In 2009, Naomi Wolf
discovered she had a rare form of scoliosis that meant she had damaged her
pelvic nerve. She discovered this after realising that over the previous few
years, her enjoyment of sex had been lessening… and, understandably, she wasn’t
too happy about that. Following a blunt conversation with her gynaecologist Dr Coady,
Naomi learned that scientists have long proved that there is a clear
correlation between the female brain and sexual pleasure.
What this meant for
Naomi was that because the nerves connecting her brain to her clitoris were, to
be technical, squashed, she wasn’t enjoying sex so much. After invasive surgery
to her lower back and three months spent in a brace, Naomi was pretty chuffed
to discover she was as good as new again.
This personal story is
the starting point for Vagina: A New Biography (Virago, £12.99), in which Naomi shares her explorations
of every aspect of this oft-considered taboo female organ. From the portrayal
of the vagina in literature, to the role of rape in shaping a vagina’s herstory,
Naomi rigorously leaves no stone unturned.
Swerving between
personal anecdote and pop science, Vagina: A New Biography is eminently
readable and quick to digest. Some chapters are pretty brutal (no one is going
to come away from the rape chapter feeling anything less than shell shocked),
others are personal (as above), and some are grim but enjoyable (her chapter
about the role of porn in shaping the vagina reads like an article from the
Guardian’s Weekend magazine… in fact, I fully expect to see it reprinted there
as promotion for the book).
Stylistically, the
chapters sometimes make for a disjointed read, but collectively they create a
beautifully detailed and descriptive ode to this greatly overlooked, yet hugely
important (for oh, so many reasons), female organ.
But coming in the wake
of taboo-crashing pop culture like The Vagina Monologues, is the word ‘vagina’
even that titter-some in polite conversation anymore? Cynically, I feel that it
is going to need to be for a lot of the marketing campaign surrounding Vagina:
A New Biography. That said, when a friend saw the book on my table, she said:
“Well, that book cover puts Fifty Shades of Grey to shame.” And why? There is
nothing graphic on the cover, just a simple illustration of a flower (interpret
it as you will), and the word ‘Vagina’ in large capitals. I don’t think it was
the flower my friend thought was shameful!
In short, Naomi Wolf’s
latest book is another example of her thorough and meticulous approach to
writing. From The Beauty Myth to Promiscuities, Naomi has proven herself to be
a reliable and respected source of feminist inspiration and information. And
Vagina: A New Biography is just the latest example of this. For anyone
interested in the role women play in society (and surely that should be
everybody), then this is a sensitively written and vital book.
STOP PRESS:
Bristolians: Naomi
Wolf is coming to @Bristol on September 5 to give a talk about her new book,
hosted by the Festival of Ideas. Please click here for full information and tobook a ticket.
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NB: I have
deliberately avoided reference to Naomi Wolf’s comments in which she stated
that she felt those accusing others of rape should be named. I have avoided
mentioning this because I do not feel it is relevant to a review of her new
book.
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