15 November 2009

Sunday Salon: Personal Essays


My reading this past week has been focused solely on non-fiction.  I've read a handful of personal essays and the first two chapters of The Feminine Mystique.  The essays certainly don't seem to be generating any interest among bloggers, and I'm thinking I might be one of the few who read them.  Any other personal essay readers out there? If so, do you review them individually or as a bundle?  I ask because I am not reading a collection of personal essay; I'm reading personal essays that strike my fancy from the multiple collections I have.

As for The Feminine Mystique, I'm still unsure of how I feel about this book.  I realize it is a significant work in women's history/studies/feminism.  But so far I feel like the book might be 400+ pages of repetition.  Has anyone read this?  Should I stick with it?
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Congratulations to the winners of the two giveaways I hosted recently:

Night Giveaway Winner: Anna at Diary of an Eccentric
The Chosen One Giveaway Winner: Tam at Bailey's and Books
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I want to remind everyone about the Unlock Worlds Challenge which is running until September 2010's Banned Books Week.  No specified number of books, just a group dedicated to our freedom to read.  Giveaways will happen throughout the year, and you get one entry to the giveaways for every link you submit.
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Currently Reading
Elizabeth Gaskell's Cranford
Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique
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And finally, I'm thinking of joining SwapTree. Anyone out there a member?  Anyone think I should / shouldn't join?  I'm already a member of BookMooch but I've racked up a large number of points and I'm having difficulty spending them.  There's no point in having 148 points if there are no books you want.
Posted by Trisha at 9:35 AM
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13 comments:

  1. 148 points at BookMooch! WOWZA I wouldn't mind some of those.
    As for Swaptree, I'll have to check it out, I haven't heard of it. But I am a frequent spender at Paperbackswap.
    Thank you for your The Phantom Tollbooth suggestion, I'm looking into that one!
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  2. I haven't read many personal essays since college. I may have a book or two around that contain them (leftover from college) but they are not something I seek out. Maybe once my kids are out of the house (you know, some 13+ years from now) I may regain some critical thinking brain power. Right now full length books are more appealing to me. :)

    I'm a member of Paperbackswap too, and so far I've had good experiences there.
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  3. Have also felt that nothing I am looking for pops up on Bookmooch. Have to check this other service out too.

    Enjoy Cranford. Mine is sitting on the shelf waiting for me. Do you have the beautiful Penguin hardback re-design? Happy reading!
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  4. I've listened to about 1/2 of The Feminine Mystique. I finally had to quit for awhile, because yes, it is repetitious! (Also, the narrator bugs.)

    I was wondering if I should try the book, but maybe not. I am currently reading When Everything Changed, and the first 50 pages is similar to The Feminine Mystique, as it quotes housewives from the 50s and talks a lot about the women who went to college, then got married, and were then vaguely dissatisfied. Only, it moves on to other things after 50 pages!
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  5. I really have no clue what personal essays are, lol! Or where to find them or anything like that.

    I have tried to sign up/comment on your challenge a few times but the comment box never works for me. =/ I may just do the challenge anyway and not worry about posting there.
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  6. I haven't been listing new books on bookmooch for awhile now for that same reason. Of course, I don't have 148 pts, just 20, but still, I'd like to spend them!
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  7. I haven't read The Feminine Mystique since college, but I'm betting at least some of it seems outdated now, which is why it might seem repetitive too, because back then when she wrote it, you really needed to keep hammering these points in!
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  8. That's a lot of bookmooch points! I keep running out of points because I don't have books to list.

    I haven't read nearly enough personal essays. I'd say review them as you read them individually, if you have something to say about them. If you don't have much to say, then keep a mini-review post in progress and add to it as necessary.
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  9. I love nonfiction! Although I'm not that great at reading essays; I've read more this year, because I made them part of my Year of Reading Dangerously challenge. But no, I don't read random ones...I'm really awful at randomly reading stories from books of short stories too. I can read them online randomly though!
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  10. Marie - Loved Phantom Tollbooth. I hope you like it.

    Alyce - Maybe the shortness of personal essays would be a plus!

    Frances - Nope, no luck on a pretty hardcover. Plain old paperback with tiny print.

    softdrink - I still can't decide if I can stick with it. Just so repetitive.

    Jenny - It seems like 50% can post there and 50% can't. There's a link in the left hand column for a post you can leave links to if you can't leave them on that site.

    Amanda - It's a problem. I'm up to about 150 now. They need new books up there!

    Rhapsody - I keep trying to remind myself of that, but it makes for some dullish reading after awhile. Short bursts seems the way to go.

    Rebecca - I love the idea of a mini-review post for those not-so-awe-inspiring personal essays.

    Eva - Yay for nonfiction! I know some people have trouble with only reading bits and pieces of a book even if it was written that way. I have no problem doing so with personal essays; but I can't do it with short story collections.
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  11. RE: The Feminine Mystique - if you think it's repetitious now, you will really think that by then end. When I read it, I just felt like I had heard it all before - which is the problem with reading a classic feminist work 50 years later - we HAVE heard it all before.
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  12. My new blog is personal essays of mine so I set a google alert to help me find more blogs with personal essays and it directed me to yours. Yours is definitely one of the more beautiful better set up ones.
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  13. Elizabeth - Ahhh! I knew it. Dagnabit. I'm not sure I'm going to get through this.

    J.B. - Thanks J.B. I'll have to check out your blog. I love personal essays.
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