Men - do you read books written by female authors?
- Thread starter Poot
- Start date
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
As Sue says start with wolf hall
Orang Utan
Psychick Worrier Ov Geyoor
I’ve been reading a bit of Patricia Highsmith recently and wow she can write, though she was clearly a disturbed and rather unpleasant person in real life.
And I’ve only just got into Shirley Jackson, who is just incredible too.
And I’ve only just got into Shirley Jackson, who is just incredible too.
SpookyFrank
A cheap source of teeth for aquarium gravel
The one time I actually hit my annual target on the urban reading challenge thread was also the year I set myself the extra target of reading 50% female authors. Led me to various people I maybe wouldn't have read otherwise.
RainbowTown
Well-Known Member
Never read Alice Walker, but Toni Morrison is a supreme writer and as good a novelist as any of her males contemporaries. She's up there with Colette (greatest female novelist of the 20th Century, no argument), Isak Dinesen and that great contingent of US female Southern writers.
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
Oh yes - flannery o'connor is excellent
RainbowTown
Well-Known Member
Totally, her short stories are strange and unsettling but shot through with humour and humanity. Wise Blood too is a real favourite with me and was actually made into a fine film which did the book full justice I think.
hitmouse
music obfuscation technology
I enjoy this misunderstanding, but no, while she may have inadvertently contributed to starting tiktok trends decades later, but I don't think anyone would accuse The Secret History of being sub-Mills and Boon.
No, the men are called Jorge, Antonio and Agustin, don't think any of them are called Ben.
Almost all of the of the main ones I would've suggested have come up already, strongly seconding Highsmith, Jackson, Atwood, O'Connor, du Maurier, Murdoch and Carter. The main one I'd add would be Simone de Beauvoir, her fiction's proper great.
Oh, and Virginia Woolf and Joan Didion.
Steel Icarus
ersatz maven
Oh aye Secret History I loved, one of those books where I wanted to know months later what they were all up to. Can't remember a thing about it now, though 
oryx
Sitting on the bok of the day
Got into Colette a couple of years ago and intend to read more - her characterisation is so sharply and cleverly observed.
I'd second Doris Lessing, Angela Carter and Marge Piercy, and add Elena Ferrante. Her Neapolitan Quartet is a great snapshot of life in 20th century Italy from a political, feminist and deeply personal angle. It was massively hyped a few years ago but rightly so IMVHO.
I've been hugely impressed with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Half of a Yellow Sun) and Aminatta Forna (The Hired Man - best book I've read in the last decade, was compelled to read it three times last year!) - but I've only read one book each.
I'm firmly with bimble on Maggie O'Farrell though.
JimW
支那暗杀团
Zhang Ailing/Eileen Chang is probably the most famous Chinese woman writer whose stuff will be easy to find in translation; of course I've only read her in the original (smug ) so not sure how good they are in English; Lust, Caution is based on one of her stories. Ding Ling aka Jiang Bingzhi is celebrated and was probably more popular here, partly because she was a lefty who stayed, but only read one short story by her. Must check more out; her bio makes her sound right up my street, not afraid to speak out.
) so not sure how good they are in English; Lust, Caution is based on one of her stories. Ding Ling aka Jiang Bingzhi is celebrated and was probably more popular here, partly because she was a lefty who stayed, but only read one short story by her. Must check more out; her bio makes her sound right up my street, not afraid to speak out.I've a copy of Love in a Fallen City translated by someone called Karen Kingsbury (I just checked). I didn't notice the translation which is probably a good sign? (Really liked it, really interesting to read about a world you know nothing about.Zhang Ailing/Eileen Chang is probably the most famous Chinese woman writer whose stuff will be easy to find in translation; of course I've only read her in the original (smug
strung out
💩 🤣 🍆 💦 🧐 👻 🐝 🐈⬛
Her writing really fell off a cliff after her first novel.
Buddy Bradley
Pantheistic solipsist
I just finished More Than A Woman by Caitlin Moran. Despite being squarely not in her target audience - it's about how to survive being a middle-aged woman - I really enjoyed it. I've been a fan of hers since Naked City back in the early 90s, and her writing is still smart and very funny (despite needing to throw in a "dude" or "mate" at least once per page). It got a bit preachy towards the end, but there was still a lot there for a middle-aged man to agree with.
I too am a man who reads books by female writers. Feels so good to finally admit it!
Ar the risk of sounding like "I never think about race", I don't think that I was conscious about choosing those writers because they are women. Or conscious that this was some sort of mild taboo.
In my mid-twenties I fell for Anita Brookner in a big way, followed by Barbara Pym. If there is a thread that runs through Brookner, it is that self sacrifice and being "good" is always punished, and I must have identified with Pym's quietly desperate depictions of unworldly types knocked off balance by their encounters with life.
Perhaps 15 years later and I surprised myself with a deep dive into the books of Miss Read. Deeply unfashionable tales of village life and primary teaching , I think I needed the mumsy comfort at a time when I was losing my parents.
The woman writer that has surprised me most is Jenni Eclair. I had always perceived her as a bit of a tiresome harridan based on her TV persona at the arse end of 80s/90s alternative comedy. How wrong can you be- she is a great writer who writes movingly about passion ,regret ,loss and the coming of wisdom.
Ar the risk of sounding like "I never think about race", I don't think that I was conscious about choosing those writers because they are women. Or conscious that this was some sort of mild taboo.
In my mid-twenties I fell for Anita Brookner in a big way, followed by Barbara Pym. If there is a thread that runs through Brookner, it is that self sacrifice and being "good" is always punished, and I must have identified with Pym's quietly desperate depictions of unworldly types knocked off balance by their encounters with life.
Perhaps 15 years later and I surprised myself with a deep dive into the books of Miss Read. Deeply unfashionable tales of village life and primary teaching , I think I needed the mumsy comfort at a time when I was losing my parents.
The woman writer that has surprised me most is Jenni Eclair. I had always perceived her as a bit of a tiresome harridan based on her TV persona at the arse end of 80s/90s alternative comedy. How wrong can you be- she is a great writer who writes movingly about passion ,regret ,loss and the coming of wisdom.
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
Has no one else read Lindsey Davies' series of detective novels set in ancient Rome?
It isn't a taboo exactly - most men seem to think they don't care about what sex the author of the books they read is and they read plenty of female authors, but then when they check the actual ratio of male to female authors it's actually terrible. I recommend you conduct a review.
Agent Sparrow
the age of slippers and migraines
I’m a bit surprised to see so many people excusing themselves for not reading many women authors because they like sci fi, because I also like sci fi but the majority of books in that genre I’ve read over the last few years have been written by women. Over my life time it can’t be too far off 50/50. Admittedly I tend to prefer character driven sci fi than the shiny technology kind.
If you’re White this is a also a good exercise to do regarding books written by People of Colour. I’ve read far more books by Black authors in the last few years than I had previously and quite often it has opened up other worlds and perspectives, even if slightly uncomfortable perspectives because of highlighting quite how shit and insidious white supremacy is.
If you’re White this is a also a good exercise to do regarding books written by People of Colour. I’ve read far more books by Black authors in the last few years than I had previously and quite often it has opened up other worlds and perspectives, even if slightly uncomfortable perspectives because of highlighting quite how shit and insidious white supremacy is.
JimW
支那暗杀团
Yes, banged through those in quick succession. Bit pot boilery but enjoyed them.
D'wards
IT'S YOUR DECISION DANIEL
Sue Townsend was a fantastic writer. Obvs the Adrian Mole series is a cultural goliath but I like her other books too - yknow, the ones where she humanises the royal family, ahem.
Her stuff was written in a light style but did often cover heavy topics.
Sometimes a person needs a light read innit
Her stuff was written in a light style but did often cover heavy topics.
Sometimes a person needs a light read innit
Winot
I wholeheartedley agree with your viewpoint
Article in Guardian today:
Books by women that every man should read
Books by women that every man should read: chosen by Ian McEwan, Salman Rushdie, Richard Curtis and more
Books by women that every man should read
Books by women that every man should read: chosen by Ian McEwan, Salman Rushdie, Richard Curtis and more
Agent Sparrow
the age of slippers and migraines
I feel slightly dickheadish about saying this, but that comes across as a bit mansplainy to me.
Yes I know many men only listen to the opinions of men
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
i wanted to find out how many women authors had their works in penguin classics, and found this blog How Many Penguin Classics Were Written By Women? - Camile Blog. which was very interesting until i found they numbered emile zola among the female authors.
emile zola some time ago
Winot
I wholeheartedley agree with your viewpoint
Yes fair point.I feel slightly dickheadish about saying this, but that comes across as a bit mansplainy to me.
Yes I know many men only listen to the opinions of men
I suppose at least it’s mansplaining to men.
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
yeh but that's the guardian for youI feel slightly dickheadish about saying this, but that comes across as a bit mansplainy to me.
Yes I know many men only listen to the opinions of men
Female Authors
I've had a look at my book shelf and tried to remember all of the books I have read, and it seems I've only read one by a female author*. I generally read the classics and it seems there weren't many women writing books years ago, so it's not likely to find many there. Recommend me some good...
www.urban75.net
Is worth a read too.
