A Brief History of Misogyny

by Jack Holland

Genres: Feminism

Paperback

Published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Vanshika Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book not expecting a lot. I just thought it would give me a bit more of an understanding of misogyny and I love learning about history. But this book was more than that. It surprised me in ways I couldn’t imagine. The chronological order of events thats shaped misogyny in the current world was very interesting to read. The author clearly did a lot of research into different philosophers, authors, poets and influential figures in each era and described each detail without much bias. At points, there were arguments which the author could have clearly shaped into something favourable or unfavourable to society but he stuck to facts for most parts of it which was nice. I didn’t have the feeling to constantly second guess what he was stating as an opinion because it was backed by texts and wordings from past texts. I enjoyed learning through this book. It did make me feel uneasy at times as well because I just did not realise the extent of misogyny that existed/exists and that was like stomach hurling.

I wouldn’t say this book is a fun read or an easy read because it most definitely isn’t, but I do recommend it because it teaches you. Education is at its best when shared so I want to share this book with my friends and encourage them to read it. Though I would say there is a lot of text that people who are religious may feel offended by, not because the book says something bad about it but it does critique some things here and there. There are also political mentions so read it knowing there will be stuff that might make you slightly uncomfortable but it is so well written.

To be honest, it makes me question misogyny in the current world and now anything I see and read, I think to myself, “oh, is this because of such and such actions of the past”.

[Bethany Kate Husband · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Brief History of Misogyny is a book that aims to explore and analyse the contempt and hatred of women across historical cultures and time periods. We start in Ancient Greece with Pandora and her box and make our way all the way to the 60s with the advent of the birth control pill, with plenty of horrors on the way.

This book is focused on Europe mainly. Some chapters do talk about India or China or the Taliban in the Middle East, but these are brief detours. This is mostly fine and does allow the book to have a clear timeline of how misogyny develops in the Western world, but it should be noted that this is really a brief history of the West.

It succeeds in drawing connections between the different periods. This book made me realise how similar misogynistic cultures of the past have been, all sharing a similar basis: fear of women’s power (primarily via their sexual desirability and their control over life and death through reproduction), what they might do with that power if it were unchecked, and men’s loathing of their own nature being taken out on women. These commonalities are highlighted and made very, very obvious.

Jack Holland did give his opinions throughout the book. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I didn’t always agree with the conclusions he drew.
For example, he described a young woman in the 17th century being found dead with her ribs growing into her liver as a result of corset tight-lacing. Then, in the next chapter, he criticised 18th-century early feminists for criticising beauty standards. He said their opposition to ‘beauty’ was reductive and may have turned other women away from the movement, seemingly ignoring the very real harm and coercion behind those standards, and why some women might have opposed the ‘pursuit of beauty’ in the first place.

Overall though, this was a very interesting read with a lot of factual information and a lot of useful analysis. Jack Holland did come across as sympathetic to the plight of women and he did make a lot of interesting points. He didn’t shy away from the horrors of the past and how they affect the present, and it highlights the cyclical nature of the world’s oldest prejudice and its origins.

[Full Metal Rabbit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I initially had reservations about this book because it was written by a man. I suspected a horror of mansplaining. I was happily disabused of this notion fairly rapidly. It turns out that this is a good introduction to the subject. In consequence, I recommend it highly. Unfortunately, the author's hopes for a better future have fallen into the sewer. We are living amid yet another nasty, misogynistic backlash. Having lived through the post second wave feminism backlash and seen the wonderful strides we have made since, I want to believe that the post Roe world is not the harbinger of an entrenched Andrew Tate-like toxic masculinity, a Trumpian nightmare, and a fundamentalist religious dark age, but merely a particularly abhorent blip on the landscape on the road to equality. It can only be achieved when misogyny is fully understood and eliminated ... I suspect that's like imagining a world without war - an aging hippie dream. Sob!

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Managed to finish this before the end of 2024.

This is a book explaining the world’s oldest prejudice : Misogyny.

From Plato and Aristotle, to Tertullian and St.Thomas Aquinas, to Rousseau, Nietzsche, and Hitler. To Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and General Zia ul-Huq, Khomeini and Taliban.

All have in one way or another their actions and their obsessions reveal only their own inability to relate to sexually mature women.

[Alice Haighton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of the best critiques of misogyny I have read. Holland tackles the role of misogyny throughout human life, contrasting and comparing modern examples, such as the rise of the Taliban, with those of Ancient Greece and Rome. He successfully shows that misogyny transcends religious, political and geographical differences, to become potentially the most widespread prejudice in the world. In my opinion, this is a must-read for anybody.

[Sarah-Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

A truly tragic, but eye-opening read. It brings together many different concepts and although the themes can be repetitive at times, this strengthens its overall conviction. There were parts which were quite difficult to read, in terms of discussions of violence, but overall the book has broadened my thinking. I believe it’s an even more important read in the current political climate and should act as a warning of how quickly women’s rights can be eroded.

[Gemma Styles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great read. I learned a lot and it really made me think about society, biology, religion, evolution. The examples and stories are powerfully illustrative and the tentative conclusions are convincing. The only thing I found sad, given it was written 20+ years ago, was the optimism in the final thoughts relative to the world as it is now. A brilliant job with a difficult subject nonetheless

[Jas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book, makes me want to get something more extensive on misogyny! Would recommend to anyone.