'The World's Wide' by Carol Ann Duffy - A Review



The future, and the past and Literature, is female.

Rating - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genre - poetry

Themes - women, female exploitation, female empowerment, patriarchy

Similar books - 'Lessons in Chemistry' - Bonnie Garmus

Sticking to my word I'm back with another article on my latest read: 'The World's Wife' by poet Carol Ann Duffy. In her poetry anthology, Duffy gives a voice to the unspoken lives of the women behind the world's greatest  (or most nefarious) men in both fiction and reality.

This poetry anthology really revolves around the same thing - the women, mainly the wives/lovers, of the most influential men in history, ranging from Greek Mythology, to fiction and then real men. Yet every poem is unique in its own way, giving each woman their own distinct voice. 'Mrs Beast' uses her freedom to celebrate the women silenced by the abuses of men before her. The loving relationship between 'Anne Hathaway' and William Shakespeare contrasted to the passionate, erotic and toxic love affair between the Devil and his wife. Yet all consider the overarching theme of the patriarchy and its abuses on women, as well as the vain and egotistical nature of men. The statue of Pygmalion must bare his sexual advances, heartbreak for 'Medusa', 'Mrs Quasimodo' and 'Queen Kong' the pain is endless. 

If you're looking for more feminist literature to read I would highly recommend 'Lessons in Chemistry' by Bonnie Garmus. Take a break from poetry and delve into Garmus' beautiful and cleverly constructed prose as she explores the life of women in the 1960s, through her bold and defiant protagonist Elizabeth Zott. I promise you'll love it. 

I know I've been giving lots of books five stars. It's because I can't really think of anything wrong with them yet they still have no spark. 'The World's Wife' did. It reminded me why exactly I love reading and I honestly didn't want it to end. Duffy gave us 30 poems but she should have given us 30 more. So for it's originality and interesting fascinating take on feminism and the female psyche, I give 'The World's Wife' five stars.

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