eshda3wa
September 24, 2007
Women Can't Write?
So I'm hanging out with my friend N discussing some books we were currently reading. I was complaining about my bad luck in finding good books to read these days. I can't remember the last time a book totally mesmerized me, when i couldn't put it down, and had to read on and on, when sleep, food,and gatherings didn't matter, all that mattered was me finishing the book.
Since N was a student of literature I asked him if he could recommend something, and he sad this
" don't buy a book if its written by a woman, because women cant write"
The feminist in me raged! but i bit my tongue and thought for a moment, most books that i lost sleep over were written by men. Of course there is no denying there are amazing female writers out there, and this is what he said in response
" Name a book written by a woman, and ill show you a book written by a man that has the same concept but better"
after a long discussion and evaluations, our conversation drifted into world wars and ecofemenism.
I still didn't find a new phenomenal book
any recommendations?
54 Comments:
i am facing the same thing i can`t find good books to read really i need help
o tabeen el 9ij i mn greet your book i was thinking he is right walah
but i will think of some books 4 u
LOL! I mean N's soo wrong, I did come across - i don't read books - that were written by women & they were fine... Let me brush my memory o get back to you on that bas he's wrong..
ba3dein moshar6 books, tell him to check papers, blogs - magazines, movie writers, o the books you were talking about, Arabic walla English... let him refresh his memory & widen his ideas :P
Although I'm totally not a feminist, I did rack my brain, but I'm sorry I think your friend is right. They were all men. It's a man's world!!!
find me a man who has taken the whole world, young and old, by storm with his stories even HALF as much as j.k. rowling did.. ask your friend that.
Depends on what you like or want. Do you want something more intellectual or just a quick fun read?
I'm reading "A Thousand Splendid Suns" and so far its really good. I recommend it.
I read this book a while ago, its weird and twisted, I thought it sucked at first, but when I kept on reading it got better, its called "The Secret History" but Donna Tartt.
I commented menzemaan bas ma 6l3 shay >>_<<
Hi, this is my first comment here, but your post compelled me to write.
One of my favorite writers (male or female) is Margaret Atwood. She is just amazing.. my favorite books are "The Handmaid's Tale", "Oryx and Crake" and "Alias Grace".
For other great reads, try Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore or The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.
It doesn't matter to me the gender of the writer, as long as the book is good :)
i don't totally agree with your friend about female writers. nowadays it is hard to find a good book by a woman but look at J.K Rowling. yes, she did write harry potter, and some of you might hate the series, but she is the highest grossing author in history. anyway, if you look to classic books, many female authors back then were amazing, i, for one love jane austen. an amazing book to read would be "chicago" by 3ala il aswani.. or "the namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
hmm .. you might be right sis .. i tried to think about a book for a women writer .. nothing came up .. ?!
i had one .. BUT .. its R-rated lool .. i cannot suggest it.
BorKaaN
you should read: The Shadow of the Wind, The Book of Lost things, Eleven minutes, hmm those are the ones off the top of my head.
good women writers: Jane Austin, Mya Angelo, Charlotte Brontë, Virginia Woolf, Philippa Gregory
your friend doesn't know what he's talkin about if he says women can't write..no offense to him..
I just started reading The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold after hearing really awesome things about it. Also, although this series has absolutely no intellectual stimulation, it was extremely entertaining and so fun and relaxing to read, the confessions of a shopaholic series by sophie kinsella. I think there's 5 of them now and I read 3
Someone here mentioned margaret atwood, I read one of her books after reading a great review about it, "the cat's eye", and I'm sorry it totally sucked and was a waste of my time! I don't think I'll be picking up any atwood books.
wait for my autobio
I am not a book person, sorry :?
Hun you need to be a bit more specific about what kind of books you enjoy so you can get better recommendations. I definitely disagree that women can't be good writers. And even if N won the argument well he's a literature student as you said so he should make that argument with another literature student for it to be more fair. :P
Anyway, I think you might enjoy The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.
OO also, I am almost sure you'd enjoy Banat Il Riyath by Rajaa Al-Sani3.
Loool, he's right!
James Redfield- the tenth insight
Or the Celestine prophecy.
But you have to be accepting to a
Certain mental state to read these books.
Are you into novels or life defining books?
hmmm am currently reading the witch of portobello by paulo coelho not so special to be honest
your looking for a book or novel ?
if u didnt read kite runner ? by khaled al hussaini ? or time traveler's wife .. ?by Audrey Niffenegger those two are quite good
and yes i agree there arent much women writers but usually when they do , they do it perfectly
and for those who said J.K Rowling .. well ... J.R.R.Tolkien is comparable if not better ..
maybe u should make a post about best books u ever read ?
and btw .. did u read Roots ? Alex Haley ?
Eww ! men dont read books !
what about J.K Rowling? can your friend find her male rival? what about toni marrison and her masterpieces?? just because you two don't know any amazing female writer it doesn't mean men are better at that :) I totally disagree with both of you. u only need to choose the right books
only reason there arent as many female writers is because opportunities are just more available for men. it is a male dominated world after all. and this goes for everything, not just writing. you dont see as many movie directors, etc. its just the way society puts it. doesnt mean women arent as good, just means they havent been given as much of a chance. unfair, but thats just the world we live in.
We didn't hang out, when did we hang out! ;p Recommend books? What are you into? I am going to start "A Game of Thorns" by George R. R. Martin. It is the first book in his series, "A Song of Ice and Fire". The series is an epic fantasy.
J K Rowling!! The best nowadays..What's ur opinion?
As a student of literature, N. is pretty ignorant (and sexist to boot!) if he actually said that sentence. Of course it is his opinion and he is free to it however my opinion in return is that it's the remark of an ignorant person.
Some of my favorite books are written by women authors. Off the top of my head I've loved books by Jane Austen, J.K.Rowling, Audrey Niffenegger, Daphne du Maurier, Jhumpa Lahiri, Isabel Allende, Maya Angelou, Mary Stewart, etc. I'd remember more if I were standing in front of my bookshelves.
So have N. read their books and find books that have the same concept but better.
Try these:
Storming Heaven by Denise Giardina.. (historical fiction, America during the Battle of Blair mountain.. has politics, romance and amazing characters)
Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder.. (pure philosophy)
Girls of Riyadh by Raja'a Al-Sane'a.. (a woman, from the Gulf AND controversial)
ANYTHING by Cecelia Ahern.. (Magical books, great imagination and sense of humor)
Flowers In The Attic by Virginia Andrews.. (friggin' amazing! my very first novel)
ANYTHING by Melissa Nathan.. (cute, makes u think, romantic-comedy)
ANYTHING by Maya Angelo.. (i don't think i should even attempt to tell u how good she is :p)
and like Snookie said, J.K. Rowling (even if it's Harry Potter)!
Love in the Present Tense by Catherine Hyde is an amazing book. I am also going to start The Road by Cormac McCarthy
I'm studying English lit, and you won't beleive the number of women who broke down barriers with their writing. Jane Austen, Virginia Woolf, are a couple of the old ones, but J.K Rowling and Margaret Atwood are some pretty great contenders of our time!
And I dont wanna get all historical on you, but hundreds of years ago, women were not allowed to read or write, which is why many women wrote books under a man's name.
J. K Rowling has not only better male counterparts but is also greatly inspired by : Tolkein, Nix, and Homer!!!
And I am a huge Harry Potter fan but the that's the truth!
Ana exactly like you i love reading.. i read alot of books and my BEST BEST book ever is The Kite Runner.. nothing even comes close trust me you cant put it down.. the same day i brought it i reached chapter 10 :) Go to amazon.com and see its reviews.. Some well known critic said that its the best he ever read and everything he read after it seemed dull
arundhati roy is one name i can think of, her language is extremely rich, difficult for the untrained eye.. but almost always captures an unbelievable language. i can not believe she is not English her self.
instead of advising u not to read any book for man/woman, i would rather go for: don't read a book by an American, go for English, British.. they always write in a language that respects your intelligance and doesn't demean u.
instead of hunting for literature books for the moment, i suggest u switch to non-fiction, science argumentative books available now are very fulfilling.
Hey there.
Jodi Picoult is by far, one of the most imaginative and thought-provoking female writers I have come across. Do give "The Pact" or "My Sister's Keeper" by this phenomenal author a read some time.
Your friend may be right in terms of there not being as many eminent female writers as men, but he is partially wrong when he claims that "women can't write". There are innumerable female writers who have managed to carve a niche for themselves in this male-dominated universe, and I applaud their efforts for that.
I think it depends on what department of writing you guys are talking about....cuz women SEEM to be leading the novels world and not many political or religion related books are written by women
i'm pissed!!! waaaaaaa!!! ask him to read Woolf!
anyways ummm there's this great novel by Kiran Desai "the inheritance of loss" it's really good! and fi this novel (not new) "the unbearable lightness of being" by Milan Kundera! absolutely brilliant! i just finished it wooow!! hmmm fi wayd b3d, lemme know if u want more 7bebty :**
-hugs-
i love ppl who READ!!! :D
ba3ad comment moderation :( laish...
inzain check this out..
Burned Alive "Souad"
http://www.amazon.com/Burned-Alive-Survivor-Killing-Speaks/dp/0446694878/ref=pd_sim_b_5/103-4775116-4786236
nothing beats anne rice and her vampire chronicles.
There is no way you can find a replacement for that
new bride
thanks
maybe u can try one of the books that the rest of the bloggers suggested!
chikapappi
he's very inteligent, and we did discuss many women writers that were amazing
except when he mentioned ecofeminism thats when the argument drifted
if u remember anything let me know
vixen
fee great female writers, bs i have to admit that men do dominate it
snookie
how about Shakespeare? does he come close?
but true jk is a phenomena on her own!
chirp
i read a book by donna before
i like her
im usually very flexible with what i read
i dont like scifi but anythng else is good!
thank for the recommendations
vixen
sorry babe im moderating the comments
ithebeholder
welcome to my blog
i hope its not the last time u comment!
thankx 4 the recommendations
and your totally right
as long as the book is good the gender dosnt matter at all
ankh
no one can deny jk
history has many many good female writers, he was playing the devils advocate with me
Borkaan
lol
oh no please share!
F..
hehehe is said the same thing to him, but dosent change the fact that most good books we both read were by men not women
thankx 4 the suggestions
asoom
i read the lovely bones and i absolutely loved it
its good, enjoy it
i was always apprehensive about shopahoic
but ill give it a go
Nq
na6ra 3ala naaaaar!
amu
ur totally missing out!
1001nights
i heard so much about the secret life of bees, its going on my to read list, my mm read the arabic banat alriyath she says ill like it too :) merciii
im pretty flexible with my books
i read everything and anyhing as long as its good!
blue dress
im into good books
i hate self help books though!
sowhat
yeah i read roots a couple of years ago, i liked it, i own both books u recommended, i just didnt get to them yet... they are number 15- and 27, on my not yet read books list :)
grey
lool
not even to look at the pretty covers?
anonymous
actually we both read quiet a few books by toni morrison, infact i think between us we read all her books, we both agree that we read good books by women, bs i couldnt deny the fact that most god boks read were by men :)
ammaro.com
very true
i think were gna see more femal writers shining in the next decade :)
N.
imbalah dont deny it!
hatha wana ma gelt bajee el7ache ele geltah :p
hehehe j/k
thankx for the recommendations
What kind of books are you into?
Business, fantasty, fiction, non-fiction, self-help, funny, adventure, corporate humor?
JK Rowling-- HARRY POTTER BOOKS !!
Harry Potter... ele sawita ma sawat mithla;p
harry potter was written by a woman right? isnt it one of the most succesful book series ever?
3ad ana kelesh mo ma3a elbooks mooooooliyah!
but as elrabe3 suggested, tell him about j. k. rowling! :)
*knock knock*
i recommend john steinbeck, he's an amazing writer
now that’s sooo racist!! lol :D
I’m not gonna take no one’s side in here lol .. it really depends on what kinda books you like to read .. for each topic there is always someone especial .. I believe that women tend to write more about fiction .. novels .. drama , romance etc .. I’ve read so many GREAT novels written by women … men write in a different style .. but there is no best .. what you may find the best I may find the worst .. so it really up to the person him/herself ! :D
sene
true!
tooomz
hehe
i think he was just being sexist to tick me off :)
ofcourse there are amazing female writers that changed history!
look at uncle toms cabin!
but ill have him read ur comment too :D
swair
THANK U for all these titles!
ill take my pick
and im definitly a potter fan too!
KJ
mercii
will have a look at both books!
this lady
wana know wats ironic?
N my friends writes in alot of papers and magazines under a jewish name for credibility :) cause apparantly a muslim name aint appealing these days ;)
vixen
everyone has to take inspiration from somewhere!!
yara
i have the book, bs i never got around to reading it yet!
wil move it up on my list of books to read
thankx babe
vyyva
ur very right, british writers actually make u think and not talk to u like u have half a brain, any specific titles u can recommend?
manuntdfanatic
i love jodi!
i read both books u mentioned and 6 others too
bs im curently taking a break from her cause ma abe amil reading the same other all the time
ghasheema
it was just in general
oo ohwa ysta3b6 :)
reem
<--- HUG
i love readers too :D
thank u for the titles
will check em out :**
missy
lana el loser ele kan yseb rad again
o male khlga, so this is the easiest way to deal with him
im currently boycotting the -im an opresed arab woman save me- books:)
thank u sweety :*
hamza
im not into vampires much
bs i think i MITE give it a chance
maybe
marzouq
im pretty flexible with what i read, open to all suggestions as long as its good
peony
im a fan i swear!!
bored
yep in history!
rekoo
u should be!
ur totally missing out!
cece
hala oo ghala!!
mishmisha
yep he definitly is!
navy girl
true!
its all a matter of opinion!
he was just teasing ;)
LoL guys always think they are the best in everything.. Well, they are so NOT!! I mean, both have shown talents why can't they accept that..
I love the Harry Potter books, maybe they are for kids but they are the sort of books I could re-read forever, especially when I have nothing else to read!!
try something for Paulo Coelho
shayooma
already read all of em and im a big fan!
sailor
got that covered, i have all his books and im more than halfway thru
the history of nearly every thing by Bryson.
science book but intensely joyful.
I can't think of any off of the top of my head, either. Richard Adams and Phillip Pullman would be my favourite writers.
And please, people, stop mentioning J.K. Rowling. She is a successful writer, but by no means great or even good at putting together a paragraph, let alone a story.
I agree with N, it is difficult to find good female writer. For every Jane Eyre you have a D.H. Lawrence, Tolstoy, Flaubert, Proust and so on. I find that there are fewer writers focused on honest literature. And the modern writer usually aims at commercial success (Dan Brown J.K. Rowling), which rejects writing as an art form. Any writer who does undertake writing for art's sake is invariably male. Creativity must have both purpose and skill. Most of the time modern writers have neither because all that matters to them is sales. And we all know that most people buy a product just because it has been advertised enough or been on the right talk shows.
I agree with N, it is difficult to find good female writer. For every Jane Eyre you have a D.H. Lawrence, Tolstoy, Flaubert, Proust and so on. I find that there are fewer writers focused on honest literature. And the modern writer usually aims at commercial success (Dan Brown J.K. Rowling), which rejects writing as an art form. Any writer who does undertake writing for art's sake is invariably male. Creativity must have both purpose and skill. Most of the time modern writers have neither because all that matters to them is sales. And we all know that most people buy a product just because it has been advertised enough or been on the right talk shows.
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