Herland and Selected Stories by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Rating:
Summary: A woman ahead of her time
Review: In her Utopian novel Herland, written in 1915, Charlotte Perkins Gilman anticipates many of the problems of the 20th century, from pollution to over-population. Essentially a work of science fiction, the novel portrays a culture developed in isolation that has focused on principles of love, sharing, nuturing, reason and continuous improvement. While not great literature, Herland offers fascinating insights into a rational approach to designing a society. The Signet Classic edition also contains 20 intriguing short stories written from a feminist perspective. This is the book I will be giving at the holidays! It deserves a wider audience.

Rating:
Summary: There is little action and much philosophizing.
Review: We read that theirs is a perfect society but there are no particulars about health,, education, child-rearing, or politics. The author seems to be saying that only without men or sex can we achieve a Utopian culture. It was much more a treatise on feminism than a novel with 3-dimensional characters and an interesting story line.