Madeline
Let’s be frank, I did not give two shits about this women while reading In the Land of Men. I have to wonder, am I now a misogynist? But there is nothing about her that I want to hold on to. Nothing that I care about. Am I suppose to be sympathetic because she is a women in a man’s world and who gets into abusive relationships with famous writers? At this point, lady, you can get in line. There are plenty other women who I have a lot more sympathy for and for these women I do not question: am I now a misogynist?
Premise of In the Land of Men
To be honest, I couldn’t tell you. Basically, an unqualified women gets hired at a mens magazine. Is harassed, underpaid, and mistreated. Then she meets a man, the famous David Foster Wallace, who treats her poorly and yet she puts up with it. It all ends and now she is telling the story that no one else is talking about except the entire #metoo movement. And her story was not nearly as compelling as many others including She Said, which is basically the exact same story but in Hollywood, not a men’s magazine.
Perhaps if the narrator spent some time and a little bit of effort to make her the hero of the story, I may care. But she paints herself as the poor victim. She is just a lonely sad girl who didn’t know what she was getting herself into. And between the sexual harassment and being treated poorly and the low pay, she just took it on the chin and said “I guess this is life.” All I know about her is that she had a bad career and love life experience in her 20s. Don’t we all and for me to think that does not make me now a misogynist.
Am I Now A Misogynist?
The answer is for sure “No.” This book does not hold that type of power over me. Nor any book. Disliking this book and the women in this book does not make anyone a misogynist. But clearly I have some strong feelings about the way I did not sympathize with the author. It makes me mad that I did not like her. And it makes me mad she did not make me want to like her.
Final Thoughts
Do not waist your time on this book or you too will wonder “Am I now a misogynist?” This is only one of many stories that tell this same kind of tale, the difference is, I care about the characters in the other books. The characters are victims but they also have a personality and a reason to care. A better waste of time is to pick up some chick lit and embrace your femininity that way.
