Over the weekend I finished a short book named “Herland” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman which I will comment on here for my own amusement.

The book falls squarely into my favorite genre of literature: Utopian Fiction. The story is set in a remote location in South America where a civilization that has been isolated from the world for 2000 years is found by three young men. Here’s the thing, all of the inhabitants of Herland are women or girls. There hasn’t had any men around for more than 2000 years! Now this sets the stage for some interesting plot development.

The three men that find this city are very different in many ways. One is a biologist and female-worshiper, one a rich adventurous womanizer, and one a level-headed sociologist. Throughout the story they are continually amazed by what this civilization has accomplished and embarrassed by their own society in comparison.

I found it to be very interesting and a quick read. Setting up the book this way lets the author question the ways our society functions from a pair of fresh eyes that are not already indoctrinated into our crazy society. I like it. I like it a lot.

Go read it [here](http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=GilHerl.sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=all) for free online!

To pique your interest, here is a few quotes:

Regarding Femininity:

>“These women, whose essential distinction of motherhood was the dominant note of their whole culture, were strikingly deficient in what we call “femininity.” This led me very promptly to the conviction that those “feminine charms” we are so fond of are not feminine at all, but mere reflected masculinity — developed to please us because they had to please us, and in no way essential to the real fulfillment of their great process.”

Regarding Religion:

>“Religion is different. You see, our religions come from behind us, and are initiated by some great teacher who is dead. He is supposed to have known the whole thing and taught it, finally. All we have to do is believe — and obey.”
“Who was the great Hebrew teacher?”
“Oh — there it was different. The Hebrew religion is an accumulation of extremely ancient traditions, some far older than their people, and grew by accretion down the ages. We consider it inspired — ‘the Word of God.’”
“How do you know it is?”
“Because it says so.”
“Does it say so in as many words? Who wrote that in?”
I began to try to recall some text that did say so, and could not bring it to mind.
“Apart from that,” she pursued, “what I cannot understand is why you keep these early religious ideas so long. You have changed all your others, haven’t you?”

Regarding Heaven & Eternal Life:

>“It seems to me a singularly foolish idea,” she said calmly. “And if true, most disagreeable. What do you want it for?” she asked.
“How can you not want it!” I protested. “Do you want to go out like a candle? Don’t you want to go on and on — growing and — and — being happy, forever?”
“Why, no,” she said. “I don’t in the least. I want my child — and my child’s child — to go on — and they will. Why should I want to? Do not you in your country, with your beautiful religion of love and service have it here, too — for this life — on earth?”

Regarding Hell:

>“They believed that God was Love — and Wisdom — and Power?”
“Yes — all of that.”
Her eyes grew large, her face ghastly pale.
“And yet that such a God could put little new babies to burn — for eternity?”

Regarding Marriage:

>“What is a ‘wife’ exactly?” she demanded, a dangerous gleam in her eye.
“A wife is the woman who belongs to a man,” he began.