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lucyduller's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
How to be a Woman
Gosh this book…
Caitlin Moran makes some really good points, like the fact women’s shoes are incredibly uncomfortable, and why do we feel the pressure to wear heels? However she takes it too far, suggesting all women who wear heels are…a bit stupid. There is an element of blame, that sometimes comes across as comedy. This applies to strip club workers, and what women do with their pubes. She begs women to stop shaving, and taste their own menstrual blood which I found…bizarre. Not because it’s WAY TOO RADICAL AND CRAZY, but so incredibly..unnecessary.
I get it, she’s trying to tackle societal issues that women face by encouraging mobilisation. But in the weirdest ways.
That being said, I related to so much of this book. Difficulty finding clothing that actually are practical and comfortable, being made to feel like rubbish by every industry, be it beauty, diet, skincare, fast fashion, wellness. The feeling of finding stretch marks for the first time, getting your first period, falling in love with pricks. Below is a quote I felt in the PITS of my soul.
“When I find a way to make him happy everything will be fine. He is broken and I must fix him and then the good bit of our relationship will start to happen. This is just the tricky, early bit of love where I undo all the bad stuff and finally let him be who he is secretly inside. Secretly inside, he does love me.” How to be a Woman
Gosh this book…
So she makes some really good points, like the fact women’s shoes are incredibly uncomfortable, and why do we feel the pressure to wear heels? However she takes it too far, suggesting all women who wear heels are…a bit stupid. There is an element of blame, that sometimes comes across as comedy. This applies to strip club workers, and what women do with their pubes. She begs women to stop shaving, and taste their own menstrual blood which I found…bizarre. Not because it’s WAY TOO RADICAL AND CRAZY, but so incredibly..unnecessary.
I get it, she’s trying to tackle societal issues that women face by encouraging mobilisation. But in the weirdest ways.
That being said, I related to so much of this book. Difficulty finding clothing that actually are practical and comfortable, being made to feel like rubbish by every industry, be it beauty, diet, skincare, fast fashion, wellness. The feeling of finding stretch marks for the first time, getting your first period, falling in love with pricks. Below is a quote I felt in the PITS of my soul.
“When I find a way to make him happy everything will be fine. He is broken and I must fix him and then the good bit of our relationship will start to happen. This is just the tricky, early bit of love where I undo all the bad stuff and finally let him be who he is secretly inside. Secretly inside, he does love me.”
My favourite part of the book was her section on abortion, she is so open about her abortion and how it was such an easy decision. She discusses how actually anyone who believes in the sanctity of life would agree with abortion, because an unwanted child is more likely to go on to do awful things and not “cure cancer”, which many people use as an argument to force every foetus to be born.
Oh and the racism:
I listened to the audiobook and if you plan to do the same, advanced warning that she reads the n word aloud twice. Oh and that she thinks Muslim women shouldn’t wear burqas, which I don’t think is any of her business.
So as I said, it’s a shame this book has dated so poorly because there are some gems in there and I think she has good intentions. Give it a go, but take it all with a fistful of salt.
My favourite part of the book was her section on abortion, she is so open about her abortion and how it was such an easy decision. She discusses how actually anyone who believes in the sanctity of life would agree with abortion, because an unwanted child is more likely to go on to do awful things and not “cure cancer”, which many people use as an argument to force every foetus to be born.
Oh and the racism:
I listened to the audiobook and if you plan to do the same, advanced warning that she reads the n word aloud twice. Oh and that she thinks Muslim women shouldn’t wear burqas, which I don’t think is any of her business.
So as I said, it’s a shame this book has dated so poorly because there are some gems in there and I think she has good intentions. Give it a go, but take it all with a fistful of salt.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Racial slurs, and Misogyny
tlholmes's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion and Alcohol
Moderate: Drug use, Sexual content, Sexism, Classism, and Cursing
Minor: Pregnancy
georgiesutton's review against another edition
3.75
This is an entertaining memoir, but it is super dated now especially as a possibly feminist book. There are several uses of slurs and sentences that make you cringe (and not in a funny way) particularly regarding race and disability.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy and Abortion
Moderate: Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Cursing, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Ableism, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Vomit, and Alcohol
clarapaquerette's review against another edition
challenging
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion, Sexism, Racial slurs, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Misogyny, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, and Body shaming
Minor: Miscarriage
lauren_taythe's review against another edition
funny
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Written humorously, easy to delve into and enjoy. I did find it quite eurocentric and centred around cis/het culture but that's probably because it was written from Moran's personal life experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion
Moderate: Ableism, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, and Sexism
Minor: Alcohol, Sexism, Racial slurs, and Misogyny
marielaabrown's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
3.25
As a reader of quote dense non-fiction, it was a nice breath of fresh air to have a more narrative bolstering of my feminist identity. Granted, it lacked facts and evidence for the proclamations made and to me screamed “white femininism” in the priorities about naming body parts and choosing clothes rather than a focus on genuine social justice.
However, there were great chapters and conversations and explorations written in a HILARIOUS WAY, like I snorted when I laughed loudly on the train and went bright red. Especially the chapter on abortion or body image, those topics and her writing do well at solving personal qualms created by the patriarchy, rather than looking at a national scale or the more political side of feminism.
Overall, a funny and interesting book. I wouldn’t call it essential feminism literature, but on a personal level, this could help confirm your feminist identity, explore interesting points. As an overall non-fiction book, I do prefer far-reaching and social justice focus topics, looking at systemic attitudes more deeply and critically- but that’s a personal preference!
However, there were great chapters and conversations and explorations written in a HILARIOUS WAY, like I snorted when I laughed loudly on the train and went bright red. Especially the chapter on abortion or body image, those topics and her writing do well at solving personal qualms created by the patriarchy, rather than looking at a national scale or the more political side of feminism.
Overall, a funny and interesting book. I wouldn’t call it essential feminism literature, but on a personal level, this could help confirm your feminist identity, explore interesting points. As an overall non-fiction book, I do prefer far-reaching and social justice focus topics, looking at systemic attitudes more deeply and critically- but that’s a personal preference!
Content Warnings
Minor: Abortion, Sexism, and Fatphobia
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