Called "a feminist classic" by Judith Shulevitz in the New York Times Book Review, this pathbreaking book of literary criticism is now reissued with a new introduction by Lisa Appignanesi that speaks to how The Madwoman in the Attic set the groundwork for subsequent generations of scholars writing about women writers, and why the book still feels fresh some four decades later. "Gilbert and Gubar have written a pivotal book, one of those after which we will never think the same again."--Carolyn G. Heilbrun, Washington Post Book World

THE STORY: The play is a kind of poetic and comic fable set in the twilight zone of the not-quite-true. At the Cafe Chez Francis, a group of promoters plot to tear up Paris in order to unearth the oil which a prospector believes he has located in t

This book is an invaluable key to self-understanding. Using examples from her own life and the lives of her clients, as well as from dreams, fairy tales, myths, films, and literature, Linda Schierse Leonard, a Jungian analyst, exposes the wound of the spirit that both men and women of our culture bear—a wound that is grounded in a poor relationship between masculine and feminine principles. Leonard speculates that when a father is wounded in his own psychological development, he is not able to give his daughter the care and guidance she needs. Inheriting this wound, she may find that her ability to express herself professionally, intellectually, sexually, and socially is impaired. On a broader scale, Leonard discusses how women compensate for cultural devaluation, resorting to passive submission (“the Eternal Girl”), or a defensive imitation of the masculine (“the Armored Amazon”). The Wounded Woman shows that by understanding the father-daughter wound and working to transform it psychologically, it is possible to achieve a fruitful, caring relationship between men and women, between fathers and daughters, a relationship that honors both the mutuality and the uniqueness of the sexes.

The Madwoman is a powerful psychological and emotional energy that lives in us all—both men and women—and speaks to us all, inhabiting our dreams, our lives, our collective cultural memory. Ignored or suppressed, she becomes a force of self-destruction; acknowledged and understood, she becomes a source of creativity and power. In this remarkable and revolutionary book, Linda Schierse Leonard explores how we can overcome the inner turmoil of contemporary life—unexpressed rage, the buildup of guilt and anxiety—by harnessing this primal expression of our natural instincts. From Medea to Ophelia to Thelma and Louise, the paradox and patterns of “madness” are as old as time. But the chain can be broken; the Madwoman within each of us can and must be freed, openly expressed, and transformed into a source of constructive, creative energy. Leonard draws upon an extraordinary range of sources—ancient myths and fairy tales, films and literature, contemporary and historical women’s lives—to design a model of empowerment for women today. With its fresh perspectives and bold insights, Meeting the Madwoman is a provocative work of profound cultural significance, one whose ideas are sure to resonate for years to come. Praise for Meeting the Madwoman “A book loaded with practical insights that’s also fun to read . . . With refreshing originality, Leonard reverses some traditional perceptions.”—New Woman “A vigorous exploration . . . Throughout, Leonard writes passionately, seeing the Madwoman as an empowering symbol and the discovery process as a spiritual exercise—a kind of purification and ultimate triumph of the feminine spirit.”—Kirkus Reviews

The first novel by a female author to be published in Cape Verde, and the first to be translated into English, The Madwoman of Serrano is a magical tale of rural ideals and urban ambition, underpinned by an exploration of female empowerment. Serrano is an isolated village where a madwoman roams. But is she really mad or is she marginalised because she is wise and a woman? Could her babbling be prophecy? One day a girl falls from the sky and is found in the forest by Jeronimo. The villagers are suspicious of the newcomer, but Jeronimo falls in love with her. When she gives birth and disappears, Jeronimo takes care of the child, naming her Filipa. Years later, estranged from Jeronimo after being taken from the village in mysterious circumstances, Filipa is a successful businesswoman in the city. Her memories of growing up in Serrano and her friendship with the madwoman become increasingly vivid. When the madwoman's warnings come true and Serrano's sheltered existence is threatened by plans to build a dam, Jeronimo heads for the city himself. Will he and Filipa finally be reunited?

Always strong and fearless, Germaine Greer strikes right at the heart of the matter--be it John F. Kennedy and vaginal deodorants, rape and artificial insemination, cosmetic surgery, the death of Jimi Hendrix, or the famine in Ethiopia. This collection represents a mosaic of essays, long and short, some of which are appearing for the first time in print and all of which chafe the conventional and are bristling with argument. From the youthful liveliness of her sixties pieces, which "got up everybody's nose," to the depth and complexity of her later work, The Madwoman's Underclothes is a reflection both of an era and of the changing ideas and styles of Germaine Greer: "The essays on Brazil, Cuba, and Ethiopia represent my coming of age. Something like a coherent system of values is beginning to emerge after my years of wandering, although I have certainly not arrived at a set of articles of faith, and never will, I hope." Greer's opinions on social, political, and sexual trends and mores are tendered in her unique fashion--outspoken, with rapier wit and no tolerance for narrow-mindedness. But as explosive, angry, and often funny as these essays are, they also reveal tenderness and sadness and that emotion that underlies all of Greer's work--passionate commitment.