Mari’s Guide To Feminist Literature

When editor-in-chief Katareena Roska asked us to write a piece about, and I quote, “a topic that you are passionate about”, I was conflicted. I’m a woman of many interests, I thought to myself, and then I hit the jackpot. I am a woman. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been two things: 1, a feminist. 2, a writer. You can only imagine how delighted I was when I discovered feminist literature.

Whenever I write, whether it’s in class or in my bed writing poems upon poems; I feel a certain ping of pride in my chest. I write and I read for all the women who couldn’t, and all the women who to this day cannot. For me, the written word is not just a shape, it is a privilege, and I’ll never let that slip my mind. Expressing feminism, girlhood and female melancholia through literature is a form of resistance in my eyes, and I hope you’ll fall in love with it as much as I did. On that note, here are my favourite 5 star feminist reads of all time.

1. First and foremost is my favourite book in general. “The Lonely Hearts Hotel” by the brilliant Heather O’neill. Taking place during The Great Depression in Montreal, this novel follows two orphans, Pierrot and Rose, navigating life in this hectic time and developing a whirlwind romance. I’d recommend checking trigger warnings regarding this book.

From The Writer's Festival YT channel

2.“The Mad Women’s Ball” by Victoria Mas is a rather gothic and noir book about ‘troublesome’ women who were sent away to a mental asylum by the men in their life. Of course, their definition of ‘troublesome’ is not quite legitimate, as they mean ‘simply inconvenient, unwanted wives, those who have lost something precious, follows a patient and a nurse as their paths collide in this Parisian asylum in 1885.

The Mad Women's Ball movie adaptation is available on Amazon Prime Video

3. How could I ever forget “The Bell Jar”. Written by the one and only Sylvia Plath, this novel puts to light the undeniable role femininity plays in melancholia, the demands of womanly nurturing and hidden double standards we grew to consider normal. In this enlightening read we experience the life of Esther, a small town girl thrown into the hectic scene of New York after getting a scholarship to a prestigious college. Quoting Plath: “I was supposed to be having the time of my life.”

From Books Mandala YT Channel

The concept of feminism and feminine struggles is being explored by us each and every day, even if done subconsciously. To expand our minds, and further understand what it means to live in a misogynistic world, I’d always recommend letting the written word guide you.

Shana Tova to my fellow Jews and goodbye for now,

- Marianne