While the introduction by Germaine Greer is a little disappointing precisely because it lacks the edge of the rest of the book, overall I would definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in the history of the women's movement. Suffragettes and She-Devils incorporates a visual history with short commentary, but unlike other texts, we see the biting and often wacky side of feminism. Instead of photos of activists and protests, the focus is instead on politically-themed visual and commercial art of the movement. An edgy, eye-catching coffee table book for any feminist.

(Somehow my review for "The Whole Woman" ended up under "The Female Eunuch". )

Although I found this book to be an extremely compelling read and even a "feminist classic" I wouldn't consider it necessary to studying the movement. The main thesis and arguments are interesting and she manages to drive her points home fairly well and effectually. But she offers very few solutions, making this book insightful but not substantial. I would, however, certainly recommend this book to anybody interested in learning the role Greer has played in the movement.

In "The Female Eunuch," Germaine Greer rebels against the stereotypical ideal of the "Eternal Feminine" that she perceives other women trying to live up to. This sort of femininity requires women to be beautiful, fashionable, sexually available, passive, subordinate, empty-headed, silent, unambitious, without a sense of self or ability for true intimacy. The "Eternal Feminine" is quite similar to the "Feminine Mystique" that Betty Friedan railed against, except that Friedan focused on the issue of the demanding, unfulfilling labor of homemaking while Greer focused on sexual psychology. According to Greer, the female has become a metaphorical eunuch because "The characteristics that are praised and rewarded [in a woman] are those of the castrate--timidity, plumpness, languor, delicacy and preciosity. * * * She absolutely must be young, her body hairless, her flesh buoyant, and she must not have a sexual organ."

Her conceptual analysis of femininity is brilliant, fascinating, inspired, and well-written. Her prose is flawless. It is a bit disorienting, like being shot with Cupid's arrow. I read this book in one sitting of five hours.

Unfortunately, Greer presents the Eternal Feminine as *the* one ideal that *all* women try to live up to. Even if one assumes that her reference to "women" and "femininity" is constrained to England in the middle of the 20th century (her center of experience), there is still room for great diversity within that group. Differences of economic class and subculture barely peek out from the periphery of Greer's arguments; race and religion are not even mentioned. These omissions make it impossible to believe that her perception of *the* feminine ideal and *the* female experience are indeed the one true analysis. It would have been interesting to see a more complex analysis of how marriage-minded women define themselves, rather than assuming that they're all empty-headed and incapable of self-definition.

Furthermore, her philosophical claims are not substantiated by any historical or sociological claims. (Her collection of anecdotes and quotations were gathered randomly, and do not pretend to support any thesis about intellectual history; therefore they merely illustrate, not bolster, her idea of the Eternal Feminine.) Greer complains that women have been deprived of their voices and have bought into the stereotype/ideal that they are supposed to be dumb and silent, and it is true that there were few works of feminist scholarship available in the 1960s, but surely she could have found some examples of outspoken, self-conscious, empowered, angry women if she had tried. For Greer to fail to cite any examples of such women, for her to state that she is the only woman with the rudimentary self-consciousness to notice that rape is driven by misogyny, for her to presume that she knows the meaning of these violent acts better than the victims and perpetrators themselves, is inexcusably narrow--even for a manifesto-style work.

Her recurring use of male-to-female transgenderism as a metaphor, in fact almost a synonym, for women's pursuit of an oversexualized feminine stereotype is an inaccurate portrayal of the motivations and self-identity of most transgendered people.
She also mistakenly identifies homosexuality as a dissatisfaction with one's birth gender role and an incapability for intimacy. She does, however, keep an open mind about that issue, noticing that some lesbians rebel against feminine stereotypes in a healthy, effective way, and inviting someone to "rationalize" male homosexuality in a similar fashion.

One important strength is Greer's treatment of masculine psychology. She sustains a critique of a misogynistic mentality without losing sight of the fact that men are vulnerable, fallible, usually well-meaning creatures. She astutely observes that if it is male chauvinism to assume that a woman prefers a penis in her vagina, it is female chauvinism to assume that a man prefers a vagina around his penis. In other places she notes that men also aim for impossible, unhealthy masculine ideals, suffer from sexual performance pressure, have emotional needs, and can get bored with wives who are entirely passive, inauthentic, and empty. The work comes out in favor of a future where men and women can work together and liberate each other.

It is not at all clear how her complaint is to be addressed. She exhorts women to stop buying into their own oppression; her goal is the overthrow of "marriage, morality, and state," a revolution inspired by enlightenment, using words as weapons. But she offers no strategy.

As one starts this book, she will startle, wondering what is the world it is describing, wondering what kind of Medieval society is displayed here. Without surprise, she will discover it was published in London, 1970.

The argumentation of Ms. Greer is rough, pungent, beautifully written. She manages to get to the chore of an issue that, more than 30 years later, is still at the center of our thoughts, of our life and of our destiny. All does not apply - thanks heavens!!! - any more. Some is mostly historical information, yet it can explain why some behaviour are so safely embedded in our habits. Some is hair-raising, real, poignant in its realism. Sometimes we can recognize our mothers' way of life and reactions... if we are not lucky.

Mostly, we have to recognize Ms. Greer as a great writer, a powerful woman, and a human being of exceptional clarity. The book reads easily, as it is very anectotical. There is no display of science, but mostly a portrait of a way of life that is prevalent in our world.

This book profiles four well-known Australians who have lived abroad for most of their adult lives. The book sets out to "concentrate on the reasons for their expatriatism and consider what aspects of their Australian identity they have retained". Sadly, the author relied totally on secondary sources, and did not speak directly to any of his subjects. This limited his ability to peer into their souls; to discover what effect their lives as expatriates have had on their work, and on them as people. In spite of this serious weakness, the author obviously spent a great deal of time studying his subjects. For anyone looking for an introduction to the lives of these incredibly talented Australians, the book is worth reading.

Christine Wallace's writing made me a proud member of the anonymous society. Teh above statement encompasses, Wallace's attempt at writing Greer's biography. The title and the subject matter remain to be the only points of interest in the book. Based upon Ms. Wallace's personal opinions, perceptions and most importantly judgements, the book fails to deliver what it claims (A book that Greer tried to stop from publishing). Her assessment of Greer barely attempts to penetrate the epidermis of the woman who caused a stir and caused the Western society to "smell the coffee" by writing "The Female Eunuch". Wallace claims that Greer was never a feminist - Eunuch was an accident she wrote. It sounds like a personal opinion, which brings about a debate, but nevertheless, it is not a biography. Weak bibliography, jumpy and choppy paragraphs and unsupported claims make this an insult to all biographers of modern times. This is truly a book that would scare any celebrity merely because it doesn't reveal anything, yet it claims so much. A personal advise for Christine Wallace: Your talents would be better suited to a publication like the National Enquirer or the Globe.

How Germaine Greer came to be an authority on Shakespeare, I'll never know. Actually, I can't believe people are still writing about this guy at all.