It IS a wonderful insight into the dilemmas of being a woman, of the differences and conflicts between the sexes, and of what it means to really grow up and be a whole person. It's about a woman finding her own identity, and while the details of path she took to get there ARE rather dated, the journey itself is as pertinent today as it ever was.

It more than redeemed itself, and I'm glad I stuck with it. I kept thinking, thank goodness the pendulum has swung back from that extreme into some sanity! In the end though it didn't go where I feared it would. I thought it was heading for all kinds of extreme endorsements- live in communes, forsake all commitments, want nothing more from life than perpetual free sex and empty 'freedom'. At first I kept myself going by telling myself how good it was to see how far we'd really come since then. This woman just seemed disgustingly whiney, neurotic, and childish. I've never felt oppressed or smothered by anyone. I am happy in my marriage, my interpersonal relationships, and my self-image. My generation is very different from hers. I was completely unable to relate to her. However, as I listened I found I really despised the main character. So, I finally decided I should fill in this gap in my literary repertoir and 'read' it for myself. I had heard that it was a seminal feminist book. I had a memory of this book on my (feminist) mother's bookshelf, and of being titillated by the racey cover. I have always considered myself a modern, liberated woman.

The fear of flying erica jong