As seems to be the case, the chapter that struck me the most in this section of reading was the one that dealt with gendered books. It's interesting to see what genres and subjects about which women were allowed to write. They could write romances and about things that dealt with the household, but adventure and even poetry were considered more for men, depending on the time period. Even though this discrimination and limitations are decreased today, there is still a certain stigma attached to "women's literature". "chick lit" is expected to be about friendships or love or finding fulfillment in marriage and children. Male authors are still the go tos when it comes to political commentary through literature or dark themes. This definitely shouldn't be the case, but I believe there is still a social limitation placed on where female authors are allowed and encouraged to tread.

Again, Manguel starts his argument with a mention of the physicality of books. Boy books were green, female books pink, and neutral books were bound in yellow. As someone who tends to shop new books by cover, this was something I could relate to. Similarly, I could relate to the feeling of shame when stepping outside of what is expected of you. A couple of years ago, I bought Twilight, just to see what the fuss was about. When the cashier asked me if I liked it, I immediately made up a fictional little sister whose birthday gift I was purchasing. I guess I felt that a 23 year old shouldn't be reading what was meant for teens and tweens, never mind the fact that the cashier was herself an elderly WalMart employee who probably had no idea of the intended audience. I don't buy the "fluff" books I read in paperback; instead I use my Kindle so that I can read without fear of silent judgement and scorn. I guess I should feel comfortable reading these female-centered books, but I think the label of "English Major" creates a certain expectation of acceptable material. And, of course, the people in the waiting room of my doctor's office in Rome can just look at me and tell that I am an intelligent English major, and would therefore be immediately embarrassed for me should I be caught reading Sarah Dessen in public.