The Female Persuasion: Meg Wolitzer

Meg Wolitzer is a discovery for me. I bought the kindle edition after reading a newspaper review and it turned out to be as gripping, compassionate and perceptive as the review described it. The plotting is excellent, moving back and forth in time and between different character's points of view, keeping a high level of engagement for the reader. The characterisation is perceptive and the narration witty and compassionate. One particular event in the novel, that provides an important turning point, is so vividly described that I was shocked into stopping my reading for several hours in order to absorb it. There is perhaps a little tendency towards sentimentality in the conclusion but where this would often annoy me, the overall narrative is so good that it really didn't detract from my enjoyment of this beautiful novel. I'm so pleased to have read it.

This book was interesting enough, the lead character and other main roles were brought to life admirably. The feminist issue was covered in a simple manner, I have spoken in the past to feminists on a forum with far more in-depth and convoluted beliefs. The beliefs in this book were more in line with what I thought feminism was. However, I felt that the book tried to have a 'moral' to it, but did not really achieve much in the end. I think this was because the character of Faith was stronger than Greer, and she was lost at the end. The last couple of chapters seemed to rush to give the reader a feeling of 'completion', and tie up all the loose ends. I do enjoy a happy ending, with neatly tied ends, but this seemed bland and hurried. Compared with how in-depth some of the feelings and emotions were expressed earlier. I don't know how this could be resolved, and I am far from an author. So, well done to Meg. I enjoyed the book overall.

I'd say thos book is one that grows on you. I'll admit, it took a while to grip me and I persevered with it because the person who bought it for me said it was a great book. To be honest, I've read a lot better. I'm not really keen on American writers, I don't like Americanisms and I found the beginning of the book quite hard to get into as the main character was a young American girl starting "college" which is quite far removed from a British University way of life so it was hard to relate to.That being said, after the first third of the book, I found it was getting more interesting and I was starting to like the different characters and their own snippets of the story. Toward the last few chapters I did find it hard to put down and was keen to find out what would happen although it was slightly predictable. The ending however lacked something, it left me feeling unsatisfied but not in the way you're hoping for a sequel more, "oh is that it?"Not really a book I'll be recommending but maybe because its just not to my taste and not something that I would usually pick up.

Absolutely loved this book. It took me a while to finish but probably because I simply didn’t want to rush it. The autor takes you on a journey through last few decades of faminism while telling a moving story and developing characters who care deeply about.

This is an enjoyable romp through the past five decades of the women’s liberation movement. It’s refreshing to have one’s own history evoked, and affirmed with a kind of gentle optimism. The author spins a good yarn even though I found the characters a bit more like cyphers than people. But I’d recommend it as a feel-good spirit-raiser. And worth giving to younger women who don’t always realise they’re here, with their sassy confidence, because of us.

and I love Meg Wolitzer. Her books speak to me and to my generation of women and feminists even though they are set in the States. This one is particularly poignant and engaging. Thanks, Meg.

Enjoyed the book and looking at the lives of three different women but wasnt particularly exciting

I just really hated it, unfortunately...none of the dialogue rang true, 2D characters, too much Feminism 101. Should really be marketed as a YA novel.