to feminism is very negative.
correspondence with Amy.
Amy is a feminist who lives with a man, Tim, and she is trying to work out a non-oppressive equal relationship with him. Amy also has a child, John.
Amy introduces Meg the fourth central character of the book Jane.
Jane is radical feminist living communa.
In the nogro or of ngland.
in the north England. Jane rejects the idea of any sort of relationship with men, so that for instance when she and Meg become lovers she will not tolerate Meg's young son even as a visitor to her commune.
Through their the four women examine and discuss events in their ranging, domestic crisis arısing Amy's child mumps, to the rape of Meg by France's husband The women also talk through their political activity.
But centrally the book follows the intense debates of the women about relationships - the ones they are in, the ones they want and the limits of what they feel is possible. The four represent a very wide spectrum of outlooks almost artificially so.
The cynical feminist reader almost begins to as the characters are ine as the characters are troduced one by one. Yet they developed through the the women do become real believable people.
Their explore and debate a great many of the crucial issues of sexual Edited by DS Bell and Eric Shaw Reviewed by Chris Bertram in English this collection of articles is welcome.
Unfortunately its academic commentarist approach means that it does not deal thoroughly with the movements and events it covers.
However, it is still a valuable for socialists in who wall to learn something about their counterparts across the channel.
most interesting feature is David Handley's essay on CERES. British socialists have some value ool doou the CERES being the left French Whether he meant to or not, Hanley explodes that myth The CERES is deeply attached to the French nuclear force and admires Cranies French 'national serenderse Sheba Feminist Publishers, £3.95 Between Friends is written as a series of letters Frances is a researcher living in Canada. She is married to an egotistical playwright and her attitude Frances is a friend of Meg, who is the central character of the book. Meg is gay. She is living with a woman, and she has a young son. It is Meg's questionings about the relationship between women and women, and women and men, that lead her to start a politics from their dif ferent viewpoints. of real strengths of the book is that brings sexual politics to life by exposing the sometimes conflicting attitudes of women have different politics and outerent experiences issues of sexuality and the •relationship! between women, and between women and men One of the weaknesses of the is that sometimes does this in a very academic teacher-like way.
For instance, Amy writes Meg an eight page letter. This letter covers tne topic or sex aischilla tion, compares it to race discrimination. examines a series of possible consciousicas raising exercise for men wishing to understand women exlooks at historical location sexism examines the possibility of heterosexual sexual intercourse without The left in France (Published by Spokesman University Paperback price £3.95.)
GIVEN THE dearth of books on the French left Hanley tells us that when Finance Minister Delors called for a 'pause' the government's reforms as early 1981, Chevennement, the CERES leader. was the person who leapt to his defence D.S. Bell's essay on the Communist contains nothing new or startling original. have some historical inaccuracies. He blames 'com munist instigated strikes' in 1947 for the split in the unions that led to the forming of Force Ouvriere.
There is much contrary evidence to suggest than an unholy alliance of rightwing social anarcho-syr.3!:a Reviewed by Hilary Astor penetration by the penis The letter includes sentences such as ... if we are told about a fight between a white man and a black man, our subliminal response is different trom our response to hearing about a fight between two white people or between black Our posed on the incident.
Right on sister - but it is a bit difficult for many people to understand this without the help of a dic tionary, and it is also a lit tle indigestible on page 18 of a novel.
Whilst it may be convenient for the writer to have central characters se form somewhere near the front of the book it can be a little turgid, and lt is guaranieca lo • Шако anyone who is not already involved the debates hurl the book from them in frustration.
For anyone who is already • involved 1n who has a curiosity about the theory and reality of diffind it is an interesting end interesting which WOrL reading.
Much of the book's more up to date material has an ironic ring in view of the recent austerity measures of the Mitterrand government. • The article on the Socialist Party tends to show Mitterrand standing out against capitalist rather than who is picking workers pockets.
Another weakness of the • IS ItS lack of the revolu tionary Whilst th centrist PSU gets an ap pendix none of substantial Trotskyi organisations to the left c the Socialist Party and the CP gets a mehtion.
All in all it ise:: diarpoirime=
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A novel by Gillian E Hanscombe exchanged among four women.