My 3 Favorite Authors Are Women
And it has nothing to do with being a feminist
Reading has always been my favorite way to relax, even as a child. I’ve probably read hundreds of books in my 28 years, some of them several times. Despite reading a lot, I’ve never been the type of person who needed to have a favorite author or even a favorite book.
If you asked me what I would take to a desert island if I could only take one item, I would say a book. No hesitation. But if you asked me which book, I would probably not be able to choose.
A few years ago, I was looking for a new job and wanted to be prepared if I was asked about my hobbies. After all, asking what someone likes to do when they’re free to do anything is a great way to get to know someone. (Side note: another great way of figuring out which kind of person you’re talking to is to ask them which Hogwarts House they belong to. Trying to figure it out yourself is also a great party game.)
I started asking myself what I could say if someone asked what I liked to do — reading — and which books were my favorites. Trying to understand why I liked some books more than others was eye-opening. To my dismay, that’s when I realized that my 3 favorite authors of all time were women.
I know you’re simply dying to know who these authors are, so I won’t keep you in suspense any longer. In no particular order, my favorite writers are:
- Jane Austen, particularly for Emma (Sense & Sensibility being a very close second)
- J.K. Rowling, most of all for the Strike series (published under her pen name, Robert Galbraith)
- Agatha Christie, especially for Murder on the Orient Express
Before going any further, I want to say that I’ve never thought there was something that only men — or women — could do. That includes writing. That being said, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that all my favorite authors are women.
The understanding of human nature
Until I started thinking about which authors I liked, I’d never taken the time to understand what I liked in a story. Now that I have, it’s very clear to me that there are things these 3 women have in common in their writing: the ability to create deep, human characters. To get perspective on the world they live in, and to make fun of it in their work.
If you’ve ever read anything published by either one of these women, you know what I’m talking about. Jane Austen’s books are not only love stories, they are a very funny criticism of the time she lived in.
Let’s take a look at the first sentence of her most famous book, Pride and Prejudice:
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” — Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice.
Read this and tell me it isn’t dripping with sarcasm. And that’s only the opening line.
Elizabeth Bennet, the main character in Pride and Prejudice, uses irony as much as she breathes. A lot of her characters share the same character trait, but what is most striking is the use of irony in the way Jane Austen describes her own characters and their relationship to society.
“Mary wished to say something very sensible, but knew not how.” — Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice.
Austen’s books are full of these sentences.
J.K. Rowling uses irony in much the same way as Jane Austen did, and is as critical of the world she lives in as Jane Austen was. The Casual Vacancy is a perfect example of this. She writes her characters in a setting where they make fun of each other, and she makes fun of them all. And it’s hilarious.
Agatha Christie does use irony in some of her character descriptions, but her understanding of human nature shows in a different way. Her entire mysteries revolve around motive.
Why would someone kill someone else? Why does this character lie? Why are they trying to hide something?
That’s the main difference between Sherlock Holmes’ stories and Hercule Poirot’s. Sherlock Holmes focuses on clues, and this leads him to the killer. Hercule Poirot focuses on the motive; this leads him to the clues and, eventually, to the killer. And this is why I’ve always enjoyed Hercule Poirot more than Sherlock Holmes.
Being able to understand the world they live in, and the people that live in it is what makes these three women great writers.
Of course, I’m not saying that only women can become great writers, but I think that being part of a group of people that have been oppressed makes it easier to get perspective on the environment you’re in. It’s easier to challenge things that seem obvious to the rest of the world.
But that’s not the only reason I think it might be easier for women to write deep characters.
Women are taught to read people
Our society imposes gender roles, I don’t think anyone will be surprised to read this. Men have to be strong, to be dependable. Women need to be rescued, are sensitive. I’m assuming none of this is news to you.
Let’s be clear. I don’t think women are more sensitive than men as a general rule, but I do think that our society makes it easier for women to have empathy.
We consistently tell women that they are dependent on men for success, and this is where the stereotype of women manipulating men comes from. We tell girls to use their charm to get what they want from men. We tell them to be smart, that there’s nothing wrong with getting a little flirtatious to get ahead.
There are a lot of reasons why this idea is wrong — and disturbing — but I won’t go into detail here.
If we tell women to trick men into giving them what they want, this means that women have to learn how to read people. To manipulate someone, you need to understand them, to be able to tell what they’re thinking, what they want.
Women are not more sensitive than men. They’re just taught to understand other people very early on. They have to.
More than this, we tell girls to be afraid of strangers, we tell them men are physically stronger and can be dangerous. If someone hits on you in a bar, you need to be able to tell if that person is dangerous or not. Again, you need to be able to read them. It becomes second nature, a survival instinct.
Women are not more sensitive than men. They’re just taught to understand other people very early on. They have to. This ability to read people, and to understand what makes them tick is what makes a great writer.
My favorite authors all know how to write great characters, characters that resonate, that feel real. Some people may like books with a lot of actions, or with a lot of twists. I like books with great characters, characters I can hate and relate to at the same time. I like a strong narrator voice making fun of these characters, and their environment.
And this is exactly why I love these three wonderful, inspiring authors.
