Recent comments in /f/books

smolly_ho1y t1_j4q57g9 wrote

Reply to Why don’t I, as a woman, like books with female protagonists? by out_cyder

I usually prefer classical books, and don't care about protagonist's gender. The only time i do care is when i want to read about specific topic, for example, related to social issues. Sometimes, i want to get a different perspective, and that does not mean that i can totally relate to a character. When i read a book with a black protagonist, teenager protagonist, etc., i just want to look at things through lens of their experience and struggle. In fact, human problems, drama, struggle have been the same throughout the history, i believe, so I can also relate to male protagonist, trying to figure out who he is, looking for meaning of life, because it's much more common experience than we tend to think

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ottprim t1_j4q52rg wrote

Reply to Why don’t I, as a woman, like books with female protagonists? by out_cyder

You know you are asking for nothing but the pop psychologists and those who like to decide others have prejudices that need to be labeled with negative slurs don't you? You're unlikely to get any real insight. I have none to offer so will remain quiet, although maybe it's simply a preference and so what. Why does someone like Anime, or video games, or those ugly American Place dolls, or a host of all kinds of things that some large section of the population loves but few others get? Who knows why, and what does it matter anyway.

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Gnomic_ t1_j4q45jw wrote

Reply to Why don’t I, as a woman, like books with female protagonists? by out_cyder

It's not just you. Male characters are four times more common in literature than female characters and books with male protagonists sell on average 10 million more copies than those with a female protagonist.

The reasons for this tap into every facet of the patriarchal societies that publish and consume this literature. Male authors have more opportunity and male characters more (perceived) freedom, making them easier to manipulate within the readers accepted societal boundaries.

As consumers we can work to redress this imbalance by actively trying to read more diverse authors. You might find your preference is just down to probability - less to choose from means you're less likely to find the books that really speak to you. And if you really can't find it, why not write your own? Take all of the things you like about your male protagonists and put them into the female lead of your own novel. I'd read it!

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nyet-marionetka t1_j4q3p2i wrote

Reply to comment by walking-the-ashes in Why don’t I, as a woman, like books with female protagonists? by out_cyder

Literally every female character ever written is totally stereotypical, vastly more than male characters? Women can’t write female characters but somehow do much better at writing male characters? It sounds more like you have a toggle where you just flip it off if the character is female and nothing will fly for you.

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walking-the-ashes t1_j4q2ud8 wrote

Reply to Why don’t I, as a woman, like books with female protagonists? by out_cyder

Among all the books that I've read I can't hardly remember a single well written female character. They're mostly flat and utterly stereotypical. For this reason I tend to prefer books featuring only male characters, to make sure to avoid all this bullshit. I think historically there's still much more misunderstanding of female nature compared to male one. That's why male characters are subjectively more universal and flexible and make a better vessel for a wide range of writers' endeavors.

At the same time, some of the best books, in my opinion, were written by female authors. But still about male characters.

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imanuglyone t1_j4q2anf wrote

Reply to Why don’t I, as a woman, like books with female protagonists? by out_cyder

Same... Though I am a male. I vastly prefer male authors and somewhat male protagonists, to the point that I used to avoid books by female authors. Though after a few good recommendations, I would say it's probably only a minor bias in comparison.

Maybe you just have a slightly more masculine mindset about things? Everyone's mind is unique in its own way I guess.

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ahkna t1_j4q223q wrote

Reply to Why don’t I, as a woman, like books with female protagonists? by out_cyder

Sounds like you've got a lot of internalized sexism within yourself that you need to examine. A big part of being a woman in your 20s is starting to unlearn a lot of the sexism that has been fed to you.

Start asking yourself what it is about female protagonists you don't like and what it is about male protagonists you do like. Ask yourself what the differences between male authors and female authors are, then ask yourself why you've divided them that way.

A lot of people like to pretend that they're neutral, that they only like interesting stories, but they're often the ones with the largest prejudices and blindspots.

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Jodorokes t1_j4q1dmf wrote

Reply to comment by MicahSolomonVernon in Why don’t I, as a woman, like books with female protagonists? by out_cyder

You’re right that books are incredible machines for developing empathy, and for opening a reader’s eyes to new experiences. But it’s easy to say this as a white man when the vast majority of fiction is dominated by people like you, and has been for centuries. I’m sure you have no trouble finding characters you can relate to.

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WhenRobLoweRobsLowes t1_j4q0iyp wrote

Reply to Why don’t I, as a woman, like books with female protagonists? by out_cyder

I have no specific insight, but maybe I can back into it this way: do books with female protagonists feel less real to you because you're female? Because, in essence, you have lived a female experience and it does not relate to your own?

Closest I can come is that I dislike protagonists with specific professions, particularly reporters and lawyers. Having been a reporter and worked with lawyers, I can say that their experiences, however fictional or fantastical they are supposed to be, don't click with me because it's so much easier to see the bullshit behind it.

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MicahSolomonVernon t1_j4q0b2d wrote

Reply to Why don’t I, as a woman, like books with female protagonists? by out_cyder

I think it's weird to read only in order to relate to a character. Why? What purpose is there in only ever reading that which reinforces the way you feel? Is it not vastly more interesting to read perspectives that differ from your own, that you distinctly cannot relate to? Is this not the best thing about fiction, about art, to connect us to the world outside our own?

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