Erica

Cons are that it is a bit disjointed and quite vague. It should have been a memoir that inserted points of history... trying to market it as the history of not eating misplaced my expectations and then it was a disappointment because there is very little depth, no real order and it lacks interesting details. It is more about mentioning historical instances of not eating and then how the author feels about herself and fails to connect her feelings to the historical instances she brings up. The vagueness is the real culprit here as it becomes frustrating the more you read and crave real information. The obsession with Dr Cheyne distracted from the point rather than bolstering it as it is clear the author is trying hard to do.

Pros are that the way the author expresses her feelings surrounding diet culture and cultural expectations surrounding food are very relatable and she makes some observations that aren't really talked about (like the charade of not really eating even in so-called feminist or progressive circles as a signal of morality or goodness). Hamel-Akré has the writing chops to write an excellent memoir so those aspects of the text were compelling!

Some observations and truths that Krause posits via this book are profound and insightful but the overall “story” is hard to get through because it can be very weird in a bad way... strange rants, pessimistic vibes. It's truly worth reading but I wouldn't say it's enjoyable.

Very good and useful to read due to the sheer number of references general culture makes about this story but also SO TEDIOUS and quite boring. Hard to get through but worth the read!

Although I sort of expected more actual ancient tales and stories (my fault - I didn't read the back thoroughly) this book pleasantly surprised me with its in-depth historical following of these myths and creatures and how they help provide a history of women and their struggles surrounding pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood as well as how they interacted with men and the oppression they insisted upon throughout time. Since there is so little history related to women and their internal lives, it was fascinating to learn about their mindsets and positions via these creatures and stories. Highly recommend!!!

Somewhat dull & puritanical but when I got into it, I couldn't stop reading. I appreciated learning about the plight of women during that time period and found the writing to be compelling and beautiful.