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The Man Who Hated Women: Sex, Censorship, and Civil Liberties in the Gilded Age
Maybe someday
31
/100
I Index Overall Rating
Readers
22/100Critics
39/100Scholars
Author:
Amy Sohn
Publisher:
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Date:
July 6, 2021
The author of novels such as Motherland and Prospect Park West offers a narrative history about Anthony Comstock, the U.S. Postal Inspector who tried to root out "obscenity" by cracking down on female activists seeking to raise awareness about sex, contraception, and women's bodily autonomy.
What The Reviewers Say
Ms. Sohn...makes a very successful transition to feminist historian. There is irony but little humor in her compelling, well-researched exploration of these pioneers, who faced jail time because they promoted contraception, gender equality, sexual education and a woman’s right to sexual pleasure.
By any standard, this is a fascinating group of women. Sohn is a vivid writer with an eye for detail, and she is clearly inspired by her subjects’ fervent beliefs and dramatic lives.
... fascinating.
The Man Who Hated Women, Amy Sohn’s lively new book, spotlights eight women who challenged Comstock with their writings and actions.
