For its time, this is a fabulous book- breaking the boundaries and definitions that had held the women of the 1800s in thrall. However, as with much feminist literature, it tends to serve more as an attack on the masculine in society than a liberation for women. The pendulum is now turning to the other end, with more women in graduate studies than men, and the working mother taking over the workplace. Now is not the time or the place for feminist rhetoric, but appreciating the fact that it was seminal in the process of bringing women to the place they are now is valuable.

I do not consider myself to be a typical reader of this genre by any stretch of the imagination. That said, I’ve never had so many of my intangible thoughts and experiences articulated so clearly. Simone de Beauvoir speaks on such specific generalizations that it feels impossible for her words to be accurate, but she simply did not miss a beat. This was a push to read all the way through, but I’m glad I did…

The Second Sex is a behemoth of an analysis on female otherness—childhood, adolescence, marriage, abortion, motherhood, etc. Every chapter hit me with painful truths that I probably never would have identified otherwise. Each time I had a reading session of this, I felt seen on a level I actually did not know was possible. I’d recommend everyone make this a reading project at some point—the relief & understanding it exposes is otherworldly despite that it’s not particularly delightful to read.

I read this in the 1980s I remember particularly how male authors portray women characters as some kind of weird other. I knew guys (when I was a guy) who really otherized women. I never understood this frame of mind maybe it is a life experience or maybe it is being a trans woman that patriarchy is BS and otherizing women on some kind of pedestal or as the weaker sex always felt fake. It just struck me as stupid not to recognize the humanity of half the population,

If we reversed all reality and studied this book as much as the Bible and studied the Bible as much as this book we would probably be in a much better place.

Also; I thought this would be dense and impenetrable. It’s not. It’s long, but easy to understand. SdB has a tirelessly clever mind and sense of humor that shines through and keeps you curious. The hardest part is fighting the desire to send quotes/excerpts to spouses/friends.

What an incredible work! An enormous task, to take on the entire history of womankind from biology to psychology, literature, religion, mythology. She explores every phase of a woman's life from birth to menopause. The sheer size of this book (2 volumes!) provokes anxiety and its contents will make you fume with rage, nod in agreement, laugh, cry, question, dare to hope and try to understand why it is that man thinks woman an 'inessential being’ ‘a subspecies destined uniquely for reproduction.’ Basically, man and woman were created equal (we both endure the same organic troubles) - man didn’t agree with nature though, because he thought himself a God and he resented his mother for reducing him to flesh. And so he sought to dominate nature/woman. He saw himself as active, her as passive and once he realised he could conquer her by ‘ploughing her furrow', so to speak, he did. With impunity. Men wrote her history and defined her in relation to himself. Then he called her neurotic for not being able to cope with the contradictions he set for her: she is both idol & servant, Eve & the Virgin, good & bad, love & hatred, wife & prostitute; divorce is legal & then it isn’t; abortion is legal then criminal when the foetus inherits a soul; the unmarried woman has no social dignity and hides in the shadow of her paternal family or in a convent; the married woman is a slave, but she sits on a throne!; men only want to marry virgins, but wait, if no-one else has deflowered her there must be something wrong with her! (Ahhhhhhhhhhh!) Her debasement was the quickest way to ensure his superiority. The subjugation of women was necessary for society to progress, apparently. But all I can think of is how much further along we’d be if both sexes were afforded the same privileges. After reading (most of) the book, the very notion of one sex being superior to another baffles/infuriates/perplexes me. It’s kindergarten stuff and it sounds like fear to me; fear and desire - the desire to control to conquer to possess. Why can't he just let her 'be'?
What I find not only infuriating but depressing is where this fear leaves women. Just as a young girl is coming into her own, ready not just to take on the world but take charge of it: her femininity, her identity in relation to man, her inferiority means that many of her hopes and aspirations will go unsatisfied. Equality is the only intelligent way to progress but as Simone puts forward in her conclusion: 'Few men wish to see women accomplish themselves. Those who scorn her do not see what they would have to gain and those who cherish her see too well what they have to lose.'
Credit is also due to the translators Borde and Malovany-Chevallier.
Make no mistake, this is a difficult read, I'd recommend checking it out of the library every now and then, it's a lot to take on in one go. Fascinating.