Entertaining Explanation Of Man-Hating

Did you ever wonder if an opposite to 'misogyny' existed? Look in your dictionary under misogyny for an antonym. Chances are, you won't find one.

Recently, a term for 'man-hating', misandry, was introduced into the English language. Judith Levine inspected every dictionary in the New York Public Library and found only two that included the word misandry. One defined it as hatred of man; the other defined it as hatred of man; the other reduced the term to "dislike or disesteem of man."

Levine points out the absurdity of such reluctance to accept the possibility of man-hating in this world, considering the hostility toward men that all women have felt at one time or another in their lives. In My Enemy, My Love, she explores the origins, roles and repercussions of man-hating in women's lives. The book's emphasis on objective inquiry rather than personal conclusions makes for provocative reading regardless of one's sex.

Levine's writing style is fluid and lucid. She fills the pages with witty and original analyses of interviews, overheard conversations, films, comic strips, songs, comedians, television programs, psychological/scientific studies, magazine articles and books. She covers a range of female personalities from Madonna to Mary Beth Whitehead to Ann Landers to strangers in the supermarket.

My Enemy, My Love

by Judith Levine

Doubleday

$22.50

Though Levine also refers to specific men throughout the book, most of her analysis centers on generalized male types, presented in terms of how they treat women. Levine detects the origins of feminist consciousness in repeated interactions with these male types. The "collection of women's negative and ambivalent stereotypes of men" place men into the broad categories of Infant, Betrayer and Beast. Subclassifications include, among others, Bumblers, Seducers and Pricks.

The organization of the book flows smoothly from definitions of misandry to examinations of women's common criticisms of men.

Levine defines man-hating as not "a function of feminism [but rather] a function of the reasons for feminism." The last half of the book describes various ways women deal with inherent male-female differences.

Levine admits her failure to offer innovative solutions. Her modest conclusion--that women and men must deal with the inevitable love-hate ambivalence between the sexes--may disappoint seasoned readers of gender-focused literature.

My Enemy, My Love is a comprehensive introduction to the ever-present difficulties arising from relations between men and women. Leaven observes that "all intimate relationships involve a constant pushing and pulling between the desire to merge and the need for separation." As long as men and women seek to understand each other, Leaven's thoroughly researched book will provide a rewarding and enjoyable experience.