Yet more sex war would be a more appropriate title for this book! Neil Lyndon's basic argument is that feminism is a totalitarian ideology which has poisoned relationships between men and women. He claims that his book is an impersonal and abstract argument yet instead of intellectual rigour we get obsessive rage fuelled by Lyndon's personal bitterness and disillusionment. He complains of the 'menacing and hysterical rants' of feminism in a book that is one long menacing and hysterical rant. In fact, many of the charges Neil Lyndon makes against feminism he is himself guilty of in this book. He is poisonous and self-righteous, illogical and self-pitying, irresponsible and self-indulgent. In short this book tells us far more about Neil Lyndon than it does about feminism.
An example of Lyndon's thinking is his definition of feminism. Lyndon's view is 'the common denominator [of feminists] is the belief that women share interests which are distinct from men and that those interests can best be advanced by women acting collectively'. He deduces from this 'the consequent assumption of all feminism that proceeds from this point is that women's particular interests are and always have been at odds with the interests of men'. In Lyndon's framework, having different interests means being at odds with or at war with others. This polarisation and inability to tolerate difference runs through the book.
Lyndon's way of approaching positive change is even more revealing. He says on page 236 that what we need is 'more tolerance, sympathy and kindness between men and women'. Unfortunately this follows 235 pages of intolerance, hostility and prejudice. If this is an example of Lyndon's approach to relationships his failures seem to have more to do with himself than any outside influences - but then self-awareness is not one of Lyndon's strong points.
In the final dozen pages he has some interesting things to say about economics, child-care and abortion that are neither reactionary or misogynistic. Yet rather than being the substance of the book they seem to have been tagged on as an afterthought Like most self-appointed martyrs, Lyndon prefers to indulge himself in self-righteous venom rather than get down to the constructive hard work of change.
Paul Wolf-Light
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