Book Review: Herland is a fun read, not meant, I think, to be taken too seriously in any of its various incarnations. A lost 2,000 year-old women-only civilization. A rare utopian (as opposed to dystopian) novel, for the first 50 pages it reads as a typical story of he-man exploration, such as those written by Edgar Rice Burroughs or Arthur Conan Doyle. After that we get a rather didactic bit of world building, more telling than showing, without the story-telling abilities of an Ursula Le Guin. What's most interesting is what Gilman chooses to address, the details she includes, the conclusions she draws regarding her female society, and how much famous feminist Gilman had acculturated the male-dominated times in which she lived. In Herland, "Motherhood" is exalted and the primary purpose of this mysterious and isolated society, but raising children is limited to trained class. There is no romance or sex. Conception is magical: immaculate and voluntary. Population control is simple and abortion is abhorred. Clothes have many pockets. There are no dogs, only carefully bred and domesticated mute cats. Although not specifically stated, the society is vegetarian. Cattle and other animals aren't cultivated as they take up too much room (similar to today's vegetarian and environmental arguments). Of course Herland is both a bit of propaganda and glimpse of possibilities, just as are 1984, The Handmaid's Tale, and Fahrenheit 451. Mostly interesting as a period piece, reflecting the thoughts of a noted feminist of the time. Although much of Herland doesn't seem relevant or applicable today, it's still an interesting (if at times a bit dry) read. Unlike her story "The Yellow Wallpaper," it's not required reading (it's no The Handmaid's Tale), but an educational and unique product of its time. [3½★]
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