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Hags
- The Demonisation of Middle-Aged Women
- Narrated by: Victoria Smith
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
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Summary
'Devastating and clever' BEL MOONEY, DAILY MAIL
'Could not be more necessary' RACHEL COOKE, OBSERVER
What is about women in their forties and beyond that seems to enrage - almost everyone?
In the last few years, as identity politics have taken hold, middle-aged women have found themselves talked and written about as morally inferior beings: the face of bigotry, entitlement and selfishness, to be ignored, pitied or abused.
In Hags, Victoria Smith asks why these women are treated with such active disdain. Each chapter takes a different theme - care work, beauty, violence, political organization, sex - and explores it in relation to middle-aged women's beliefs, bodies, histories and choices. Smith traces the attitudes she describes through history, and explores the very specific reasons why this type of misogyny is so very now. The result is a book that is absorbing, insightful, witty and bang on time.
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- Mrs Tanya Card
- 30-07-23
The moment I recognised myself
This is such an important book. Do I only think it's important because I am now an invisible middle-aged hag? Maybe, but I like to think that if it had been recommended to me in one of my younger incarnations of feminism, I would have read it and not dismissed it.
I plan to pass it on to some of the younger women I know...
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2 people found this helpful
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- Ellie
- 11-05-23
Important book
Brilliant and important book I will be recommending and gifting to the other hags in my life.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Ms. Kathleen A. Ritchie
- 05-10-23
Food for thought.
I found bits of the book interesting but also found the narrators voice quite wearing unfortunately.
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- dm
- 21-10-23
Well researched and written
Very well written and now that I have listened feel like I need to read it also. All women should read this.
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- elizabeth tomlinson
- 14-03-24
Brilliant. Sadly this book makes so much sense.
This extremely perceptive book explains much about the lot of women, not least the divide and rule tactics of the patriarchy that so many of us, including myself, fell prey to when younger.
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- MommaBear
- 03-03-23
Saying Out Loud....
Listened to this once so far but will be listening to it a few more times to take in everything but just wanted to say it was wonderful to read 'out loud' what am sure most of us 'Hags' have thought as we hit 'haghood'. Young women should read/listen to this and at least take note of what is said even if they feel like the author when she was younger that what is being said is not applicable to them. An honest and open book - don't want to say too much and spoil it for others. I think all men should be made to read this as well - some will of course still look at older women with disgust and waste of space but hopefully some will realise their mums and other older females in their lives still have plenty to offer them and everyone.
Listening to another book to cleanse the palate and then will give it a second listen and will update this review if I feel I can add to it.
This old 'Hag' definitely recommends it.
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10 people found this helpful
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- Irene
- 01-06-23
A timely study of the real life of women
Hugely important. Victoria Smith succinctly and painfully reminds women of a certain age of how they too once thought they could escape the fate of their elders, as well as being hugely empathetic and supportive to the next generation of young women when history inevitably repeats itself.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Hypatia
- 23-09-23
A Must Read for every woman (and man)!
Shocking in its truth-telling, hard-hitting, but down-to-Earth spot-on accurate! Misogyny sadly has always been; it constantly re-invents itself with different language, politics, and tactics. It evolves and moves through time, but has always been there.
Women will overcome it, of course. However, vigilance against the severing of inter-generational feminist communications and knowledge will be what sees us through and is of the utmost importance!
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- Jessica, London
- 16-05-23
A sober reflection on how patriarchy divides generations of women
The depth of the analysis and the insights in this sometimes made me catch my breath. It is revelatory. I’m going to have to get the book as well because I know I will need to refer to the analysis in it in future because it has pricked my consciousness so many times. Overall it’s a fantastic contribution to feminist thought.
I can’t fault the narration either, the author speaks with an engaging tone and at a pace I was content with.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 08-05-23
An Important and Valuable Work
This is essential reading/listening for anyone interested in feminism. Smith’s writing is razor sharp and cuts straight to the bone, while remaining balanced and well researched.
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3 people found this helpful