For The Love of Books: Fear of Flying, Prime of Miss Jean Brodie & Rubyfruit Jungle

Hello everyone! I thought a For the Love of Books post was well overdue. I have been focusing more on feminist related novels recently as I did an essay on them. Fear of Flying by Erica Jong and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark are books that are part of my course but Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown is a novel which is not and I read this upon the recommendation of one of my lecturers. Just to clarify, when I say 'feminist' -esque novels I do not mean man-hating ones or another misinterpretation. These novels all prominently feature women in a powerful and very positive light; well, you could view this entirely differently from me.


Fear of Flying - Erica Jong

 

Price: £8.99 on Amazon 

I loved this book as I found it to be very honest and open about the taboo subject of female sexuality. This was released shortly after Betty Friedan's Feminine Mystique and during the Second Wave Feminism. Jong tells the story of a married woman, Isadora, who begins questioning what she wants. She meets an exotic stranger (well, he's English so not entirely exotic), Adrian, who she has an immediate attraction to and she must contemplate leaving her husband, Bennett. Isadora embarks on a journey of self-discovery and psychoanalysis of her past and her previous relationships. It's rather long at about 400 pages but I found that the novel was really thought provoking and encouraged me to think about my future and what I want out of life, etc. The ending can be considered to be disappointing but once you start to think about it more deeply, you can begin to understand why Jong had left the novel in that way (when you read it you will know what I mean!). If you're in the mood for an entertaining yet thought provoking novel, this is the one for you.

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - Muriel Sparks

Price: £7.99 on Amazon

This is much less of a 'feminist' novel per se but I still think it is well worth a read. It is a book that was part of my Contemporary English Literature module and I found it really enjoyable to read. The novel tells the story of a teacher, Miss Brodie, and her select few students who she calls her 'Brodie set'. Miss Brodie is eventually betrayed by one of her six members and we follow the girls from childhood to adulthood. It is unlike any other book I have read and it is considered a timeless classic. If you want something quick and easy to get your teeth into I recommend that you give this a read.


Rubyfruit Jungle - Rita Mae Brown

Price: £8.99 on Amazon

I read this upon the recommendation of my lecturer and I am so glad that I bought this. It tells the story of a black lesbian in the South during the 1950s/1960s and all the obstacles she must overcome. I really loved reading this as it was nice to have a female protagonist who is actually a strong and determined woman who you can root for. You see her strive to gain acceptance for her sexuality and refusing to be ashamed or hide who she really is. At about three hundred pages, it is a bit of a long read (I am the slowest reader in the entire world) but it is a really relatable and inspiring story.


I hope you enjoyed reading! I hope to post a For The Love of Books post once a month so keep your eyes peeled for upcoming book-related posts :)

Rosh x