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Charlotte Perkins Gilman's 1915 book Herland is a thought-provoking work of utopian fiction and a time capsule of early twentieth-century feminism. On the eve of the First World War, sociology student Vandyck Jennings goes on an expedition with two of his friends to search for a society rumored to consist only of women. On the way to what they will name "Herland," Van and his friends ponder the type of women they hope or expect to see when they...

Herland keeps showing up on feminist book lists I'm trying to read through. Noticed it's book #2 in a trilogy. But book #1 is rarely mentioned. Do I need to read the first to understand what is happening in Herland?

While I overall liked this, it was a bit too pedantic, and the all female country was a little too perfect. The practice of eugenics that led to their utopia was, although only mentioned once as history, disturbing. The narrator also views attempted rape in a “boys will be boys” manner. I loved that their society included pockets — lots of them— in the women‘s clothing, showing not much has changed since Gilman wrote this.

Well, it started snowing here, so I‘m inside with Charlotte Perkins Gilman and the lovely cup of tea my husband just made me.

Herland was written in 1915! It‘s feminist speculative fiction about a group of 3 men who discover a utopia of women who live completely free of men. They‘ve survived 2000 years this way and the men who discover them can‘t quite believe it. In fact, they can‘t quite believe women can do anything without men. Pretty forward thinking.

There were some parts of this novel I didn‘t like, and I felt it dragged a little.

Overall an interesting read.

I love her and her habit of laying on my current read.

About halfway through Herland now!

#littenkitten #catsoflitsy

A lost feminist utopia? Why yes please!

Borrowed from a friend, this novel was written in 1915! In it, a utopian society is discovered solely composed of women who are able to reproduce without men.

A soft pick for me. I find it amazing that this book was written over 100 years ago but, while some ideas are revolutionary, other themes are troubling; very much of their time.

I found it a little dry in places and the sudden ending was a let down but I‘m still glad I read it, hence the soft pick.

#pop22
#aboutorsetinanonpatriarchalsociety

I forced my way through to the end. I can admit that there are some elements of this that are interesting, but it is bizarre to me that the entire story of this matriarchal utopia is told from the POV of a male explorer who stumbles upon Herland with two other men. I neither enjoyed the POV nor the audiobook narrator and I was bored. #booked2022 #nonpatriarchalsociety

I have increased the audiobook speed to 1.75. I started listening to this 6 hour audiobook on Monday. I still have 40 minutes left at 1.75 speed and I just want to cry. I‘m “this” close to bailing and picking another book for non-patriarchal society or eco-feminist novel for #Booked2022. I can make it through 40 minutes, right???

This was really interesting. 3 men discover a land with only women. It's Utopia but just with females. Some of the concepts are a bit outdated but overall a good read.

"Why we should so admire "a woman's crown of hair" and not admire a Chinaman's queue is hard to explain, except that we are so convinced that the long hair "belongs" to a woman. Whereas the "mane" in horses is on both, and in lions, buffalos, and such creatures only on the male."

This book is a piece of hilarious, witty and pointed commentary on gender stereotypes. If there is a genre called #funnyfeministliterature, this is it. ?

Had to read this one for a class. Cringed at many, many parts. I wonder what men of the time thought of it?

The Glasgow Women‘s Library presents The #HERland Salon - an evening of feminism, fun and fiction! 😍✊️✊🏻✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿#edbookfest

Great day.
#bookhaul #indiebookstore #shopsmall #shoplocal #rasingreaders #femaleauthor #womeninscience

#booktubeathon challenge #7 ✔! 3/5 ⭐. It's squarely white feminism. Some great thought-provoking points we're still sadly struggling with over a century later. While Gilman's overall point to challenge society's views of women succeeded, I was disappointed by how one-dimensional the women were in being 100% focused on motherhood. This book is an important step in feminist literature, but it has major problematic parts. #projectTBR #projectSAMS

“Have you no respect for the past? For what was thought and believed by your foremothers?”
“Why, no,” she said. “Why should we? They are all gone. They knew less than we do. If we are not beyond them, we are unworthy of them—and unworthy of the children who must go beyond us.”

Learning from the past instead of being dragged down by it. Can't think of any current situations where this concept would apply...

#booktubeathon #projectTBR #projectSAMS

1915 acknowledgment that motherhood requires skill and is not for everyone. YES. #booktubeathon #projectSAMS #projectTBR

Finally reading this classic, really getting into it.

Other reviewers have complained that not a lot happens in the book but I found it a surprisingly easy read. I do warn any potential reader that she makes it clear that Herland has no people of color.

Despite its flaws, it did have two good points: women still need real pockets and our children are still not safe.

And it made me ask questions and think about society. Now I want to find more modern utopias.
#classic

After I finished Herland, I found out that it is part of a series. #1 Moving the Mountain #2 Herland #3 With Her in Ourland. #classic #til

It seems like an ideal place for kids. They can go anywhere in a kind of giant park because there's nothing to hurt them. Everyone they meet is either a caretaker or a teacher.
#utopia

I‘ve posted a link to an article about feminist utopias written in the 19th century. I‘ve looked at the article and I had never heard of ANY of them! (Herland, the tagged book, is not listed, as it was written in 1915.)

Have fun discovering some new treasures!

Another birthday book. This edition is giant. I didn't know that when I added it to my wishlist list. I wish I'd never given away my old edition. #herland #birthdaybooks

“When we say men,man, manly, manhood, and all the other masculine-derivatives, we have in the background of our minds a huge vague crowded picture of the world and all its activities...And when we say women, we thinkfemale—the sex.” Gilman in 1915

She was so ahead of her time! A little extreme but a pioneer for feminism!

Congrats @StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego on your milestone and thank you for having a #GirlPowerGiveaway !

#Aprella Day 11: So, Huffpost has a book list for all ye #SingleLadies. Full list here: https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/3384708

#Booked2018 @BarbaraTheBibliophage @Cinfhen @4thhouseontheleft here are my January-March reads for this challenge:
Olympic Sport- Bear Town
Body Positive Memoir- Ink in Water
POC author- The Changeling
Cozy Mystery- The Bloody Tower
Feminist Classic- Herland
Unconventional Romance- The World of Wakanda

Well written, but I really didn‘t enjoy. Another challenge completed. Utopian feminist literature. A non violent utopian with no men. Meh.

Day 9 of #MarchMadness
Utopian.
My pick for this is Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.

@josteele

I love The Yellow Wallpaper so I was super excited about this! I loved it too! ❤️ ❤️

The wonderful @Sarah83 got me a gift card for Christmas and I had a hard time deciding what to buy with it, because you know, there are too many good books out there. As you can see, it was the perfect opportunity to start collecting the Vintage Future editions 😉 thanks again Sarah 😘❤️

Ok, so I think #SuffragetteCity is just about Bowie telling his mate to give him some space so he can hang with this awesome feminist chick he likes, but here are two books from my TBR about female only communities and various questions of gender. (Actually occurred to me this very moment that I could have used Egalia's Daughters, which I have read, but there you go.) #SeptemBowie

#AwesomeAutumnBooks
#FeministFriday
@Jess7

Feminism has developed over the years, with different demands in different ages.

Herland imagines an entirely female utopia. But this utopia has very different views of feminism than that of the 1960s and 1970s that I know well. I won't say more to avoid spoilers.

I thought this was an intriguing read.

Finished book 3 of #24in48. This reread really had me uncomforable w/this book. I am really annoyed that a nation of women would center their lives solely around motherhood (my aroace ass is having none of that). And the idea that the absence of men means the absence of any kind of sexuality is ridiculous (LESBIANS). The book is still interesting bc it presents what a peaceful, socialist society could look like, but it's not a society I would want

Finished this the other night. It is an interesting look at a world ruled by and entirely populated by women. Several important points are made by Gilman about how men think of women and vice versa. As well as how both sexes see the world. Highly recommend reading.

Happy Birthday to this amazing author! Born July 3, 1860
(Photo courtesy of Google)

I guess I'm just not in the mood to read this tonight. I started and then got sidetracked for 45 minutes.

🎉🎉🎉Unfortunately, Herland wasn't my favorite read, but it did help me reach my goal of 50 books! I'd love to hit 100 by the end of the year, but I've never read that much in a year, so we'll see. 🎉🎉🎉

Such a great feminist, utopian novel. It's sort but packed with some truly relevant insights into gender roles. Though written over a hundred years ago, it is still acutely prevalent today.

There is a true and profound statement

"Descriptions aren't any good when it comes to women."

Next up (along with Harry Potter) ... the letter H on my #litsyatoz
Isabella approves.

This was a super interesting early feminist piece of literature. I thought that it was a bit dry at times, but I enjoyed the concept and it's place in history.

#TFW you visit you local library's book sale and walk out with some gems - all for $5 🙌🙌🙌

#fantasy #readingwomenmonth #day4

One of my recent reads featuring a colony of women and NO MEN 🤘
#junebookbugs #allthesingleladies
@RealLifeReading

Very interesting early feminist novel about how a land of all woman might develop and how it might differ in both large and small ways from the world we know. In this story 3 men discover this remote and new land, and spend some time learning its language and customs, while also teaching them ours, with varying degrees of acceptance depending on their personalities.

*Written in #1915 so allow for some dated references to the sexes and races.

It's a #LongLongWayFromHome for the three men who end up in Herland. It's got some issues in some ways, in terms of reinforcing compulsory heterosexuality and motherhood, but it's still a fantastic feminist read.

(This is a worn copy I found in a used store but I had to grab it because it's not a book you can easily find here...)

#rockinmay @Cinfhen