Princess Direst?

There are many battle lines drawn to divide the sexes, but the one that's worried me most in recent years is that in the toy shop.  I know I'm fairly old and quite absent minded, but was there really always such an obvious difference between toys aimed at girls and toys aimed at boys?  Just as I thought I might be seeing my own childhood through rose tinted specs, along came 'Cinderella Ate My Daughter' by American journalist, author and parent Peggy Orenstein, a book which asks the very same question.

'Cinderella Ate My Daughter' is Ms Orenstein's exploration of 'princess' culture, its origins and

'Cinderella Ate My Daughter'
by Peggy Orenstein
(Harper, 2012)

whether it's really as bad as it seems.  As a mother, she's worried by the impact of girly girl culture on her daughter's character and ambitions.  As a vocal feminist and writer, she finds her own world view and reputation are being challenged. Orenstein dives in at the deep end, going to junior beauty pageants, a Miley Cyrus concert and upmarket doll shops (complete with beauty parlour), as well as hanging out with social media obsessed preteens.  But can she get beyond the glitter and froth to the facts that matter?

I really enjoyed this book.  Admittedly, it was on a topic that interested me, but it was also written in an accessible style by someone who clearly found the apparently sudden emergence of extreme princess culture as baffling as I do.  Through the book, Orenstein muses on the topic in an open minded way, trying to draw conclusions that are both rooted in real evidence (rather than hard line reactionism) and pragmatic, recognising peer pressure and that a simple 'No' is not always the best answer.

There are probably a good proportion of parents who have had similar worries to Orenstein about whether princess culture is narrowing their daughters' futures, even condemning them to a life chasing unrealistic expectations about their looks and relationships.  This book is written from that perspective and, as such, I would recommend it to them as a good read.  It's debatable whether any firm conclusions are drawn, but at least it offers food for thought and makes you realise you're not the only one questioning the giant, pink marketing tsunami that's determined to sweep all girls into a narrow target group.

What I would really like to see next from Ms. Orenstein is a companion work about the boys.  For every pink and glittery aisle there's a blue and mechanical one which is arguably just as restrictive.  Why should shoving girls in a box be any worse than shoving boys in one?

If you're someone with female children or an interest in this topic, I recommend this book.  While it doesn't necessarily give you answers, it does give you information, and in the least will leave you feeling empowered enough to tell the princess to push off once in a while.

Now, what next...

No Limit!

No no no no no no no no no no no no there's no limit!

'Dr No' by Ian Fleming, read by Hugh Quarshie
(AudioGo 2012)

OK, now I've got that out of my system, here is a post about 'Dr No' by Ian Fleming, an AudioGo 007 Reloaded version of the novel read by Hugh Quarshie.

Returning to active duty after a near fatal encounter with the Russians, James Bond is given an easy assignment; investigating the disappearance of two MI6 operatives based in Kingston, Jamaica.  But the case is not as it seems. Before too long M's 'bit of a holiday' looking into a suspected affair and elopement has evolved into something far more sinister.  As Bond joins the dots, he finds all the threads lead to Crab Key, home to rare birds, a guano plant and the secretive spider at the web's centre, Dr Julius No.

'Dr No' is much more meticulously paced than 'Live and Let Die', the last Bond story I listened to as an audiobook.  It's still not a long novel, but it includes much more tension, character development and back story and is the better for it.  Bond lives a hyper-real, ultra-violent life just within sight of reality, so it helps to actually bring the story back down to Earth by making readers care about the characters.  In 'Dr No', Quarrel and Honeychile Ryder are much more developed than Solitaire in 'Live and Let Die', so there is a greater sense of danger that makes you genuinely root for these people and want to find out what happens next.

'Dr No' by Ian Fleming
(Penguin Modern
Classics, 2004)

I thought Solitaire was a complete waste of space, but I absolutely fell in love with Honeychile Ryder.  Although in some ways a victim of circumstances, she's not been sat around waiting for Bond to arrive and sort everything out for her.  She has her own aims, talents and desires, some more sensible than others, but whether her decisions make good sense or not, at least she's trying and she's not afraid of using her skills and knowledge to make her way independently in the world.  You go girl!

While the heroes seem more real, the villain Dr No was as unreal as they come.  Perhaps it was a deliberate dichotomy or maybe a villain as completely off the wall as this one is so unbelievable to prevent readers having nightmares.  Having said that, while No was a typical megalomaniacal Bond villain who seemed completely detached from reality in his underground lair, he was scary.  Normally this sort of character becomes borderline camp in the films, but on the page and in his own domain claustrophobia sets in and you begin to doubt that even 007 can overcome this madman's manipulations.

Overall, 'Dr No' is a great adventure story, action-packed, tense and with real punch in places.  It has dated in the last 57 years, but, to be fair, all the Bond books I've encountered so far have, like so many of their contemporaries.  If you can see beyond this, however, I would recommend it.

Now, what next?

Related Posts

'Live and Let Die'
'Casino Royale'
'For Your Eyes Only'