Hi,
I am curious to know what women who have read Ernest Hemingways books think of his style, writing, etc. as his books are very masculine oriented and typically on the topics of men and their struggles. I recently started reading The Old Man And The Sea and as I was reading it, the thought occurred to me that I really couldn’t imagine a woman relating to what was being said on the page.
So I’m curious, female readers who have read his books…do you relate to much of what its saying? What do you think of his books?
Sorry if this sounds naive/obtuse, that is not my intention.
To be honest, it is the very idea and term “chick lit” that I find offensive and degrading. Especially because there is no equivalent derisive term that is used to dismiss books written by male authors that focus on male issues and struggles. It’s only books written by women that focus on issues and struggles relevant to women that get denigrated as “chick lit.” A term that explicitly shames women for writing and reading these stories and discourages males from ever seeking out these stories as well.
It reinforces this idea that male writers, male readers, and male struggles are universal and the default whereas female writers, female readers, and female struggles are not the default and are not universal. Thus, books by female authors that discuss female issues and struggles are at high risk of being deemed “chick lit.”
Basically, as we see in many of the replies in this thread, if a female reader doesn’t relate to a book by a male author that focuses primarily on male issues and struggles, then it is assumed to be something lacking in her (either her intelligence or empathy is wanting) because she can’t appreciate this great classic that will be forced down her throat in high school and college.
However, if male readers want to avoid books by female authors that focus on female issues and struggles, that is seen as fine and perfectly normal. Even encouraged by the term “chick lit.” Basically, if a male reader can’t relate to a book by a female author that focuses on female issues and struggles, it is not seen as any sort of deficiency or reflective of any lack of intelligence or empathy in him. Because why would a book by a silly female focusing on silly female issues be relevant to him? So, the lacking is assumed to be on the part of the female author, the book for writing about female issues and struggles, and on the female readers who find something worthwhile or meaningful in “chick lit” that is treated as obviously lesser than books by male authors that focus on issues and struggles relevant to men.
It’s not about reading one author or book more or less.
It’s about changing the underlying assumptions and attitudes that impact how we read all authors and books, in my opinion.
At least that is my view and perspective.