Review: In the Body of the World

In the Body of the World by Eve Ensler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In two words, this book is "brutally beautiful." I've enjoyed Ensler's work--not just the now-famous Vagina Monologues but her other work (e.g. The Good Body) and her overall activism. She has her share of critics about how she presents her message but the amount of good work and its impact on the world is palpable. She has certainly been an inspiration to me on how to be a feminist. This memoir meshes the world of her childhood violence with the continued violence of women around the world; all of which is superimposed on her battle with cancer. In the Body of the World jumps from topic to topic at an almost frantic pace, mixing poetry, essays, and reflections. Each piece conveys various facets of her experience and how the violence experienced by her body is connected to much of the violence throughout the world.

I listened to this as an audiobook and Ensler reads it in her typical dramatic flair. This adds greatly to the experience and it's clear from her pace, emphasis and tone when she is ready poetry or an essay. The various emotions from her writing boil over into her voice and it is extremely hard not to be moved by this book.

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