Vagina

The first 130 pages are a must read. The rest, well... the way Wolf writes is neurotic, irritating, and supremely heteronormative.

But the first half is great!

Slow going—and how I wish I meant that in a sensual way—but still, wow.

This is a powerful book. If you have a vagina, or interact (even nonsexually) with anyone who does, you will find many parts of this book valuable. Wolf aims to craft a comprehensive reference work covering all aspects physiological, neurological, historical, cultural, and intimately personal; I'm not sure she's achieved it, but it's still a masterful accomplishment and I'm hopeful that perhaps a second edition could improve on it. Until then, though, please don't let my gripes deter you from reading it: there's a wealth of material packed into scarcely over 300 pages; much of it new even to someone who considers himself well-informed, such as the evidence linking orgasm with increased creativity and expression; much of it (necessarily) painful—there's a long and brutal section on rape that should be required college reading—and most of the book is deeply moving. It's just... I found it uncohesive. Streams of thought left incomplete; jumps in topic; and a tendency to digress into laundry lists of lost historical, literary, cultural, artistic perceptions of the divine feminine, many of which provided helpful insights, but their length and exhaustiveness was overwhelming; it felt almost OCD-level and I found myself recoiling each time I encountered another one.

Those are all quibbles from someone with none of Wolf's talent, and once again I'd like to stress that the book is worth reading: there's really so much in it! I love Wolf's willingness to tackle sensitive subjects, by which I don't mean “female topics”—I mean looking at clichés and politically-correct myths, at Eastern “woo”, shining light on some of the corners we're often too uncomfortable to explore, finding (scientifically validated) truth in some, none in others, yet always discussing with honest curiosity and frankness. I loved her unwavering commitment toward and belief in building a non-zerosum world in which respect for women diminishes noone. Love her explorations of sexual healing and her blunt recognition that pleasure has its place in life. Aside from the occasional here's-what-the-ancients-had-to-say slogs, I love her voice: intimate, candid. It's like she's bringing you along on her exploration.

This was a library read; I am likely to buy my own copy for later highlighting and reference. There are parts I'd like to review again.