I read only one book published this year, a diary written by a Canadian woman.

I usually read (and re-read) straight white male authors (many of whom are deceased), so I’ve read Experiments written by Canadian author Sheila Hetty and published in 2024. The memoir was certainly new to me. First of all, I have never read any of Hetty’s other works (such as the novels “What Should I Be?”, “Motherhood”, and “Pure Color”). I had no expectations, but when I bought her latest work, I only had a vague idea of ​​who she was and what she was like that I had gleaned from articles. ”alphabet diary”It was a pleasant surprise to say the least.

Hetty kept a diary for over ten years, writing down texts about her daily life. She wrote about common things like toothpaste, croissants, and coffee. She wrote about her friends, family, and men. She wrote about art and writing. She travels to cities across Europe. Do you live in New York City or Canada? Her fear and anxiety about marriage. She then arranged each sentence in alphabetical order. All sentences starting with the word “a” constituted the “A” chapter. All sentences starting with the word “b”, chapter “B”. and so on. There’s no story, of course, just a flood of thoughts organized into beautiful prose that reads more like poetry than prose.

“Speak your language perfectly,” Hetty writes in chapter “B.” “Don’t be miserable about the world. Be optimistic, because you know that steady effort always gets you somewhere… It’s better to be on the outside, where you’ve always been, throughout life, at school.” In the “S” chapter, she implores herself to “stop” doing things that take her away from art. It is written as follows. Please stop performing at universities. Please stop going on stage, stop traveling, etc. Stop Googling it yourself. Please stop reading reviews. Stop spending money. Stop telling everyone about your new project and just think about it quietly. ”

It doesn’t apply to everyone. In fact, my first weak attempt at reading it got boring and failed. Then I started feeling sick, couldn’t concentrate on the book with the plot, and got bored with the screen, so I picked it up again and finished it within a few days. It was a diary, and other people’s diaries are usually fun to read. It’s one of those books that made me sad when I finished it and wanted to go back and read it again.

Many conservative young men – not all, but quite a few – women like Sheila Hetty – single, Canadian, so-called “feminists” by critics, childless. When you look at “Divorced”, you probably only see a cartoon-like caricature. , an angry and forever lonely cat woman who hates men and wants to ruin her life with left-wing politics. After reading Hetty’s book, the exaggerations have never seemed so childish and shallow. People are infinitely complex, and their minds are fickle. It’s enlightening to read about someone struggling with their own nature, especially if that person is superficially very different from you, like Hetty was to me.

The same applies to women. Many women, again not all, see men as caricatures rather than human beings. Men are misogynists. Men are racist. The man is a pig. This is part of the reason why young men and women seem to hate each other in the modern world. Why do they always feel lonely and why do they have trouble forming close relationships? They always see the worst in the opposite sex, as if only in caricatures. Never try to understand the other person. Because understanding requires patience and empathy. (Related: A famous singer perfectly explains why modern men are suffering)

Hetty’s book is a beautiful reminder that no one is a caricature. That’s why I recommend this book to conservatives, especially young conservative men who think all women are female bosses trying to destroy their lives. It’s easy to see others as little cartoons and exaggerate their worst qualities. But trying to understand humans with as much compassion as we give ourselves is much more difficult and ultimately more rewarding.