We've got your back. With the Tough-O-Meter, you'll know whether to bring extra layers or Swiss army knives as you summit the literary mountain. (10 = Toughest)
(7) Snow Line
The modern translation of this book is no problem in terms of accessibility. The real challenge with Pizan's writing is that she writes in a way that tends to bore modern brains kind of quickly.
First she'll make an argument, and then she'll give example after example showing that the argument is correct. These examples start to get really list-y after a while, and your mind will probably start to drift. But try to stick with the individual stories she tells, because all of them are from classical history and literature.
We suggest you approach The Book of the City of Ladies the way you might tackle a box of chocolates. Sure, you could just devour the whole dang thing at once, but you might feel lethargic afterwards (and during, ugh).
Instead, do the equivalent of eating one chocolate, savoring it, checking the key for what kind of truffle you just ate (orange cream, mmmm), and moving on. Slow and steady wins the race. Read a few historical tidbits about awesome women in The Book of the City of Ladies, Google any heroines that might inspire you, and move on to the next delicious biographical morsel.