Women and Other Monsters

January 1, 2021
A witty and erudite exploration of the enduring influence of the female monsters in Greek myths. Electric Literature editor-in-chief Zimmerman blends memoir and cultural criticism in a wide-ranging feminist analysis rooted in her youthful love of D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths. Drawing on accounts by Homer and others, she argues that female monsters like Medusa and the Harpies have inspired more than a Versace logo and a metaphor popular among right-wing critics of Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth Warren. The fearsome creatures have fostered "a suspicion of women in general" and sounded a warning: "Beware their ambition, their ugliness, their insatiable hunger, their ferocious rage." A graceful stylist who casts a wide literary and geographical net, Zimmerman can make nearly anything interesting. She begins a chapter on the Sirens by reappraising Aerosmith's "Crazy" video and one on Scylla by describing the Josephinum medical museum in Vienna, which displays oddities such as wax bones. The author avoids academic cant and shows a disarming willingness to acknowledge her own vulnerability to damaging messages. Her musings on the Sphinx recall a college affair with a professor whose rundowns of her flaws became "a daily referendum on my specific insufficiencies" that at times caused her to retreat into a Sphinx-like self-imposed silence. Not everyone will accept her argument that the traits that made monsters dangerous "are actually their greatest strength[s]" and can be turned on their heads: "When you embrace your imperfection, your imperfection stops consuming you." Nearly every page, however, brings fresh insights into age-old myths or tragicomic observations on 21st-century womanhood: "How do you cope with a day that might include a guy catcalling you on your commute and a murderous cop going free and a nationwide attack on reproductive rights--and an army of Twitter trolls telling you that all of this is good, actually, and anti-fascism is the real fascism?" This book is excellent armor for the battle. A sparkling and perceptive critique of ancient ideas that still hold women back.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 11, 2021
In this wry and deeply personal essay collection, Electric Literature editor-in-chief Zimmerman (Basic Witches) uses the female-coded monsters of Greek mythology to explore the cultural constraints and contradictions of modern femininity. Pairing ancient archetypes with pop culture phenomena and intimate details of her romantic life, Zimmerman explores concepts of beauty and ugliness through the lens of the Medusa myth, and relates the archetype of the Chimera to the ways in which women “prune” themselves in order to fit stereotypical expectations of domesticity. Elsewhere, Zimmerman frames a discussion of abortion rights around an analysis of the child-killing sea monster Lamia, and links the Furies to the rage women felt in response to Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation. Occasionally, the book’s larger themes slip out of focus, as when an examination of the myth of Charybdis meanders through recollections of Zimmerman’s “weird relationship to food” when she was young, the four years she spent with “a man who wouldn’t fuck me,” and her second husband’s marriage proposal. For the most part, though, Zimmerman’s skillful pairing of ancient and modern, universal and personal, leads to nuanced discussions of how society suppresses female individuality. Zimmerman’s call for women to reclaim their own monstrosity rings loud and clear.

February 15, 2021
Calling on the ancient to shed light on the now, Zimmerman examines the ways in which the patriarchal customs of old still hold women back today and how, if women are monsters, that means they are powerful. Keeping with the trend of pairing research with personal revelations, she shares stories about her relationships, body image, and self-esteem, each story related to a Greek myth, such as the horror of women being seen as hungry paired with the ancient whirlpool known as Charybdis, consistently described as "voracious" and feared by all sailors. While Zimmerman admits not to being a classicist or to offer an "authentic" interpretation of the monsters she discusses, their still-resonant images are excellent stand-ins for problems women still face today. Sometimes you need a reminder that Charybdis, while able to be survived, could not be defeated. For lovers of mythology and modern feminism, Zimmerman marries the two and gives us insight into how we can harness our power today.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

March 1, 2021

Journalist Zimmerman's (Basic Witches) collection of powerful essays examines misogyny through the framework of Greek mythology, pinpointing how such stories were coded to reinforce patriarchal fears. In monsters like Lamia, Chimera, and Scylla, Zimmerman identifies the personification of traits that are threatening to men and male power. Ambition and desire--for food, sex, attention, or respect--are depicted in the voracious, man-devouring appetites of Charybdis or the Harpies' thievery. Women's bodies that do not conform to male standards of beauty are represented in the cursed gorgon Medusa. Zimmerman shows how the embodiment of these characteristics in mythic figures has allowed the patriarchy to sustain an equivalency between women's empowerment and that which is monstrous, dangerous, or unnatural. Worse yet, Zimmerman shows, women have subconsciously internalized these parallels and continue to alter their behavior to conform to standards acceptable to men. VERDICT While the personal experiences Zimmerman draws on are by no means universal, there is plenty here for any woman to relate to. Her wit and eloquence, as well as her understanding of these myths, make for persuasive and empowering reading that will have women embracing their inner monsters.--Sara Shreve, Newton, KS

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.