5 Feminist Novels You Should Add To Your Reading List

Literary works remain one of the most important sources of documented history by capturing the ethos of a bygone time. Literature can ensure that often marginalised voices do not remain unheard and forgotten. And engaging novels can only add to the feminist literary oeuvre.

So whether you want to pass time, find solace in a nook of your house, or gain knowledge, these feminist novels should be at the top of your list.

Breast Stories By Mahasweta Devi

Originally published in Bengali, the book is a collection of stories on breasts, but rather than invoking symbols of eroticism, sexuality, beauty, or motherhood, the book narrates three distinct stories on body politics and the increased need for women to have bodily autonomy.

Mahasweta Devi’s characters are often at the bottom of the socio-economic hierarchy and her work is devoid of any romanticism of their plight. Translated by the feminsist critic, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, her thought-provoking essays enlighten the audience about how down-trodden women have the most to lose from patriarchal structures within class and caste systems.

First in the series is a story of Draupadi, who is a tribal woman fighting against Senanayak, an army officer after being captured by him. The backdrop of the story presents the genocidal violence against women in the 1971 war between Pakistan and Bangladesh. It can be seen as an interpretation of the epic, Mahabharata where Draupadi’s eldest husband gambles her away. As the army chief pulls at her sari, we can see more of the connection. But this time Krishna is not there to save her, and she builds courage to start a counter-offensive.

Second in the narrative is ‘Behind The Bodice’ which talks about Gangor, a migrant labourer whose breasts are an object of desire for a privileged photographer, Upin with a senseless obsession to photograph Gangor’s breasts. And the last story in the novel is ‘Breast-Giver’, the tale of Jashoda who has to become a breastfeeding nurse for a wealthy family.

These stories talk about the systemic oppression faced by women, and is a hard-hitting exploration of violence on women's bodies.

The Golden Notebook By Doris Lessing

The book is an honest reflection of womanhood in 1960s London. Published in 1962, the novel follows protagonist, Anna Wulf and her attempt to journal her experiences in four separate notebooks.

It includes commentary on sexual liberation, communism, colonialism, racism, motherhood, mental illness and how all of it intersects with each other. It is progressive for the era it was published in.

Despite being criticised by men who thought Lessing to be a “feminazi” (a pejorative term that equates feminists who want equality with Nazis), it was a relatable read for a lot of women, which made the book gain acclaim.

In the first notebook with the black cover, she retells her African experience in the previous year. The red notebook records her political life and her disillusionment with communism, in the yellow one she writes a novel in which she relives a part of her life, and the blue one is a personal diary. Finally, she tries to bring the threads of all four books together in a gold notebook, while falling in love with an American writer and facing mental agony.

This book makes for a nuanced reading of feminism.

Hangwoman by K.R Meera

The Grddha Mullick family traces their lineage back to ancient hangmen that shaped the history of the subcontinent.

Coming to the present day, the youngest member of the family, a 22-year-old Chetna is appointed as the first woman executioner, succeeding her father. This results in a media frenzy that makes the protagonist seek her own path in a male-dominated world. On the day of her first execution, she transforms into a charismatic performer, who breaks away from the shackles of her patriarchal family and its past.

Many questions arise while reading the book – “Will she add laurels to her illustrious family’s past?”, “Can she bring herself to take a life?”, and many more gripping ones that unfurl into various intriguing sub-plots.

One would expect the book to be gruesome to read, however it is a well-crafted story that narrates the coming-of-age tale of Chetna.

Originally published in Malayalam, it can be counted among the few regional works that attempt to explore another state. The book ignites a conversation about Bengal, its history and current times.

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Swarnalata by Tilottoma Misra

The book is an under-rated gem that deserves more fame. Set in mid-19th century Assam, around the time of the Bengal Renaissance where archaic practices were being questioned, the story traces the narratives of three women – Swarnalata, Tora, and Lakhi.

These women belong to different classes of society, but find their lives intertwining. It charts the fascinating lives of these women by showcasing how women’s education and widow remarriage reforms took centre stage during that time.

It also portrays bonded labour, peasant resistance against colonial exploitation, and the influence of Christian missionaries on the culture of Assam.

Considered one of the best historical novels of Assam, the book presents Rabindranath Tagore, the great poet, side-by-side with fictional characters, hence creating a perfect blend of history and fiction.

It is a masterful tale about the courage of three women in a conservative society. It was awarded the 1995 Ishan Puraskar by the Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad, and was translated into Bangla and Hindi by the National Book Trust.

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The Handmaid’s Tale By Margaret Atwood

Written by Canadian author Margaret Atwood and published in 1985, The Handmaid’s Tale talks of a dystopian world in the future where the reproductive ability and bodily rights of women are taken to another level.

Set in the New England area, the book talks about the patriarchal and authoritarian state known as the Republic of Gilead, which has overthrown the US government. Offred is the protagonist and narrator who is a “handmaid”, women who are forcibly assigned to reproduce babies for the ruling class.

It explores themes of subjugation to a patriarchal society, loss of agency, suppressing individuality, and lack of reproductive rights for women, which is akin to the current state of the US.

The novel echoes the importance of women’s resistance to gain their independence from the draconian forces that govern them.

Atwood has received various laurels for her work such as the 1986 Booker Prize. The book has also been adapted into a television series.

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