The narrator, Van, provides the middle perspective – a sociologist, the impression we are given is that he is telling us the accurate truth, unbiased by opinions on women, because he is so well educated in the ways of other societies in the world. Jeff is a romantic, believes that women are angels, delicate women to be cared for and protected, wooed gently. Terry, the rich and handsome one, sees women as entirely there for his pleasure, to obey him, and envisions that he will instantly be made king if it really is a country of women. The three men represent a spectrum of attitudes to women. Naturally, because they are so advanced, for a long time the men who have discovered them cannot honestly believe that this can be a solely female society, and insist that there must be men hidden somewhere.

The women have learned to reproduce without men, and for two thousand years have lived in peace and prosperity, with progress comparable to that of the West. Written in 1915, it tells the story of three men who discover a hidden country populated entirely by women. I can’t even remember how I heard about this book, but when I did I knew I had to read it. Genre: Speculative fiction, feminist literature, classics

There are also various editions available from different publishers, but I found the kindle edition from Project Gutenberg very readable. UK Publisher: This is now public domain, so it can be got for free from Project Gutenberg.

Herland charlotte perkins