100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Overnight NZ-wide delivery on in-stock orders 🚀

Fruit of Knowledge

4.5 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 13,183 ratings, 1,188 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Fruit of Knowledge by Liv Strömquist is an incisive and witty graphic novel exploring the cultural, historical, and political dimensions of female bodies, especially vulvas, vaginas, clitorises, and menstruation. Through sharp commentary and illustrative storytelling, Strömquist takes readers from ancient myths such as Adam and Eve to contemporary feminist movements like pussyhats, uncovering how societies have alternately punished, praised, and pathologised women's health. Her work reveals uncomfortable truths and charts the ongoing struggles surrounding women's autonomy and representation.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK Please add to wishlist to be notified when back in stock

Sorry, we're currently out of stock of Fruit of Knowledge. Please add to your Wishlist and we'll send you an email as soon as it's back in stock.

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This graphic novel is ideal for readers interested in feminist perspectives, social history, and graphic storytelling. It will resonate with those curious about gender studies, women's health, and cultural critique. Fans of authors like Alison Bechdel and Jacky Fleming will find it essential, as well as anyone seeking an engaging and thought-provoking exploration of women's bodies and society.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

An international bestseller, Fruit of Knowledge is a funny, powerful and eye-opening graphic nonfiction book about the female body and our love-hate relationship with it throughout history.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

‘How I loved reading Fruit of Knowledge... Clever, angry, funny and righteous, also informative to an eye-popping degree’ Rachel Cooke, Observer Graphic Novel of the Month

From Adam and Eve to pussy hats, people have punished, praised, pathologised, and politicised vulvas, vaginas, clitorises, and menstruation. In the international bestseller Fruit of Knowledge, celebrated Swedish cartoonist Liv Strömquist traces how different cultures and traditions have shaped women's health and beyond.

Her biting, informed commentary and ponytailed avatar guides the reader from the darkest chapters of history (a clitoridectomy performed on a five-year-old American child as late as 1948) to the lightest (vulvas used as architectural details as a symbol of protection). Like Alison Bechdel and Jacky Fleming, she uses the comics medium to reveal uncomfortable truths about how far we haven't come.

‘Just the thing for all the feminists in your life’ Observer Books of the Year

‘This book made me laugh in public (and also cry a little). It is the book I gave to my younger sister the next time I saw her because of its anger and brilliance and because it is an overwhelming source of knowledge about things we should all already know’ Daisy Johnson, author of the Man Booker Prize-shortlisted Everything Under

‘There are moments of genuine hilarity, as when Strömquist pictures the dinner party chatter of men living under a matriarchy, and others of fierce anger in this wild, witty and vital book’ Observer Books of the Year

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Critics have praised Fruit of Knowledge as brilliantly drawn, cleverly researched and deeply funny. Rachel Cooke of the Observer calls it "clever, angry, funny and righteous" with "eye-popping" informativeness. The Times Literary Supplement brands it brilliantly witty, while The Quietus recommends buying multiple copies due to its compelling nature. The book is celebrated for its feminist insight, snappy humour, and instructive power.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780349010731

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 21 August 2018

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Virago Press Ltd

Illustration: Fully illustrated graphic novel

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly, Children

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 16.0mm

Width: 172.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 400g

Pages: 144

About the Author

Liv Stromquist was born in 1978 and lives in Malmo, Sweden. She has published seven graphic novels in Sweden. Her work draws on political and sociological theory, and often examines and analyzes different kinds of power. Fruit of Knowledge is her first book to appear in English and is being published in seventeen countries. Follow her on Instagram @leifstromquist.

More from Graphic Novels

View all
  • New Release
    Heartstopper Volume 6
    Read it before you see it: Heartstopper Forever movie coming soon from Netflix Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. The final installment in the bestselling LGBTQ+ graphic novel series about life, love, and everything that happens in between. Everyone in school knows Nick and Charlie. Everyone knows they're going to be togetherforever. But Charlie's busy with...
    Paperback
    $2499
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Lightfall: A Place Between
    In the fourth installment of the award-winning, critically acclaimed Lightfall series, Bea, Cad, and their friends continue their quest to restore light on their dark world. Perfect for fans of Amulet and Avatar, this next book dives deeper into the magical world of Irpa, where ancient secrets and adventures abound.After surviving a shipwreck on the Fuerre Sea, Cad washes ashore on...
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2699
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Demon Slayer Complete Box Set
    Contains Volumes 1-23. Full colour. Double-sided Poster and Commemorative Mini-Book. Tanjiro embarks on the perilous path of a Demon Slayer, driven by a mission to save his sister and seek justice for his slain family! In the backdrop of Taisho-era Japan, we meet the compassionate Tanjiro Kamado, a boy who makes a humble living by selling charcoal. However, his tranquil...
    Paperback
    $29500
    Elsewhere:
    $41000
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Tokyo Ghoul Complete Box Set
    Ghouls live among us, the same as normal people in every way—except for their craving for human flesh. A box set that includes all fourteen volumes of the original Tokyo Ghoul series. Includes an exclusive double-sided poster. Ken Kaneki is an ordinary college student until a violent encounter turns him into the first half-human, half-Ghoul hybrid. Trapped between two worlds,...
    Paperback
    $23500
    Elsewhere:
    $31500
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • One Piece Box Set 1: East Blue and Baroque Works
    A premium box set of the first two story arcs of One Piece, one of the most beloved and bestselling manga series of all time! As a child, Monkey D. Luffy dreamed of becoming King of the Pirates. His life took a dramatic turn when he accidentally consumed the Gum-Gum Fruit, an enchanted Devil Fruit that granted him the incredible...
    Paperback
    $31500
    Elsewhere:
    $41000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • One Piece (Omnibus Edition), Vol. 1
    One Piece (Omnibus Edition), Vol. 1 by Eiichiro Oda invites readers on an exhilarating journey across the vast and treacherous oceans. Follow the ambitious young pirate, Monkey D. Luffy, and his eclectic crew as they embark on an epic quest to uncover the legendary treasure known as the One Piece, a prize that will crown its possessor as the King...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2899
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • MrBallen Presents: Where Nightmares Live
    From the New York Times bestselling author and creator of the hit MrBallen Podcast and YouTube channel comes a vividly illustrated graphic novel featuring nine spine-chilling stories, based on real events, of the horror that lurks within the unknown. In MrBallen Presents: Where Nightmares Live, John Allen, known popularly as MrBallen, returns with another heart-stopping collection of strange and mysterious...
    Hardback
    $4400
    Elsewhere:
    $5500
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Talons Of Power: The Graphic Novel (Wings of Fire, Book Nine)
    For every villain, there is a hero ... Turtle isn’t one of the heroes he reads about in stories. If he were, he’d use his animus powers to help Pyrrhia - instead of keeping his abilities a secret, even from his own sister. Now that Darkstalker, the sinister and impossibly old dragon from Pyrrhia’s most notorious legends, has returned, Turtle...
    Paperback
    $2000
    Elsewhere:
    $2199
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Berserk Deluxe Volume 1
    In Berserk Deluxe Volume 1, journey into a dark and unforgiving world where the infamous mercenary known as Guts, wielding his colossal broadsword with unmatched ferocity, navigates a treacherous landscape filled with both supernatural and human threats. Set in a medieval realm where power is brutally wielded and exploited, Guts's tale unfolds as he battles demons and soldiers alike, driven...
    Hardback
    $8500
    Elsewhere:
    $10000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • My Hero Academia Box Set 1
    Midoriya inherits the superpower of the world’s greatest hero, but greatness won’t come easy. Collect the first 20 volumes of the bestselling My Hero Academia manga in this heroic box set! Also includes a full-colour double-sided poster and an exclusive 48-page booklet featuring the never-before-seen bonus illustrations and author commentary printed on volume 1–20’s book covers in Japan!
    Paperback
    $25900
    Elsewhere:
    $35500
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Witch Hat Atelier: Grimoire Edition 1
    New Release
    Witch Hat Atelier: Grimoire Edition 1
    This deluxe, keepsake-quality hardcover edition includes three volumes of the acclaimed fantasy manga on which the enchanting anime was based. Experience the beautiful tale of a young witch who discovers her creativity and faces down a dangerous and thrilling world with her friends by her side in these extra-large books, printed on premium paper with intricate gold foil covers and...
    Hardback
    $10500
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 5
    Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 5 by Gege Akutami continues the thrilling saga of Yuji Itadori, a teenager thrown into the perilous world of jujutsu sorcery and cursed spirits. In his quest to save his friends from malevolent supernatural forces, Yuji swallows a finger belonging to Ryomen Sukuna, a fearsome demon whose fragments, if consumed, bestow immense and destructive power. As cursed...
    Paperback
    $2099
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.