500 Great Books by Women: A Reader's Guide (Paperback)

~ (Author), Jesse Larsen (Author), Holly Smith (Author)
Key Phrases: Great Books, World War, Native American (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

An indispensable and extremely well-organized treasure map to literature by women. Contains brief reviews of 500 books by women, and seven cross-referenced indexes to identify books by author, title, genre, topic, and even country of book content. Highly recommended!

From Library Journal

The editors of this work-one is a teacher, one a writer, and one a women's bookstore owner-clearly love to read, are committed to promoting women's writing, and want to provide a useful guide for readers of similar inclination. The editors, along with some 30 contributors, have written brief descriptions (about 200 words) of 500 selected books. To be included, books had to be written by a woman and be in prose, in print, and in English (or in translation). The editors selected books they personally loved that represent multicultural and international perspectives. The entries are arranged thematically, including sections for art, family, identity, work, and 15 additional themes. The selections are somewhat unexpected, but they do include at least one sampling of the most acclaimed women writers (e.g., Angelou, Morrison, Weldon, and Oates). Recommended for public and academic libraries.
Denise Johnson, Bradley Univ. Lib., Peoria, Ill.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics); First Paperback Edition edition (December 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140175903
• ISBN-13: 978-0140175905
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #253,108 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Open this book to find more wonderful books, September 3, 2000

By	Patricia A. Powell (gladstone, nj USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After reading some of the negative reviews posted on this book, I found myself compelled to respond. I am not sure how to define a great book. And clearly, anyone having the audacity to draw up an unconventional list of great books is asking for criticism.

o Is Jane Austin as good as writer as Stendhal? o Are the Bronte sisters as important as Dickens? o Is Edith Wharton as interesting as Thomas Mann?

Some people see these as an important choices. As a reader, I find myself drawn to them all, and drawn to lists that expand on what I've already read. If you want a standard list of good reading there are plenty around. Try the "New Lifetime Reading Plan" compiled by Clifton Fadiman and John S. Major. For fun you could read "Great Books" by David Denby. (He's a baby boomer writing about revisiting the classics by re-taking 2 courses in humanities and literature at Columbia University.)

I, however, prefer not to choose. The feminine voices in 500 GBBW are additions to, and not replacements for those other great books. Reading has always been a way to reach across time, and culture, to make us feel as, and for someone else, and to hear about something we have not or cannot experience. Excellent translations have given access to the words of Allende as well Homer.

Some have made this an issue of political correctness. If listening to a different voice that happens to be feminine is political correctness, then three cheers for PC. If you want to stay out of political correctness, but want to find and revisit some truly wonderful books, try "500 Great Books by Women".

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Beginning... but some Flaws, May 29, 1998

By A Customer

This book is a start to finding some excellent books written by women. And the synopses of the 500 books were well-written and quite enticing. However, some of the selections seemed arbitrary. Though the authors make no claims of being all-inclusive (which they couldn't be, anyway), it seemed too much like the books were chosen on the authors' personal opinions alone. (See Booklist's review above.)

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FOR ALL AVID READERS, March 16, 2004

By	Jackie (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This is a must buy for all serious readers of women's works. Since PRINCESS was required reading in my high school class, its been my favorite book, and I was pleased to see that the contributors recognized the "can't put it down" greatness of this modern day story about a Saudi Arabian princess. Then I saw LITTLE WOMEN, a favorite book from my childhood... This book not only introduced me to authors I was unaware of, but verified my own favorites, LOUISA MAY ALCOTT and JEAN SASSON and MARY SHELLY. I'm checking them off one by one. I hope these writers provide us with a sequel.