The Accidental Feminist

The Accidental Feminist: How Elizabeth Taylor Raised Our Our Consciousness and We Were Too Distracted by Her Beauty to Notice by M.G. Lord

4 out of 5 stars

214 pages

Pub. Date:  January 31, 2012 – Walker & Company

   I have always been a big fan of Elizabeth Taylor. I love her movies, her jewelry, her life, and her passion. When I was in high school I wrote a paper on her life and loves. I own several biographies of hers. So when I was recently checking the bookdrop, I stumbled upon a new biography of Ms. Taylor by M.G. Lord. The title, The Accidental Feminist: How Elizabeth Taylor Raised Our Consciousness and We Were Too Distracted by Her Beauty to Notice, intrigued me so I checked it out and moved it up to the top of my TBR pile.

   After reading the Accidental Feminist, I realized that basically Lord had written, what felt like in my opinion, a thesis on the movie portrayals of Elizabeth Taylor and how those characters possessed feminist characteristics. She would sprinkle in tidbits of Taylor’s infamous life, but mostly the book was a critique of her movie roles. The book caters to those who are already familiar with Taylor’s life. 

   I wish Lord would have included more of Taylor’s later philanthropic works with AIDS foundations. She does include some information about this period in Taylor’s life but the book drops off for the most part after Taylor’s movie roles slow down. I would recommend this book to other fans of Taylor’s who aren’t looking for a new biography, but more of a feminist critique of her work during specific time periods.