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claratwentyone's review
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.25
Really enjoyed all the different perspectives and story. It was sad, funny, informative and so much more!
kevin_shepherd's review against another edition
4.0
Helen Gurley Brown’s proto-feminist, how-to classic, Sex and the Single Girl came screaming into existence in 1962. So did I. That means that both of us, that book/this body, will turn 60 this year. Trust me when I say this, neither of us has aged well.
I won’t go into the details of how homophobic, fat phobic and horrifically racist Brown’s book actually is (there’s a link to THAT review at the end of THIS review). But I will say that those who rated it five stars either A) never read it, or B) don’t remember the details of it, or C) are horrible, horrible people.
That said, this 2022 reimagining of Brown’s shallow homage to skinny, privileged, heterosexual, white women is a breath of rarified air. Herein are twenty-four essays from all those demographics that Brown either minimized, dismissed, insulted or completely ignored.
If your life doesn’t revolve around the plasticine imagery of ‘Housewife Gazette,’ or you weigh more than 8 stones (112 lbs), or your skin tone is something other than alabaster, or you happen to prefer the company of same sex housemates—read this [Sex and the Single Woman] and skip that [Sex and the Single Girl].
_________________________________
A few of my favorite quotes
“”You need to look glamorous every minute,” writes Helen Gurley Brown, in a siren song from beyond the grave. I’m sure wherever she is now, she’s perfectly turned out: face spackled with Max Factor Pan-Cake makeup, wig sleek and glossy, Chanel suit tailored close to the bone, hunger pangs ignored, even in the afterlife.” ~Briallen Hopper (pg 116)
“Once, I dated a Pentecostal white guy. He said it was crucial that I was baptized again with only the name of Jesus. Not the trinity, or I wouldn’t get into heaven. He performed my second baptism, pushing me under the water, and then a few days later we f**ked in a sh*tty motel room near the interstate.” ~Tiana Clark (pg 170)
“Sex workers aren’t killed because sex work is inherently dangerous. A culture of shame and violent policing is what makes sex work dangerous. If a client had decided to rape me or force me to do things I didn’t permit, he would likely face no consequences. Because reporting it to the police would mean I would be arrested, or worse, assaulted again—by the police.” ~Xoài Pham (pg 206)
“I don’t know if I sleep better when I’m alone, but when I’m alone, I’m free to sleep poorly.” ~Seema Reza (pg 217)
__________________________________
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4586041697
I won’t go into the details of how homophobic, fat phobic and horrifically racist Brown’s book actually is (there’s a link to THAT review at the end of THIS review). But I will say that those who rated it five stars either A) never read it, or B) don’t remember the details of it, or C) are horrible, horrible people.
That said, this 2022 reimagining of Brown’s shallow homage to skinny, privileged, heterosexual, white women is a breath of rarified air. Herein are twenty-four essays from all those demographics that Brown either minimized, dismissed, insulted or completely ignored.
If your life doesn’t revolve around the plasticine imagery of ‘Housewife Gazette,’ or you weigh more than 8 stones (112 lbs), or your skin tone is something other than alabaster, or you happen to prefer the company of same sex housemates—read this [Sex and the Single Woman] and skip that [Sex and the Single Girl].
_________________________________
A few of my favorite quotes
“”You need to look glamorous every minute,” writes Helen Gurley Brown, in a siren song from beyond the grave. I’m sure wherever she is now, she’s perfectly turned out: face spackled with Max Factor Pan-Cake makeup, wig sleek and glossy, Chanel suit tailored close to the bone, hunger pangs ignored, even in the afterlife.” ~Briallen Hopper (pg 116)
“Once, I dated a Pentecostal white guy. He said it was crucial that I was baptized again with only the name of Jesus. Not the trinity, or I wouldn’t get into heaven. He performed my second baptism, pushing me under the water, and then a few days later we f**ked in a sh*tty motel room near the interstate.” ~Tiana Clark (pg 170)
“Sex workers aren’t killed because sex work is inherently dangerous. A culture of shame and violent policing is what makes sex work dangerous. If a client had decided to rape me or force me to do things I didn’t permit, he would likely face no consequences. Because reporting it to the police would mean I would be arrested, or worse, assaulted again—by the police.” ~Xoài Pham (pg 206)
“I don’t know if I sleep better when I’m alone, but when I’m alone, I’m free to sleep poorly.” ~Seema Reza (pg 217)
__________________________________
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4586041697
temiii's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book! I was not expecting how raw and beautiful some essays would be. Some of my favorites were: Party of One, Once a White Guy, Are You Having Sex?, Self Help, and Loved Out Loud. I’m excited to read more from each of the writers involved in this anthology piece.
ginnyandtonic's review against another edition
5.0
God this book was so freaking good. I went into it totally blind, although I was familiar with a couple of the essayists, and did not expect for it to resonate so deeply or that I’d fall in love with every essay. It’s just a truly beautiful book. Yes, sex is a theme in the anthology, but it’s about so much more than that, and goes deep into themes of friendships, relationships, body image, autonomy, independence… So many experiences of womanhood were represented, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of queer, trans, and nonbinary/genderqueer narratives. Everyone should read this, even if you’re not single or not a woman. I’m sure I’ll return to these essays again and again.
whimsofmin's review against another edition
5.0
Ease of Reading: 5✨
Substantiality: 5✨
Impactfulness: 5✨
Writing: 5✨
Overall: 5✨
Format: Audiovisual
Month Read: June 22
Recommend: Yess
This is a collection of beautifully written essays that are definitely not just for the single woman. They are explorative and enlightening and please just read them!
There are so many perspectives from different ages, races, queerness that no matter your background you will hopefully learn like I did. And also hopefully be inspired like I was too.
The book is based on a book written in the 60s, with a very modern take and discussion. It introduced me to 24 new writers that I’m sure I’ll read more of. What a book.
Substantiality: 5✨
Impactfulness: 5✨
Writing: 5✨
Overall: 5✨
Format: Audiovisual
Month Read: June 22
Recommend: Yess
This is a collection of beautifully written essays that are definitely not just for the single woman. They are explorative and enlightening and please just read them!
There are so many perspectives from different ages, races, queerness that no matter your background you will hopefully learn like I did. And also hopefully be inspired like I was too.
The book is based on a book written in the 60s, with a very modern take and discussion. It introduced me to 24 new writers that I’m sure I’ll read more of. What a book.
sashika_fortheloveofbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to harperperennial for sending me this book. #gifted
This book contains so much depth within its pages. To go into a little background; in 1962, Helen Gurley Brown’s Sex and the single girl was published. Even though I have not read it, it is said that it contains some outdated advice which would be considered offensive by today’s standards.
In contrast, Sex and the Single Woman brings insights into the lives of different individuals. Women and Non-gender conforming individuals from highly diverse backgrounds, from all walks of life reimagines Brown’s classic. At the same time, this feminist anthropology brings the stories of those many women, 24 to be exact, into light. This has an amazing collection of stories about a vast range of topics that revolve around womanhood, such as contraception, abortion, queer and trans womanhood, polyamory, celibacy, interracial dating, bodies of all kinds, consent, sex work, IVF and the pop culture that both saves and fails us. I learned so much while reading this. I FELT SEEN. My favorite chapter was ‘In pursuit of brown-on-brown love’ by Jennifer Chowdhury. This is a paragraph from the said chapter,
“Despite sharing a language and cultural background, we’ve had completely different life experiences. We didn’t need to go through the same trauma to learn from each other, to respect each other’s thoughts and desires. He helped me find what I truly craved and identify what had been there all along: an unwavering sense of self.”
This book contains so much depth within its pages. To go into a little background; in 1962, Helen Gurley Brown’s Sex and the single girl was published. Even though I have not read it, it is said that it contains some outdated advice which would be considered offensive by today’s standards.
In contrast, Sex and the Single Woman brings insights into the lives of different individuals. Women and Non-gender conforming individuals from highly diverse backgrounds, from all walks of life reimagines Brown’s classic. At the same time, this feminist anthropology brings the stories of those many women, 24 to be exact, into light. This has an amazing collection of stories about a vast range of topics that revolve around womanhood, such as contraception, abortion, queer and trans womanhood, polyamory, celibacy, interracial dating, bodies of all kinds, consent, sex work, IVF and the pop culture that both saves and fails us. I learned so much while reading this. I FELT SEEN. My favorite chapter was ‘In pursuit of brown-on-brown love’ by Jennifer Chowdhury. This is a paragraph from the said chapter,
“Despite sharing a language and cultural background, we’ve had completely different life experiences. We didn’t need to go through the same trauma to learn from each other, to respect each other’s thoughts and desires. He helped me find what I truly craved and identify what had been there all along: an unwavering sense of self.”