The Movement by Petra Hůlová,

 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Title: The Movement
Author: Petra Hůlová, Alex Zucker (Translation)
Publisher: World Editions
Release Date: 10.5.21


Publisher’s Summary
In this utopia, the feminist Movement has been successful and women rule the world. Men are trained at reeducation facilities to accept the new normal in this futuristic satire challenging our sexual norms.

The Movement's founding ideology emphasizes that women should be valued for their inner qualities, spirit, and character, and not for their physical attributes. Men have been forbidden to be attracted to women on the basis of their bodies. Some continue with unreformed attitudes but many submit--or are sent by their wives and daughters--to the Institute for internment and reeducation. However, the Movement also struggles with women and their "old attitudes," with many still undergoing illegal cosmetic surgeries and wearing makeup. Our narrator, an unapologetic guard at one of these reeducation facilities, describes how the Movement started, the challenges faced, her own personal journey, and what happens when a program fails. She is convinced the Movement is nearing its final victory--a time when everybody falls in line with its ideals. Outspoken, ambiguous, and terrifying, this socio-critical satire of our sexual norms sets the reader firmly outside of their comfort zone.



My Review
I love satire. (The Atmospherians, released earlier this year, was so smart.) I really thought The Movement would be similar but more intellectually in-depth satirical novel with its "feminist theory put into action" angle, but I found a lot of the story repetitive and wildly philosophical as well as slow-paced. The entire storyline is about a female-dominant society forcing men (and some women) to not find physical aspects of a woman's body desirable, instead turning their entire focus to a woman's character and personality. An interesting concept and tongue-in-cheek critique of heteronormative sexuality, this short book (just over 200 pages) would have worked better as a short story.