01/11/2021
In this wry and deeply personal essay collection, Electric Literature editor-in-chief Zimmerman (Basic Witches ) uses the female-coded monsters of Greek mythology to explore the cultural constraints and contradictions of modern femininity. Pairing ancient archetypes with pop culture phenomena and intimate details of her romantic life, Zimmerman explores concepts of beauty and ugliness through the lens of the Medusa myth, and relates the archetype of the Chimera to the ways in which women “prune” themselves in order to fit stereotypical expectations of domesticity. Elsewhere, Zimmerman frames a discussion of abortion rights around an analysis of the child-killing sea monster Lamia, and links the Furies to the rage women felt in response to Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation. Occasionally, the book’s larger themes slip out of focus, as when an examination of the myth of Charybdis meanders through recollections of Zimmerman’s “weird relationship to food” when she was young, the four years she spent with “a man who wouldn’t fuck me,” and her second husband’s marriage proposal. For the most part, though, Zimmerman’s skillful pairing of ancient and modern, universal and personal, leads to nuanced discussions of how society suppresses female individuality. Zimmerman’s call for women to reclaim their own monstrosity rings loud and clear. (Mar.)
A graceful stylist who casts a wide literary and geographical net, Zimmerman can make nearly anything interesting . . . . Nearly every page, however, brings fresh insights into age-old myths or tragicomic observations on 21st-century womanhood . . . . A sparkling and perceptive critique of ancient ideas that still hold women back.”Kirkus Reviews , Starred ReviewShelf Awareness The Progressive Christian Science Monitor Women and Other Monsters is sure to become a feminist classic.”In the Dream House Get in Trouble Women and Other Monsters reconsiders and spins anew myths that have long instructed and inspired us, detailing modern and longstanding terrors women face while illuminating the monstrous powers we may yet reclaim. I started to make a list of people I wanted to give this book to, then realized the answer was just ‘everyone I know.’ Jess Zimmerman’s writing is always a gift, and this is a work of epic bravery and beauty, brimming with insights that slice to the bone.”All You Can Ever Know Women and Other Monsters —I ate it up, and it felt a little like it devoured me right back.”One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter Rage Becomes Her
03/01/2021
Journalist Zimmerman's (Basic Witches ) collection of powerful essays examines misogyny through the framework of Greek mythology, pinpointing how such stories were coded to reinforce patriarchal fears. In monsters like Lamia, Chimera, and Scylla, Zimmerman identifies the personification of traits that are threatening to men and male power. Ambition and desire—for food, sex, attention, or respect—are depicted in the voracious, man-devouring appetites of Charybdis or the Harpies' thievery. Women's bodies that do not conform to male standards of beauty are represented in the cursed gorgon Medusa. Zimmerman shows how the embodiment of these characteristics in mythic figures has allowed the patriarchy to sustain an equivalency between women's empowerment and that which is monstrous, dangerous, or unnatural. Worse yet, Zimmerman shows, women have subconsciously internalized these parallels and continue to alter their behavior to conform to standards acceptable to men. VERDICT While the personal experiences Zimmerman draws on are by no means universal, there is plenty here for any woman to relate to. Her wit and eloquence, as well as her understanding of these myths, make for persuasive and empowering reading that will have women embracing their inner monsters.—Sara Shreve, Newton, KS
Vanessa Moyen’s narration is the perfect blend of the heartfelt and the academic in this collection of essays about the feminist possibilities of female monsters. Zimmerman examines some of Greek mythology’s most famous female monsters, from Circe to Medusa, and the traits that make them monstrous: greed, hunger, ambition, ugliness. Blending personal stories and a critique of contemporary culture with a fresh analysis of these myths, she explains how celebrating—even embracing—the monstrous can lead to liberation. Moyen smoothly imbues her narration with passion, wit, and the occasional rumble of anger. Whether the essays are about the Sirens, the objectification of women in the media, the saga of the Odyssey, fat phobia, or something else, Moyen modulates her voice perfectly to match the material, creating a cohesive and thoroughly enjoyable listening experience. L.S. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
SEPTEMBER 2021 - AudioFile
Vanessa Moyen’s narration is the perfect blend of the heartfelt and the academic in this collection of essays about the feminist possibilities of female monsters. Zimmerman examines some of Greek mythology’s most famous female monsters, from Circe to Medusa, and the traits that make them monstrous: greed, hunger, ambition, ugliness. Blending personal stories and a critique of contemporary culture with a fresh analysis of these myths, she explains how celebrating—even embracing—the monstrous can lead to liberation. Moyen smoothly imbues her narration with passion, wit, and the occasional rumble of anger. Whether the essays are about the Sirens, the objectification of women in the media, the saga of the Odyssey, fat phobia, or something else, Moyen modulates her voice perfectly to match the material, creating a cohesive and thoroughly enjoyable listening experience. L.S. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
SEPTEMBER 2021 - AudioFile
★ 2020-12-15
Electric Literature editor-in-chief Zimmerman blends memoir and cultural criticism in a wide-ranging feminist analysis rooted in her youthful love of D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths . Drawing on accounts by Homer and others, she argues that female monsters like Medusa and the Harpies have inspired more than a Versace logo and a metaphor popular among right-wing critics of Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth Warren. The fearsome creatures have fostered “a suspicion of women in general” and sounded a warning: “Beware their ambition, their ugliness, their insatiable hunger, their ferocious rage.” A graceful stylist who casts a wide literary and geographical net, Zimmerman can make nearly anything interesting. She begins a chapter on the Sirens by reappraising Aerosmith’s “Crazy” video and one on Scylla by describing the Josephinum medical museum in Vienna, which displays oddities such as wax bones. The author avoids academic cant and shows a disarming willingness to acknowledge her own vulnerability to damaging messages. Her musings on the Sphinx recall a college affair with a professor whose rundowns of her flaws became “a daily referendum on my specific insufficiencies” that at times caused her to retreat into a Sphinx-like self-imposed silence. Not everyone will accept her argument that the traits that made monsters dangerous “are actually their greatest strength[s]” and can be turned on their heads: “When you embrace your imperfection, your imperfection stops consuming you.” Nearly every page, however, brings fresh insights into age-old myths or tragicomic observations on 21st-century womanhood: “How do you cope with a day that might include a guy catcalling you on your commute and a murderous cop going free and a nationwide attack on reproductive rights—and an army of Twitter trolls telling you that all of this is good, actually, and anti-fascism is the real fascism?” This book is excellent armor for the battle.
A sparkling and perceptive critique of ancient ideas that still hold women back.
