The Sunday Read: 'On Female Rage'

In 'Be Fierce', Gretchen Carlson shares her personal experiences and those of thousands of women who have faced sexual harassment. The book serves as a guide for both men and women to combat harassment, emphasizing the need for societal change and collective action. It highlights the pervasive nature of harassment across various professions and encourages readers to speak out and challenge the status quo.

In 'The Uses of Anger: Women Responding to Racism,' Audre Lorde discusses how anger can be a transformative tool for women across racial lines. She argues that by acknowledging and utilizing anger constructively, women can challenge patriarchal and racist structures. Lorde emphasizes the importance of confronting and learning from anger rather than fearing or suppressing it, as it can lead to empowerment and change.

Good Morning, Midnight is a 1939 novel by Jean Rhys, following Sasha Jansen, a middle-aged English woman, as she navigates her past and present in Paris. The novel explores themes of loneliness, depression, and the societal pressures faced by women. It is known for its experimental design and poignant portrayal of human vulnerability.

Wide Sargasso Sea is a novel by Jean Rhys that delves into the life of Antoinette Cosway, a Creole heiress who becomes the 'madwoman in the attic' in Charlotte Brontë's 'Jane Eyre'. The novel explores themes of identity, colonialism, and feminism, set against the backdrop of post-emancipation Jamaica. It provides a powerful exploration of the racial and cultural conflicts that contribute to Antoinette's tragic fate.

The Bell Jar is a thinly veiled autobiography that follows Esther Greenwood, a talented and ambitious college student, as she experiences a mental breakdown. The novel begins with Esther's unfulfilling summer internship as a guest editor for a women's magazine in New York City, where she grapples with identity and societal norms. Upon returning home, Esther's mental health deteriorates, leading to several suicide attempts and eventual hospitalization. The novel explores her treatment, including electroconvulsive therapy, and her gradual recovery under the care of a progressive psychiatrist. It also critiques the limited roles available to women in the 1950s and the brutal psychiatric treatments of the time.

Great Expectations is a classic novel by Charles Dickens that chronicles the life of Pip, a young orphan living in the marshes of Kent. The story begins with Pip's encounter with an escaped convict, Abel Magwitch, which sets off a chain of events that changes his life. Pip inherits a large fortune from an anonymous benefactor, which he uses to become a gentleman. However, his journey is marked by his unrequited love for Estella, the adopted daughter of the eccentric Miss Havisham, and his eventual discovery that his benefactor is not who he expected. The novel explores themes of social class, love, rejection, and the search for true identity, set against the backdrop of early 19th-century England.