Title: Siren Land Author: Norman Douglas * A Project Gutenberg of Australia eBook * eBook No. Or had been left there by shipwrecked mariners of modern days; how it came about that they multiplied to the exclusion of every other living thing; what manner of food was theirs--whether, anthropophagous-wise, they preyed.
I must say that I've never read a book that was more empowering as a woman while at the same time not taking itself too seriously. It is a wonderful read that is fun yet informative, and most of all utterly fascinating. I was riveted by the women whose lives were highlighted. I appreciated how White grouped the 'Sirens,' with each one offering a 'lesson,' while interspersing their tales with wonderful and relevant quotes. But even more, I loved gleaning from their stories and learning how to best I must say that I've never read a book that was more empowering as a woman while at the same time not taking itself too seriously. It is a wonderful read that is fun yet informative, and most of all utterly fascinating.
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I was riveted by the women whose lives were highlighted. I appreciated how White grouped the 'Sirens,' with each one offering a 'lesson,' while interspersing their tales with wonderful and relevant quotes.
But even more, I loved gleaning from their stories and learning how to best accentuate the fabulous parts of me, to bring them out in the best possible light. To strut my inner Siren. I was continually inspired. This is a beautiful book, coming across almost like an art book, making one feel a bit luscious and indulgent. And, well, fabulous in the process of reading. I highly recommend it to the women in your life who need to realize the Siren she is. Live it, girls!
I checked out Simply Irresistible from the library mostly because I was curious about which 'famous and infamous' women in history would be included in the text. In that aspect, I was not disappointed. The women discussed are well-varied, ranging from Cleopatra to Angelina Jolie. However, this book only escapes receiving a two-star rating because I was able to ignore Ellen T. White's frankly terrible advice and pretend that I was just reading a book full of interesting tidbits about some of the I checked out Simply Irresistible from the library mostly because I was curious about which 'famous and infamous' women in history would be included in the text.
In that aspect, I was not disappointed. The women discussed are well-varied, ranging from Cleopatra to Angelina Jolie. However, this book only escapes receiving a two-star rating because I was able to ignore Ellen T. White's frankly terrible advice and pretend that I was just reading a book full of interesting tidbits about some of the most fascinating women that history has to offer. The first section of Simply Irresistible covers what White calls the 'siren stereotypes': The Goddess, the Companion, the Sex Kitten, the Competitor, and the Mother. Personally, there's quite a lot about this section (and the rest of the book, but particularly this section) that I found sexist.
While she never comes right and out and says it, Ms. White continually implies that intelligent women cannot be sirens. For example, she states that a Sex Kitten like Marilyn Monroe would never EVER be caught doing things like 'balancing a checkbook' or 'Beginning a conversation with, 'Studies show that.' (OK, so that's an admittedly boring way to start a conversation, but what's the message here?) She tries to backtrack while later discussing how Clare Boothe Luce's intelligence helped her land a man-but then states, 'A smart women without 'central heating' undercuts her Siren goals.' What a classic stereotype-women can't be warm and sensual if they're too busy being intelligent. Bitch please. I know from personal experience that it's possible to be sensual and intelligent at the same time.
On a similar note, something else that bothered me was White's insistence that male/female double standards simply don't exist if you ignore them. Honey, that isn't how it works. Double standard doesn't mean that men can sleep around and women are somehow physically incapable of it. It means that when men sleep around they get rewarded, and when women sleep around they get demonized. And that will happen whether you ignore it or not. There were little things that irked me too.
For example, White spends the entirety of her section on Nicole Kidman arguing that women can only be sexy if they have long hair. I won't argue against the sex appeal of long hair, but I've also met some pretty devastatingly sexy women with bobs and pixies. While attempting to counsel on how to be 'wild in bed', White proffers up the stellar advice, 'Offer to tape it for the internet.' I hope that I don't have to explain why this made my jaw drop. Once, she makes a reference to 'the author of Pride and Prejudice' instead of saying 'Jane Austen.' That just annoyed me.
While the women analyzed in Simply Irresistible were undoubtedly compelling, I unfortunately cannot say the same about the author. She is obviously attempting to be some kind of hip, sexy champion of girl power, but she just comes off as a proponent of the idea that a woman's only power should be her sex appeal, and strangely jealous of intelligent women who can pull off short hair. I am not entirely sure why I read this whole thing, unless it was out of a sense of curiosity so to whether or not the author could continue saying such bizarre things. The answer is yes, yes, she could and did.
Not a book for feminists, as the whole idea behind the book is fitting into one of the 'archetypes' described and apparently making men fall all over themselves to have you. Also avoid if you aren't straight: although the author profiles several bisexual/queer women, their interest in th I am not entirely sure why I read this whole thing, unless it was out of a sense of curiosity so to whether or not the author could continue saying such bizarre things. The answer is yes, yes, she could and did. Not a book for feminists, as the whole idea behind the book is fitting into one of the 'archetypes' described and apparently making men fall all over themselves to have you. Also avoid if you aren't straight: although the author profiles several bisexual/queer women, their interest in the same gender is dismissed in a phrase or two. Unless she's using Collette to illustrate how turned on guys are by 'switch-hitting.' Oh, and with the exception of Josephine Baker, pretty much everyone covered is white.
The profiles of the famous historical figures are interesting and well written, so you might want to pick it up if you can handle a hefty dose of wtfery along with them. Not only was this book witty, humorous, tongue in cheek, informative, interesting, fascinating, and totally enjoyable, but it was absolutely gorgeous to flip through. Unlike the book you don't have to be drop dead gorgeous, although that doesn't hurt, to be a siren, you only need to use all the femininity that you have inside. Ellen gives some wonderful examples of ancient and modern sirens and how they used their feminine wiles to the fullest. While each of these sirens are completely different Not only was this book witty, humorous, tongue in cheek, informative, interesting, fascinating, and totally enjoyable, but it was absolutely gorgeous to flip through. Unlike the book you don't have to be drop dead gorgeous, although that doesn't hurt, to be a siren, you only need to use all the femininity that you have inside.
Ellen gives some wonderful examples of ancient and modern sirens and how they used their feminine wiles to the fullest. While each of these sirens are completely different they do have some common ground.they absolutely love men (which is such a fun adventure in itself) and then they magnified who they are through the lens of their own unique femininity. In order to emulate such siren's as Carole Lombard, Mae West, Marilyn Monroe, Sarah Bernhart or my favorite Nigella Lawson all women have to do is be confident in who they are, realize that being a woman and all that entails is the best come hither we have and then be true to ourselves. I read this in a day I just couldn't put it down, I was having too much fun. 'One of the best things about love is just recognizing a man's step when he climbs the stairs'-Colette 'A woman can be beautiful at twenty, charming at forty, and irresistible all her life.' -Coco Chanel 'Age cannot wither her,/nor custom stale/ Her infinite variety:/ other women cloy/The appetites they feed,/but she makes hungry/ Where most she satisfies:/ for vilest things/ become themselves in her.' -Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra 'Noel Coward wrote that it was strange how potent cheap music can be; the same-in a different sphere-holds true in the kitchen.'
-Nigella Lawson 'Cooking is not about applying heat, procedure, method, but about the transformation of a more intimate kind.' -Nigella Lawson 'Whenever a gifted male artist has embraced his Muse he has in fact made a woman appear in the art.It is not the man speaking through the woman; it is the woman speaking through the man.' -Arlene Croce 'I used to be Snow White but I drifted.' ' I generally avoid temptations unless I can't resist it.' 'When choosing between two evils, I always like to take the one I've never tried before.' -Mae West 'If God wanted us to think with our wombs, why did he give us a brain?' -Clare Boothe Luce.
Review for The Bookshelf Reviews (bookshelfreviews.blogspot.com) A how-to-seduce history guide. Definitely a unique concept, you have to give White that. Author White delivers a comprehensive guide to a millennia's worth of 'Sirens', or women who knew how to use their feminine (and sometimes masculine) wiles to land the men (yes, plural) they desired (or perhaps didn't). A very original concept, sure, but the supposed 'lessons' derived from history's women are little more than tidbits on how to ge Review for The Bookshelf Reviews (bookshelfreviews.blogspot.com) A how-to-seduce history guide. Definitely a unique concept, you have to give White that. Author White delivers a comprehensive guide to a millennia's worth of 'Sirens', or women who knew how to use their feminine (and sometimes masculine) wiles to land the men (yes, plural) they desired (or perhaps didn't).
A very original concept, sure, but the supposed 'lessons' derived from history's women are little more than tidbits on how to get men lusting after you. Handy if you picture yourself falling in and out of beds with people whose name(s) escape you, but not ideal for any woman who's dreamt of the pure white wedding. The enthralling parts of the book can be found solely in the history lessons - safe to say, extra-marital affairs are much more taboo today than they were a few centuries back. But the 'tips' provided in addition to the stories come off as forced and trite. While Greg Behrendt's 'He's Just Not That Into You' relies on a woman's own self-confidence to weed out the frogs from the princes, Irresistible utilizes a woman's self-confidence to land both the frogs and the princes in the sack.
Perfectly fine if you're 'sowing your wild oats', but not so if a committed relationship is what you are seeking. The excerpts regarding in-the-bedroom experimentation may help spice up a marriage, but that's as far as the aid extends. If you wish to examine the lives of seductresses of modern day and yore, go ahead and pick up this book. But this is no relationship guide for the ages. This is a book about seduction. It's actually a how-to guide. It divides women into distinct archetypes, gives real life examples of each (Winston Churchill's mother and grandmother, Mae West, Veronica Franco, Carole Lombard, etc.) and then offers tips on how to embody the archetype that is you.
Modern Siren Free
Because every woman has one. There's even a few helpful quizzes to find out which you are.
The goddess, the companion, the sex kitten, the mother, the competitor. I'm a companion/sex kitten. Anyway, I lo This is a book about seduction. It's actually a how-to guide. It divides women into distinct archetypes, gives real life examples of each (Winston Churchill's mother and grandmother, Mae West, Veronica Franco, Carole Lombard, etc.) and then offers tips on how to embody the archetype that is you. Because every woman has one.
There's even a few helpful quizzes to find out which you are. The goddess, the companion, the sex kitten, the mother, the competitor. I'm a companion/sex kitten.
Anyway, I love books on human interaction and because it's categories are so distinct, it actually helped me with my own writing. Suddenly I was able to archetype my heroines and see 'well, if this is the way they are, then they're more likely to do this than that.' Also, it's a fun book. And now I have a whole bunch of female role models I didn't even know I had. For realsies, Lady Randolf Churchill was awesome. It was both an indulgent pleasure to read about those historical sirens (who can be interpreted variously, but just so happen to be esteemed as 'sirens' here), and a kind of shameful and tiresome affair at the same time.
Modern Day Sirens
I didn't feel in the least bit empowered about being asked to find my 'siren archetype' and draw inspiration from these woman who supposedly, for the most part, devoted so much energy to being attractive to men. I found it to be reductionist in its treatment women's empowerment, It was both an indulgent pleasure to read about those historical sirens (who can be interpreted variously, but just so happen to be esteemed as 'sirens' here), and a kind of shameful and tiresome affair at the same time. I didn't feel in the least bit empowered about being asked to find my 'siren archetype' and draw inspiration from these woman who supposedly, for the most part, devoted so much energy to being attractive to men. I found it to be reductionist in its treatment women's empowerment, but then, this isn't really a book about empowerment - or at least, only a very narrow and limiting empowerment, which is kind of an oxymoron.