A big thanks to everyone who suggested books! Please know that just because your suggestion wasn’t taken, doesn’t mean that I haven’t taken notice of it, and put it on my list to be read and/or reviewed at a later date. With that in mind, this first round of the Book Challenge goes to:
Iron John: A Book About Men, by Robert Bly.
This book comes totally out of left field, so some snooping was in order. Below is the publisher’s synopsis:
“In this deeply learned book, poet and translator Robert Bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it is to be a man. Bly’s vision is based on his ongoing work with men and reflections on his own life. He addresses the devastating effects of remote fathers and mourns the disappearance of male initiation rites in our culture. Finding rich meaning in ancient stories and legends, Bly uses the Grimm fairy tale “Iron John,” in which the narrator, or “Wild Man,” guides a young man through eight stages of male growth, to remind us of archetypes long forgotten-images of vigorous masculinity, both protective and emotionally centered. Simultaneously poetic and down-to-earth, combining the grandeur of myth with the practical and often painful lessons of our own histories, Iron John is a rare work that will continue to guide and inspire men–and women–for years to come.”
I am intrigued. I’ve read a fair amount of Women’s Studies and feminist literature–especially within the last five years or so–and I think it will be interesting to see what “the other side” is dealing with. This book seems pretty different from anything I’ve read and experienced, and I’m excited to see what I’ll learn.
And if he turns out to be a chauvinistic d-bag, I’ll chuck him and go back to talking about better books.
Keep an eye out for the review, coming up April 21st!