GSWS Feminist Book Club - February 2023

GSWS Feminist Book Club's February Book:

All’s Well

Mona Awad

Simon & Schuster

Average rating: 4/5 stars.

Although the average rating of the book is a high 4, some people felt strongly about not liking it, which sparked an engaging and interesting discussion. Some of us did not find it entertaining, and many of us found the events toward the middle of the book boring and repetitive. However, some readers loved how the book's structure contributed to the plot; how Miranda, who is in chronic pain and constantly complains, came across as unlikable to us as readers, which cleverly made us complicit as her audience, "watching her play" unfold. We liked the theatrical aspects of the book (literally and figuratively). We also loved the commentary on various social issues. We were reminded of an earlier book we discussed, The Power by Naomi Alderman, and debated the question of power in women's lives, including whether men held all the power in Miranda's life and, by extension, women's lives in this patriarchal society. We had many theories about this book, especially about its ambiguous ending and the endless possibilities it leaves open (and whether all's well that ends well!)