The Feminine Mystique vs The Subjection of Women: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Droits, Social and moral questions, Femmes, Women
The Feminine Mystique
“The problem lay buried, unspoken, for many years in the minds of American women.”
More
Landmark, groundbreaking, classic―these adjectives barely do justice to the pioneering vision and lasting impact of The Feminine Mystique. Published in 1963, it gave a pitch-perfect description of “the problem that has…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Subjection of Women is the quickest read — about 2 hours vs 7 for The Feminine Mystique.
- The Feminine Mystique has the widest readership — 31964 ratings behind its score.
Affiliate links: we may earn a commission on purchases.
How to choose
Scores by source
| The Feminine Mystique | The Subjection of Women | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.9 (31964) | 3.9 (3847) |
| Hardcover | 4.0 (1) | 5.0 (1) |
| Apple Books | 5.0 (6) | 4.0 (6) |
| Check price → | Check price → |
Reception
| The Feminine Mystique | The Subjection of Women | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 31964 | 3847 |
| Editions | 52 | 54 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | — | 9868 |
| Reading it now | — | 575 |
| Written reviews | — | 348 |
| Wikipedia attention | 7727 | 1979 |
| Pages | 386 | 141 |
| Check price → | Check price → |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Feminine Mystique or The Subjection of Women?
The Subjection of Women has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Subjection of Women 3.9/5, The Feminine Mystique 3.9/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Feminine Mystique or The Subjection of Women?
The Subjection of Women is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Subjection of Women (141 pages, ≈ 2 h 37 m); The Feminine Mystique (386 pages, ≈ 7 h 09 m).
Which is harder to read: The Feminine Mystique or The Subjection of Women?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Feminine Mystique: Moderate; The Subjection of Women: Demanding.