Men Explain Things to Me

By: Rebecca Solnit

Narrated by: Luci Christian Bell

In Men Explain Things to Me, Rebecca Solnit takes on the conversations between men who wrongly assume they know things and wrongly assume women don't. The ultimate problem, she shows in her comic, scathing essay, is female self-doubt and the silencing of women. Writer, historian, and activist Rebecca Solnit is the author of 14 books about civil society, popular power, uprisings, art, environment, place, pleasure, politics, hope, and memory, most recently The Faraway Nearby, a book on empathy and storytelling. She is a Harper's Magazine contributing editor.

©2014 Rebecca Solnit (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Great book, terrible narration

This book turned out to be so much more than playful anecdotes about male condescension. Men Explain Things to Me was a powerful account of the state of women's affairs nationally, here in our back yard, and throughout the world.

Unfortunately, I felt the narration and delivery were completely inappropriate and did not do this book justice. Bell read off soul crushing statistics and tales of rape with a bubbly cheerfulness that made me cringe. It was painful to get through this audio book for that reason, making me wish I'd just read it the old fashioned way...on my Kindle :)

An overall change in perspective

Although I did not give it five stars overall- the story is worth five if not more. There are a lot of hard-hitting topics that drive the point home and covers the entire spectrum of female inferiority in today's culture and society. There were some stats that were hard to stomach and almost made me want to stop reading but ultimately the message was worth it. These are unpleasant truths that need to be told and read and understood by all.

On a very separate random note unless I hear the narratoris voice doing the audio recording; I feel like I tend to not like the books more with a different narrator. It's almost as if a friend was telling an acquaintance my story but passing it off as their own- there's a kind of ingenuity that isn't there.

Otherwise great book and I will definitely listen to it again to catch anything I may have missed while being squeamish!

suspend any presumption and actively listen

This is a great short book. Written by a person with knowledge on the subject and clearly articulated points. This was a difficult read for me. Because it required that I presume nothing keep and open mind and critically explore what role I have played, am playing and will play in the future as a man. A great read.

I learned a lot about Virginia Wolf

Perhaps it is because I am behind the ball on reading this literature. This is an important analysis about how US and global culture have social norms that are detrimental to women and foment violence. However, the first 10 minutes do much to explain this premise. The essay did not need to be thinking. Then it shifts rather dramatically in to a discourse on Virginia Wolf as feminist. I have to admit that I did learn things that make me want to read Wolf's work. However, the disconnection across the essay was at times appalling. There are places where the racial lens was weak. I really disliked the narrator who sounded robotic at times. Now, I am trying to figure out whether I can digest the second essay which goes in to pregnancy. Nonetheless, I am finding myself checking in to ensure that I am not playing in to anti-feminist narratives. So it was a provocative listen in that way.

VERY important book; APPALLING narration

The subject matter of this book is very interesting and important.
How on earth this narrator was chosen to read this book is beyond comprehension.
The sing song ridiculously babbling, baby talking voice is absurd and ludicrous. She sounds like a game show host telling people the delightful items they’ve won.
I find the tone of voice to be demeaning. Demeaning to women AND men AND the serious messages contained in the book.
The voice is a contraindication to the words that she is reading.

Worst choice of narration in the history of audible

A brilliant essay about the pervasive harms of gender inequality, microaggressions, and the structural violence of patriarchy … narrated by a perky, cheerful Barbie voice. I tried really hard not to judge but honestly the narration is so obnoxious and jarringly, aggressively perky that listening to this essay in that voice became impossible. I finished it on my own, a paper copy. A total disservice has been done to this crucially important text.

Interesting, but not too much new info.

I expected more instances of 'mansplaining' in the essay, but the author departs from that premise after the first chapter. While the points she brings up are valid, unfortunately there's not too much new information here, and I feel like other authors have captured these concepts in a much more engaging way. It is short, though, so I'd still recommend it as a quick read.

We should all hear this once a year

We should all hear this once a year. Women's rights are human rights. This book is important. We need to be reminded that we actually have less rights than when this book was written and it was bad then. A reminder not to stand for the death by a thousand cuts or the one that actually slits your throat.... by who? Men. Really. It's always men.

Beginner

It really seemed like it was trying to convince me to become a feminist when I've already been one for many years. It also did not take into account intersectionality at all. Felt like something a freshman woman's studies class would read.

Easy, well researched feminist critique

Enjoyed and valued the text; pieces delineating the warning women should be required reading and rereading. Did not enjoy the sound of the voice actor. Found her voice opposite to the text many times-soft, sweet, even delivery when the text confronting brutality, inequity, righteous anger. The piece framed by V.Woolfe seemed unnecessarily long and unexpectedly single-minded. Good writing, important content