EXACTLY what I expected, and grateful for this read. As a recovering comp lit grad student, I'm always looking for accessible academic writing and a return to Derrida, Foucault, Berlant. This weaves theory into relevance.

The great merit of Penis Envy and Other Feelings is how it brings academic advances and debates in critical theory (with a particularly feminist bent) to bear upon certain problems of everyday life, particularly involving inter-personal relationships and how one relates to oneself. Introducing readers to concepts such as happiness scripts (the well-trodden (exclusive?) paths to happiness that society endorses, regardless of their merit) and cruel optimism (the hopeless belief that working hard at something unpleasant will make it better), Prof. Ruti provides readers with the tools to interrogate issues in their lives. She explores issues taken for granted (e.g. gender dynamics) in addition to problematizing aspects of life that are taken-for-granted (.e.g that productivity is good, that beauty ideals are natural but not the result of capitalism).

Blending personal experiences (that, in the aggregate, gives insight into the author's character) with staunch analysis of contemporary life, augmented by academic theory Penis Envy and Other Bad Feelings is recommended to any reader willing to be challenged in their values, assumptions about what matters, and is willing to think a little bit.

While the cover may suggest that this book is geared toward a female audience, the reviewer (a cis-male) very much wants to emphasize that this book is beneficial and engaging for all readers.. Secondly, the fact that this book is published by an academic press should not discourage potential readers; it is an engaging book (as many academic books are) and can contribute to a multitude of discussions around success, gender, family, capitalism, social constructivism, the body, sex, and many more.

This book took me quite some time to finish as it was considerably heavier a topic than I was expecting - and along with that came a great deal of academic writing, which I am unaccustomed to reading these days. The cover and title both give an initial first impression of a fun view on a serious topic, maybe something that Caitlin Moran might write. Instead, Ruti skips the puns and humor and goes straight for the psychological themes, including lots of history and words that I was thankful I could look up on my Kindle dictionary. All of this isn't to say its a bad book - I enjoyed it even for the lack of ease to read. Ruti brings up lots of good points and I spent much of the time between readings thinking on ideas that she brought up.

My final vote - read this book. Just be prepared for what it might take to read it and give yourself some time.

Thanks to the publisher for providing this ARC through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This book offers a little bit of everything. I think it could be infinitely improved with shorter chapters and an overall less academic feel to it.

Ruti is a fantastic writer - easy to read and I spent most of it thinking how smart I am. She is exactly how I imagine someone from Finland to be - my only issue being, while she spends a lot (and I mean nearly 1/4 of the book) on the intro, making sure that the reader knows exactly where she stands and how she decides to use her own life, I don't like how she feels more American than not. I get it, being a dual citizen, but I'm American before I'll be any other nationality. That, and she just is so Finnish in her writing (or how I imagine a Finnish person to write. Straight, to the point and she can end chapters abruptly).

It is a really good companion piece to Inferior by Angela Saini. I highlighted tons of quotes. I liked especially when she is asked why are you still single, she says why are you still married.

It's more about bad feelings than penis envy. The penis envy is a small bit of it, only mentioned in the beginning, really. (Castration comes later).

Philosophy and sociology aside, I liked reading about her and her family, especially her schizophrenic uncle. I found it interesting that she thinks she got rejected for a visa because she wasn't married and that she still subscribes to subjugating herself in the name of the game. I liked reading about the 'Harvard uniform' of red lipstick and short black skirts.

It's hard for me to explain the shifts in my thinking from reading this. That feeling good is part of neoliberal capitalism and the conundrum of porn in a post feminist (not post feminist world). And it has made me seriously want to down the size the amount to stuff I have as well.

Based on the cover and the title, this will not be at all what you expect. I was game for social commentary, but this is social dissertation. If that is what you want, then you might enjoy this. If you expected something mildly fluffy to read this summer, you will be very wrong.

A nice work of "auto-theory" that displays its best aspects when discussing personal experience, neo-liberal productivity and contemporary "cruel optimism" in Lacanian terms. Very much akin to another great read Todd McGowan's Capitalism and Desire: The Psychic Cost of Free Markets in its theoretical content (but surpasses Todd McGowan's book in the way it deals with the personal).

The intertwined layout of personal and theoretical was really refreshing for me and obviously Ms. Ruti has a penchant for writing. Actually, I don't think many people could pull this "auto-theoretical" approach off. Although the middle part of the book that takes on gender politics and embedded sexism of our contemporary societies was a bit long for my taste, it built up to the last part of the book nicely and pleasantly, so I have no complaints.

Frankly, I loved the last part so much in its sincerity, honesty and self-depreciatory humor that this could be (probably should be) 5 stars. Yet, I had to make my way through (the more than slightly obvious) part on contemporary sexism to reach the best part of the book. But still, a very, very rewarding read.

P.S. : To totally useless M.A.s in Sociology!

I was Given an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

This book is not advertised as such, but this draws heavily on psychoanalytic theory and Lacanian theory. As I happened to go to graduate school for English in Y2K, I understand this. If you don’t understand these theories, this book will leave you stranded. If you do you will appreciate this witty exploration set up in the title,, of the phallus and the lack, and whether they truly define us.