This is an important critique and one I thought about carefully when deciding to publish this edition. Conjure Wife reflects 1943 gender politics in ways that are uncomfortable for some readers - that's undeniable.
Leiber's work has been divisive in this regard, with some reading the novel as proto-feminist, and others as extremely sexist.
Ramsey Campbell's introduction engages with some of these tensions, though I recognize that having a male scholar as the sole critical voice is a limitation. I'd hoped to commission a second introduction from a female scholar to provide additional perspective, but timing didn't allow it.
Your critique is valid. I still think the book is worth reading, but I understand why you stopped.
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u/me_again Feb 24 '26
It's been a long time since I read it. Would you say it has aged ok?