So special to see this classic republished, and still as relevant as ever. A very accessible and readable piece of feminist non-fiction, this is the perfect gift to get people flared up with just anger!

A classic that I had heard a lot of hype for. However I found this extremely repetitive and felt it could’ve been condensed down to half and I probably would’ve felt more engaged.

“No Woman gets an orgasm from shining the kitchen floor”

This is a classic feminist book, originally published in 1963, which has been credited with being a large driving force towards the second-wave feminism in the US.

My thoughts 💭

The Feminine Mystique was an interesting read. Friedan examines the myth of ‘idealised femininity’ which prevailed in the 1950s and 60s in America. Women were made to feel that being a housewife was the only feminine thing to do, and even when women went to higher education they were encouraged to find a husband and start a family rather than use those qualifications. She argues that women were starting to feel unhappy with their lives, but society couldn’t understand why.

This book can be quite a heavy read at times, it is very heavy on Freudian theories, mid-century psychology and it is definitely more of a textbook style book.
Having said that, for me these were probably the most interesting aspects of the book and very informative.

Although, I found that a lot of what Friedan argued for can still be applied to the way society is today and I can see the historical significance of it, I found that it it is very much a book of its time.

I think it is and was too narrow in scope and really not inclusive at all. It was written for and about white, middle class, heterosexual American women and so it is problematic if read on its own and out of context.

Overall, although I’m glad I read it, and recommend if you want to know more about the history of feminism, I think it needs to be read in conjunction with other feminist literature, to get a more complete picture.

This was an interesting insight into feminist issues in 1960s America, in which much of the information and concepts resonated with feminist issues today. It was a thought provoking collection of essays which explored concepts of gender identity, what it means to be 'female', being female and working mother amongst others, which sparked interesting debates within the readalong group I was participating in.

I think that this is a thought provoking and important book that every woman should read, regardless of their year of birth!

Thank you to Tandem collective and Thread Books for providing me with a digital copy of this book for review!

Feminine Mystique is a look at the construction of what it was to be a woman in America from the perspective of a white middle class female. It was an eye opening read but is of its time as while the issues are still relevant today the book does not consider the more marginalised groups in society.

It can be quite a heavy read with facts and different stories of women interlaced together. I found the information about consumerism linked with what it means to be a woman fascinating.

I went into reading this book with the new introduction and was pretty sure I wouldn't find anything surprising since feminism has come so far. I was completely wrong

I was shocked by the regression in feminism that happened post-WW2 and also in the way stories and news articles were rejected and reworked.

I was also taken aback that even university curriculum textbooks discouraged progressive thinking for women.

Although you might not feel radicalised by this book as things HAVE come a long way since it was written, it serves as a fascinating account of a period of time and is eloquent and insightful.

The new introduction helps to really put this into perspective for a modern reader.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC.

This was quite a tough read at times, but an important one as well. Elements of the book left me feeling so fortunate about the opportunities I have had as a 40 year old woman, but the book also showed how some things have not moved so far forward, with little change in some attitudes towards what a woman's role should be.

I do think it is an important piece of writing to take the time to read and I am glad I had the opportunity. A word of warning however, this was published in the early 1960's so some of the authors opinions were of the time and would not be acceptable if the book was written today, so just bear that in mind.

This was still so readable and relevant today. It addressed a lot of misogyny that still exists in society today. It definitely left me thinking a lot about how women are viewed today.

Despite this, there is an element of the book being ‘of its time’. Some of the ideas are outdated and seem ridiculous today. The book is also very narrow in its scope. It only addresses white middle class women. I feel that even in the 1960s the author could have pushed to be more inclusive.

I read this book as part of the @tandemcollectiveuk readalong and really enjoyed the discussion around the book and its ideas.

I've been interested in reading this book for while, but still wasn't prepared for how powerful it would be when I eventually read it. It does have a lot of statistics and case studies, so it's not something that should be digested in one go. However, it paints such a vivid picture of feminism, and how the movement has evolved over time.

The idea of 'the feminine mystique' is something that women can relate to even today. When reading this book, I was reminded how far we have come in the past few decades, and how wonderful those changes have been for women. However, it's also a stark reminder of how far we still have to go to ensure women everywhere have equality, and the freedom to be whoever they want to be.

This is a must-read for every feminist!

An interesting look into second wave feminism but very much a product of its time. Shameful that a lot of these issues still plague women of today’s generations but woefully out of date in terms of people that TFM applies to. Worth a read!