The Politics of Cruelty: An Essay on the Literature of Political Imprisonment is the eighth book by American feminist writer and activist Kate Millett. It was published in 1994 by W. W. Norton & Company. Advertised as Millett's "most important work since Sexual Politics" (1970), American writer E. J. Levy described it as "an examination of twentieth-century torture, as it is revealed through the literature of its witnesses".[1][2][3]
 Cover of the first edition, with a picture of Millett's Homage to the Old Men at the Houston Hotel (1976) by Jack Beshears. | |
| Author | Kate Millett |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Francine Kass |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | W. W. Norton & Company |
Publication date | 1994 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 335 |
| ISBN | 0-393-31312-3 |
Reception
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Kirkus Reviews stated that "the almost total absence of research or firsthand interviews, and the heavy-handed use of 'patriarchy' as a generic explanation for the world's ills are disappointing" and that Millett's final analysis "doesn't rise far over the level of op-ed exhortation".[4] In a review from Socialist Review, Austin Challen found the book "a reminder of the barbarity of the capitalist state ... but offers no suggestions on how to organise in opposition."[5] As appears on the back cover, feminist scholar Catharine Stimpson said it is "perhaps her strongest book since Sexual Politics", and Stan Persky of Toronto Globe and Mail described it as an "eloquent, important book."
References
edit- ^ Levy, E. J. (April 30, 1995). "The Politics of Cruelty: An Essay on the Literature of Political Imprisonment by Kate Millett (book review)". Hurricane Alice. 10 (4). Retrieved July 23, 2022 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "The Politics of Cruelty: An Essay on the Literature of Political Imprisonment by Kate Millett (book review)". Publishers Weekly. April 4, 1994. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ Nichols, Bruce (1995). "The Politics of Cruelty: An Essay on the Literature of Political Imprisonment by Kate Millett (book review)". Orbis. 39 (2). Retrieved July 23, 2022 – via Gale Academic OneFile.
- ^ "The Politics of Cruelty: An Essay on the Literature of Political Imprisonment by Kate Millett (book review)". Kirkus Reviews. January 1, 1994. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ Challen, Austin (November 1994). "Unnatural punishments". Socialist Review. 180. Archived from the original on July 23, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2022 – via Marxists Internet Archive.
Further reading
edit- James, Stanlie M. (1996). "The Politics of Cruelty: An Essay on the Literature of Political Imprisonment by Kate Millett (book review)". Signs. 21 (2): 467–471. doi:10.1086/495076. Retrieved July 23, 2022 – via Chicago Journals.
- Myers, J. A. (April 30, 1995). "The Threat of Absolute Power". The Lesbian Review of Books. 1 (3). Retrieved July 23, 2022 – via ProQuest.
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