Reviews for Invisible men

The average rating for Invisible men based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2014-08-21 00:00:00 Roger MARTIN A radical feminist text that critiques how heterosexual sex often subjugates women within a patriarchal society. In the United States, sex is everywhere, yet a lot of us shy away from discussions about sex even when those discussions would bring great benefits. Andrea Dworkin does the opposite of shy away; she tackles sex head on, calling out how sexism affects sex to the detriment of many women. People think that Dworkin said that "all heterosexual sex is rape," when she said no such thing. Rather, she addresses how aspects of sexism seep into sexual relationships between women and men. For example, she analyzes sex in this passage: "Intercourse is frequently performed compulsively; and intercourse frequently requires as a precondition for male performance the objectification of the female partner. She has to look a certain way, be a certain type - even conform to preordained behaviors and scripts - for the man to want to have intercourse and also for the man to be able to have intercourse. The woman cannot exist before or during the act as a fully realized, existentially alive individual." I appreciate how Dworkin addresses objectification, pornography, and the politicization of women's bodies in Intercourse. She draws on a wide range of allusions to build her argument, ranging from Joan of Arc's refusal of submissive femininity, to the glorification of women's subordination to men in Dracula, to how writers construct sex in problematic ways like in Tolstoy's Kreutzer Sonata and much more. While this literature review did not always feel 100% coherent and cohesive, Dworkin fills her writing with passion and a sharp intelligence that cuts away at patriarchal BS. With great fire in her voice, she drives her message home: all heterosexual sex occurs within the context of male domination. We should pay attention to that. Overall, a great book for those interested in radical feminism and understanding the ideas of an outspoken leader in the feminist movement. I deduct one start because sometimes Dworkin's prose felt overwrought or just too long, and also she could have been more intersectional in her approach. Otherwise, a fascinating book that addresses a topic we still encounter a lot in today's patriarchal society.

Review # 2 was written on 2012-09-28 00:00:00 Geraldine Robinson After all of the hype I've heard about Dworkin, I found her book terribly mild to what I was expecting. I loved her style, though; blatant, angry, and poetic all at the same time. I'm completely befuddled now about her supposed "man-hating" approach. This is what I usually heard from others who claimed to have properly read her, but I never saw the typographical proof. Perhaps I'm reading the wrong book? As far as I can tell, Dworkin doesn't hate masculinity; she hates patriarchy. She doesn't hate men; she hates the men that perpetuate said patriarchy. All sex is rape under the constraints of patriarchy, which therefore means it can change for the better if patriarchy gets the proper boot. Why is this so difficult for others to understand? Perhaps we really are a culture that secretly loves to be offended. Or maybe we never want to admit to being a part of a problem, intentionally or otherwise. We're too proud. It's one thing to rationally disagree with her (hey, we all think differently), but to call her out on erroneous claims tells me either: (1) the reader wasn't paying close enough attention, or (2) the reader went in with a massive chip on their shoulder. Garbage in, garbage out. That's my motto in any aspect of literature. You expect a book to suck, it's probably gonna suck until you change your attitude. (And if the book still sucks, at least then you'll know you were actually right.) So I've finally read a book by Dworkin. I'm happy I did so and will likely read some of her other things. And now, at least, whenever somebody begins to call her out for this book, I can begin to press: "Did you actually read it?" I guess she truly is one of the most misrepresented, misinterpreted, and misunderstood authors of modern time. That's a shame.