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Do men ever read women authors and vice versa?

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    #32
    pillphil
    Registered Users Posts: 776 ✭✭✭pillphil


    Deleted User wrote: »
    As we all know, on the shelf does not equal read. For those you have read and enjoyed you must have a rough idea of what percentage are female authored. Half?

    Are you trying to say you haven't read that copy of gravity's rainbow that's been sitting on your coffee table for the last few years? :D


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    #33
    Church on Tuesday
    Registered Users Posts: 3,858 ✭✭✭Church on Tuesday


    What an odd question.

    There are many great works written by women.


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    #34
    Zaph
    Registered Users, Subscribers Posts: 47,283 ✭✭✭✭Zaph


    This isn't something that I've ever thought about before, but thinking back over all the books I've read in the past, and while there may have been others, I can only remember two that I know for a fact were written by women. And the only reason I remember one of them so well is that it was recommended to me by a guy in a bookshop I used to frequent years ago who knew what my tastes were. It was possibly one of the least enjoyable books I've ever read and I never took any recommendations from him again! These days I read a lot more non-fiction - sport, military history and travel mainly - and it just happens that these seem to be predominantly written by men, but I'd never let the fact that a particular book was written by a woman put me off it if the subject matter looked like it was something that would interest me.


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    #35
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    pillphil wrote: »
    Are you trying to say you haven't read that copy of gravity's rainbow that's been sitting on your coffee table for the last few years? :D

    Ha ha. That is actually on my shelf, unread. Right next to Infinite Jest.

    Harper Lee and Lucia Berlin would be 2 female authors I admire.


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    #36
    EmmetSpiceland
    Registered Users Posts: 10,572 ✭✭✭✭EmmetSpiceland


    [Deleted User] wrote: »
    Ha ha. That is actually on my shelf, unread. Right next to Infinite Jest.

    Harper Lee and Lucia Berlin would be 2 female authors I admire.

    You should definitely read it, leave Infinite Jest for now.

    Make sure it’s a copy with the “scene breaks”, without them it’s a head wrecker.

    “It is not blood that makes you Irish but a willingness to be part of the Irish nation” - Thomas Davis



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    #37
    Outlaw Pete
    Registered Users Posts: 10,423 ✭✭✭✭Outlaw Pete


    When I was young I read Enid Blyton and Sue Townsend almost exclusively.


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    #38
    tuxy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,983 ✭✭✭✭tuxy


    Outlaw Pete wrote: »
    When I was young I read Enid Blyton and Sue Townsend almost exclusively.

    Sue Townsend was the first one to come to mind for me too even though it was a very long time ago.


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    #39
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    A friend of mine asked me this a while ago..I had never really thought of it before, but on reflection, fiction wise, I actually probably read more contemporary women than men, but more men in the more classics section..


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    #40
    bee06
    Registered Users Posts: 4,514 ✭✭✭bee06


    I’m a woman and it’s split pretty evenly for me. My favourite genre is crime/mystery. I just finished re-reading the Jack Reacher series and currently working my way through Michael Connollys books but I also have Patricia Cornwall, Kathy Reichs, Alafair Burke series on my Kindle. A good book is a good book.


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    #41
    ILoveYourVibes
    Registered Users Posts: 15,176 ✭✭✭✭ILoveYourVibes


    quodec wrote: »
    Reading books for nearly 50 years now and as a male, when I'm browsing books to read, I find I gravitate towards male authors as a matter of course and would hardly ever read women authors. So I'm wondering:
    1: as a male do you/have you read female authors?
    2: as a female, do you/have you read male authors?


    Both genders prefer authors of their own gender. However men are much less likely to read authors who are women. Thus JK Rowling ..became JK rolling in it. Her publishers didn't want people to know she was female.

    I would do the same if I were a writer. Be a white dude.


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    #42
    s7ryf3925pivug
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,007 ✭✭✭s7ryf3925pivug


    Robin Hobb's first nine books were very good. I think pretending to be a man helped. Her next three were terrible.


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    #43
    Gynoid
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,524 ✭✭✭Gynoid


    I think it is an interesting question, don't know why anyone would have a particularly wtf moment about it . I have read loads, though not literature of late, for some reason, and never consciously discriminated. Childhood books as Outlaw Pete noted, mostly female, although CS Lewis and Roald Dahl started to creep in when I could choose myself and go for weirder. Read more philosophy books now, or fact based rather than fiction. Although I am just out of a run of Houellebecq, the fascinating horrid little prophet. Went through times of complete obsession, maybe possession even!, could be Austen or Atwood or Murdoch, could be Roth or Faulkner, Hemingway or Hardy. Or anyone, regardless of sex! Overall male authors pip the post for me in terms of preference, to be very honest, though it is close, and especially in philosophy. Book by female authors have absorbed me much more completely into an emotional journey, often transformative, whereas the books that impacted me by male authors had a more intellectual kick and have somehow stuck longer. Checked my bedside table, 5 books, 4 by men, 1 by a woman, but that is an unpublished self printed single copy of a novel by me so that does not count!! :D:D hehe


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    #44
    pwurple
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,449 ✭✭✭✭pwurple


    Mixed bag here.

    My favourite well-thumbed comfort book always sitting by the fire is a Dorothy Parker anthology. Next to it is the aspirational Finnegan’s Wake, with its badly needed companion “A readers guide to Finnegan’s wake”... just checked, that is William Tindall.

    Bedside locker has Dear Girls, by Ali Wong. And on the kindle app for commutes is “a million years in a day” Greg Jenner.

    Queued up are
    The Bone People, a booker prize winner by Keri Hulme.
    Ayoade on Top, Richard ayoade.


    And every night for the last eternity I read this one aloud to the smallest in my house, Moon Rabbit by Natalie Russell. Sometimes swapping with The Book with No Pictures, BJ Novak.


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    #45
    Widdershins
    Registered Users Posts: 10,633 ✭✭✭✭Widdershins


    I don't gravitate to authors of a either sex in particular. I don't like chick lit.
    I like historical fiction which isn't dominated by authors of one sex more than the other.
    Or reference books which might be more one or the other (spinning and weaving has more male writers than I expected but dollmaking and knitting is mostly written about by women. Corset making and tailoring has plenty of male writers, as does makeup and fashion and perfumery)
    There are more sailing diaries written by men but far from exclusively by men.

    Bottom line, writer's sex is not a factor in my choice of book.

    Ive only ever stopped reading to note the sex of the writer whrn reading the male perspective in a love story. For some reason.


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    #46
    lawred2
    Registered Users Posts: 24,295 ✭✭✭✭lawred2


    quodec wrote: »
    Reading books for nearly 50 years now and as a male, when I'm browsing books to read, I find I gravitate towards male authors as a matter of course and would hardly ever read women authors. So I'm wondering:
    1: as a male do you/have you read female authors?
    2: as a female, do you/have you read male authors?

    Can't say I've ever given thought to the author..

    It's more the genre that matters to me.. anything vaguely chicklit is immediately out.


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    #47
    eviltwin
    Registered Users Posts: 17,495 ✭✭✭✭eviltwin


    Deleted User wrote: »
    As we all know, on the shelf does not equal read. For those you have read and enjoyed you must have a rough idea of what percentage are female authored. Half?

    I looked at my highest rated books on Goodreads for last year. It's roughly 50/50. I gave two books 5 stars, one male writer, one female. I enjoy most books I read and it's a fairly even split. I think it's a bit sad to not pick up a book based on the gender of the author, think of all the gems you'd be missing.


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    #48
    coffee_cake
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Politics Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 81,309 CMod ✭✭✭✭coffee_cake


    I read a man-lit book once and it was terrible so i don't think I'll be doing that again. Stick with proper female writers


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    #49
    kylith
    Registered Users Posts: 17,736 ✭✭✭✭kylith


    Most of my bookshelf is Terry Pratchett, but idgaf about the gender of the author. Just checked and the last book I read was written by a woman, and i’ve Recently started an excellent series by Ann Leckie.


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    #50
    Igotadose
    Registered Users Posts: 13,067 ✭✭✭✭Igotadose


    Of course we men do. Many old-time SF authors were women, with male pseudonyms or 'neutral' names (Andre Norton, James Tiptree, jr.) as they couldn't get published with a male name. And many famous authors outside SF did the same - George Sand, even J K Rowling published a mystery as "Robert Galbraith."

    Gender doesn't enter into it when I read something.


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    #51
    pwurple
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,449 ✭✭✭✭pwurple


    The question itself shows a close-mindedness. Why limit yourself?


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    #52
    Rufeo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 503 ✭✭✭Rufeo


    I read the handmaid's tale by Margaret atwood, but i couldn't finish it, it was so boring.


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    #53
    Greyfox
    Registered Users Posts: 3,733 ✭✭✭Greyfox


    Anybody who intentionally only reads books written by someone that's of the same sex as themselves is a f***ing idiot. People should read reviews or read/listen to what a book is about and that's how you decide. The exception might be the likes of chick lit but that's different as here you'd be making a decision based on genre. If your picking an author by sex unintentionally then your still making a silly mistake and likely missing out on great books.


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    #54
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Looking at my bookshelf - most of the technical/nonfiction is from male authors, except for the language or Psychology books, which tend to be from female authors. In terms of fiction, I tend to read sci-fi/fantasy. There's a broad selection of male/female authors...

    Honestly, in most cases, I wouldn't be able to tell from the writing whether they were male or female, nor would I care.

    Too many people these days are trying to make everything about gender. Fcuk that. A good book is a good book. The gender of the author doesn't matter.


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    #55
    suicide_circus
    Registered Users Posts: 19,802 ✭✭✭✭suicide_circus


    i've read women authors obviously but it just so happens the particular niche of subject matter i enjoy is pretty male dominated.


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    #56
    vriesmays
    Registered Users Posts: 1,570 ✭✭✭vriesmays


    Greyfox wrote: »
    Anybody who intentionally only reads books written by someone that's of the same sex as themselves is a f***ing idiot. People should read reviews or read/listen to what a book is about and that's
    How many men regularly watch movies directed by a woman.


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    #57
    Widdershins
    Registered Users Posts: 10,633 ✭✭✭✭Widdershins


    Other than porn , where her pleasure is usually faked and not the focus, is there a difference between films directed by men and women?


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    #58
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    vriesmays wrote: »
    How many men regularly watch movies directed by a woman.

    There are more male directors than female especially in the genres that appeal to males... just as there's likely more female authors in many book genres. I've got 19 psychology books, and only 3 were written by males.


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    #59
    Doctors room ghost
    Registered Users Posts: 4,806 ✭✭✭Doctors room ghost


    I’ll read anything once it’s not a load of sh1te.dont care if it was written by midget elves in a damp cave once it’s good.
    Some of the sh1te out there isn’t fit for lighting fires with


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    #60
    ILoveYourVibes
    Registered Users Posts: 15,176 ✭✭✭✭ILoveYourVibes


    Deleted User wrote: »
    Looking at my bookshelf - most of the technical/nonfiction is from male authors, except for the language or Psychology books, which tend to be from female authors. In terms of fiction, I tend to read sci-fi/fantasy. There's a broad selection of male/female authors...

    Honestly, in most cases, I wouldn't be able to tell from the writing whether they were male or female, nor would I care.

    Too many people these days are trying to make everything about gender. Fcuk that. A good book is a good book. The gender of the author doesn't matter.
    Yeah but if you ARE an aspiring author ...pretend to be a white dude even if you aren't a dude or aren't white ....better safe than sorry.


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    #61
    donegal.
    Registered Users Posts: 4,635 ✭✭✭donegal.


    80% of books read are by women, a very large percentage is fiction. Men mostly read biographies.

    For women the sex of the author is irrelevant but men will ONLY read male authors

    This is according to a guest on newstalk based on sales figures


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