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Title: Herland
Author: Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Number of pages: 128
Genre: fantasy
Book Number/Goal: 2/52
My Rating: 1/5
Notes: for Coursera Fantasy and Science Fiction course
Download: at Project Gutenberg
Review:
Three male explorers discover an uncharted country populated entirely by women. After a catastrophe that had killed all the men many generations ago, women evolved to reproduce by parthenogenesis, and built a perfectly utopian society - peaceful, happy, prosperous, lacking not only criminals but even "bad thoughts". Everything is under control, everyone is hardworking and honest, children are educated through play, not by force. After the initial conflict, the explorers are quickly subdued and start learning about the society, as well as the women, who are extremely curious about the external world, are learning about them.
The book was written a century ago (1915) and it shows. It reads more like a feminist political pamphlet than like fiction. The plot lacks any twists and intrigue, the characters are flat and boring, with non-existent personalities, except for the two male characters (the main character's companions) who are portrayed in a crude stereotypical way. As far as the "show-don't-tell" goes, it's 99% telling. I understand that the author's intention was to criticize female discrimination and traditional gender roles, and to express her vision of a better and fairer world, which, no doubt, was an important achievement back then. But IMHO, the book has no literary qualities, and can be only perceived as a historical curiosity.
Also, while many of the ideas (e.g. pain-free education, pressure-free religion, simple and practical clothing) are still superior to what exists in the real world, actually I don't find the peaceful, passion-free and conflict-free society all that alluring. I think that by using a different point of view and adding more details and drama, it could make a fine dystopian novel... ;)
Author: Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Number of pages: 128
Genre: fantasy
Book Number/Goal: 2/52
My Rating: 1/5
Notes: for Coursera Fantasy and Science Fiction course
Download: at Project Gutenberg
Review:
Three male explorers discover an uncharted country populated entirely by women. After a catastrophe that had killed all the men many generations ago, women evolved to reproduce by parthenogenesis, and built a perfectly utopian society - peaceful, happy, prosperous, lacking not only criminals but even "bad thoughts". Everything is under control, everyone is hardworking and honest, children are educated through play, not by force. After the initial conflict, the explorers are quickly subdued and start learning about the society, as well as the women, who are extremely curious about the external world, are learning about them.
The book was written a century ago (1915) and it shows. It reads more like a feminist political pamphlet than like fiction. The plot lacks any twists and intrigue, the characters are flat and boring, with non-existent personalities, except for the two male characters (the main character's companions) who are portrayed in a crude stereotypical way. As far as the "show-don't-tell" goes, it's 99% telling. I understand that the author's intention was to criticize female discrimination and traditional gender roles, and to express her vision of a better and fairer world, which, no doubt, was an important achievement back then. But IMHO, the book has no literary qualities, and can be only perceived as a historical curiosity.
Also, while many of the ideas (e.g. pain-free education, pressure-free religion, simple and practical clothing) are still superior to what exists in the real world, actually I don't find the peaceful, passion-free and conflict-free society all that alluring. I think that by using a different point of view and adding more details and drama, it could make a fine dystopian novel... ;)
