Women Who Run With The Wolves

Amazon Used ($4 total)

An interesting thing happened while I was reading this particular book, which has been strongly recommended to me from various sources and bought for one cent (used) on Amazon (with shipping - $4 exactly). Though some women have expressed interest in it, men have definitely given me different reactions - for the most part very condescending reactions. Hopefully, my review will explain why that is a really unnecessary and ridiculous reaction. It is worth noting that while reading this book, it got a lot of negative attention - more so than when I read basically anything else. I got less negative attention while reading smarmy Christian romance novels. At least four different people have given it a quick glance and automatic disdain. Anyway, I don't expect this to be my most popular review.

So you should check your expectations at the door. While I can understand why some people would find the title off-putting, I'm still surprised by those strong reactions. Even more so because I know that those expectations are completely unfounded. If you are expecting this book to be a furious bohemian feminist manifesto or "self-help," you are absolutely wrong. The sub-title says it all - "Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype" - as in, Jungian Archetypes in Mythologies and Folktales Explained to YOU, Dear Reader. So yes, maybe that is a form of "self-help." "Wild Woman" really just means, "every female that doesn't fall into the same category as the virgin mother," in other words, every daughter, sister, mother, friend, lover who isn't pure and perfect. And that's basically all of us, no matter what.
It's academic, wise, and non-critical. While I started off reading it alongside The Heroine's Journey, I found that this book was more informative, fair, relaxed, and pleasant as a whole than the other book was. It's a good way to discover lesser known folktales and myths, if you're interested in that (which I completely am). It's wonderful if you want the common nuances and motifs in those sorts of stories explained, though remember that that means it's focused on feminine motifs.
It's also so inspiring! If anything, it was a great reminder and coach that in my own life, I should use these stories as guides for any season I find might find myself in - be it illness, grief, motivation, romance, family, career, whatever! It's almost as good as therapy and, uh, so much cheaper. I know I'm going to continue to revisit this book over and over, and I'd like to recommend it to all of the women that I know - provided that they're receptive to it.