I knew I’d have time. I found the structure (of the various notebooks) interesting and found myself engrossed in a lot of the subplots/fictionalised accounts. The themes around grappling with individual vs collective responsibility and moral quandaries associated with participating in big (and sometimes corrupted) social movements felt timely for my own thinking about my own activism. That said, for a feminist book there was A LOT of agonising over, and pining for, the affections of some very mediocre and undeserving men, which may be grounded in reality (and is not inconsistent with feminism) but still felt pretty tiresome after a while. A solid 3.5 though.
maryann573's review against another edition
5.0
Back in the day this book was a revelation to me. A book I could directly relate to wasn't something I saw around much, but I don't know if younger readers would be able to relate to it.