Rating: 
Summary: ACS 200 Review
Review: "The Female Man" was a different kind of book. It is definitely science fiction and is about four different women. These women are all from different planets or worlds. Jeannine is about ready to get married, Janet is from a planet called Whileaway that consists of all women and no men, Joanna is a feminist in a man's world, and Jael is a warrior from an earth with men and women that are constantly fighting. The fact that they are from these different types of worlds makes it obviously a science fiction novel. In the book, the women all meet up and tell of different experiences that they have had. The book itself was a little confusing to follow. It was a little difficult to figure out who was telling the story. And some of the chapters inside each part didn't really make that much sense. It seemed like some of them, the ones that were really short like about ten lines or so, were just a bunch of words and did not seem like they really went with the story. But overall the story itself was not too bad of a story. This book was mainly about Feminism and the way women and men are in the world. The story made a pretty big deal about using the word "man" but refering also to women. That really relates to people today. Even though this book was written some twenty-five years ago, the whole feminism move with the words being used like mankind, is going on right now in the world with the big Feminism movement happening right now. This book was a little hard to follow, but overall it was not too bad of a story.
Rating: 
Summary: A fragmented feminist sci-fi tale
Review: "The Female Man," by Joanna Russ, is a mind-bending novel about alternate universes and time travel; the book is saturated with feminist doctrine. The book is written as a sort of collage of fragments which follow four women from alternate Earths. One of these worlds is an earth where human males have not existed for centuries, and women have developed an all-female culture. Another world is very much like late 20th century Earth, except that World War II never occured. As the book opens, one of Russ' characters makes the weird journey between parallel Earths.Interspersed throughout the story are tract-like explorations of femeinist doctrine. The best of these is a satire on the way in which women authors and their work are degraded and dismissed (perhaps Russ was cleverly anticipating her own critics, and blasting them beforehand). I don't think the execution of the book fully lives up to its marvelous premise. Sometimes it's shrill and obscure. Still, at its best "The Female Man" is witty, intelligent, and biting. And Russ' explanation of alternate universes and time travel is coherent and compelling. Overall, a thought-provoking book that is definitely not just for science fiction fans.
Rating: 
Summary: What do the women in Whileaway do with their hair? ¿
Review: ... They chop it off with clamshells. There was a time when speculative-fiction (or science-fiction, pick your term) was filled with writers who experimented and challenged the status quo. These writers, people like Harlan Ellison, Samuel Delaney, and Joanna Russ, are challenging, talented, and even funny when they want to be. If you are open minded, try reading them and their peers. That background out of the way, of all the books in the speculative fiction genre I've read, this is my favorite. First off, yes, "The Female Man" is a feminist book. Guys, getting scared off at this point would be a bad idea. Jeannine's tragic life is something anyone forced into a role they can't stand will identify with. Janet's life is hilarious and exhilarating, filled with Whileawayan philosophy and sayings. Jael, aka "Sweet Alice", lives in a world that is as dark as Jeannine's and as strange as Janet's, but she has the power to take control of it. Lastly, Joanna, the author's mouthpiece, is the glue that ties the other three women together. The book is entertaining and nearly impossible to put down. The humor is perfect and the feminist ideas presented by Russ are still relevant today. Be happy that Russ has the ability to fling her readers across time and space then shoot them back, because few can make a book this fun and yet this sad. Many of the reviews here on Amazon.com are from people who just don't seem to "get it". Russ and her peers didn't always write novels that were neat and orderly, and this one in particular can drive the close-minded insane. Russ' style is closer to a James Joyce than a Charlotte Perkins Gillman or an Isaac Asimov, so be willing to read this book on her terms and hers alone. If you can do that, there is little to fear. Russ is a rebel, and at one point in the novel she even predicts the negative reaction of literary critics on her book and provides examples of the reviews she believed they would write. Think about that for a minute, she put fake negative reviews for "The Female Man" in "The Female Man" itself to prove a point about our uptight society. That's just a classic moment, and when you see that it perfectly mingles with the rest of the content and doesn't upset the flow, you can bow before this great novel yourself.
Rating:
Summary: A Post-Modern Feminist Utopia
Review: A lot of people talk about the anger in this book, but what came across to me, was Russ' joy to be alive, and her intense frustration at all the garbage society puts in the way of living as she wants. I found this book in a used bookstore when I was 14 and it blew me away. The way she plays with style, and the way she punctures any and all assumptions about the world, was something I'd never seen before, and still haven't seen anywhere else. The only other feminist utopia book I've read is A Door Into Ocean, and even though that's a great book, I like The Female Man better. If I was stuck on a desert isle with only three books, this would be one of them.
Rating:
Summary: Super, thanks for asking
Review: A woman from a world without men. A feminist during the Women's Liberation in the 70s. A woman trying her best to fit in to her patriarchal society in the 60s. A female assassin from a period where men and women are warring against each other. What do they all have in common? Well, you'll have to read Joanna Russ' THE FEMALE MAN for the answer to that question, but you'll be glad you did. Russ' science fiction novel compares the lives of four women from parallel universes and their relations - or lack thereof - with men. Written during the height of the women's lib movement in 1975, The Female Man boldly attempts to reconsider our patriarchal society and to question woman's place in this world. I found this book extremely intelligent, entertaining, and thought-provoking. Russ created highly plausible and interesting characters with which I could relate and found believable. While much of the novel deals with feminist issues, it is done in a reasonable fashion and yet it creates controversy at the same time - a good duo in my opinion. I found Russ' writing style of jumping back and forth between character, narrator, and time period very confusing at first, but after a while I was able to catch on just fine. I really liked this method of telling the story because Russ allows you to enter into the mind of all the characters so as to get a different perspective on the same incident and to further one's understanding of the characters and events. I would highly recommend this book to anyone - male or female - who claims to like science fiction and especially those who say they do not - I'm converted!:-)
Rating: 
Summary: Confusing, disjointed
Review: Although I'm a man who is sympathetic to the feminist movement, I found this book confusing and disjointed.
Rating:
Summary: complex
Review: Complex, yes that describes the book well. In fact, unless one is highly intrigued by the concept of following several women through different times periods who are also perhaps the same woman (?), this may not be worth the work to read. A classic for its feminist view and controversial statements and images, I found it valuable to read but not enjoyable to read.
Rating:
Summary: An Eye Opener
Review: Have you ever been intrigued my feminist theories? Are you curious about the way in which society constructs gender? Do you enjoy novels that challenge the normal traditions in society? If so, The Female Man is the perfect novel for you! Joanna Russ in this wonderful novel directly deals with many feminist issues. Through the use of science fiction, she traces the life of a single woman through time and the way in which society directly has an impact on her gender roles. Joanna Russ has been heavily involved with the feminist movement herself and portrays many feminist theories in a believable, and eye opening way. Even if you are not familiar with any feminist theories, this book serves as an ideal introduction to many feminist ideas. In a society in which feminism is not accepted, Joanna Russ easily creates a story which would make anyone, male of female, believe that their is a need for the integration of feminist theory into society. The only downfall to the novel itself is the utilization of the stream of consciousness technique. At times, especially in the beginning of the novel, the reading can get a little heavy and confusing. It is very easy for the reader to be left confused. However, the overall writing style strikes emotions on a very personal level and for that I highly recommend the book!
Rating: 
Summary: Don't bother
Review: I didn't care for it. The constant shifts in perspective were disorienting. It mocked & criticized, without even suggesting solutions. I think some of the metaphor was too subtle for me (why is Whileaway surrounded and protected by giant talking gnats? I just don't get it) and that turned me off. The only "masculine" traits the author seemed to recognize were short temper and heartless & vicious violence. The only character close to likeable and human is Janet, but even she comes across as flat and dispassionate. Some parts were funny, but I don't think I'd recommend it to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: I can see why they are afraid
Review: I love this book so much, it is a great classic, and I can see full well why the techboyz hate it.
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