Scan barcode
awestervelt20's review
4.0
i’ll start out by saying that i think penny is a brilliant writer and has an incredible way of conveying her ideas in a way that is both funny and shockingly accurate. however, i did feel that this book was a bit repetitive. within each chapter, there are several essays, and often the essays will repeat facts and examples from others within the same chapter. i think that she could have tried to work to condense some of it to make it more enjoyable to read, i feel myself skimming at the end. still enjoyed it for the most part though.
curgoth's review
4.0
Laurie Penny writes about politics, feminism, privilege, class and that sort of thing with her characteristic brilliance. Penny has a gift for putting together sentences so sharp they cut, and a keen insight tempered with compassion.
kaydee's review
4.0
Laurie Penny is the queen of the caustic put down. She is also smart, eloquent, insightful and angry. All the things I want my feminist essayists to be.
frumpleton's review
5.0
Laurie Penny is my favourite journalist and essayist. While I have read many of the essays compiled in this collection that spans between 2015-2017 in their original online publications, it was great to read those I'd missed and re-read some of her best writing on feminism, activism, and life for young people.
Penny's essays inspire me with the thought that there's always hope for a better future and present, and to never stop fighting for that, no matter how many people will tell you it'll never happen. Her incredible turn of phrase and raw writing style is a rallying cry. The essays encapsulate the frustrations, dejection, empathy, and the underlying determination and goodwill of my generation to improve things.
Penny's essays inspire me with the thought that there's always hope for a better future and present, and to never stop fighting for that, no matter how many people will tell you it'll never happen. Her incredible turn of phrase and raw writing style is a rallying cry. The essays encapsulate the frustrations, dejection, empathy, and the underlying determination and goodwill of my generation to improve things.
spoerk's review
I love the concept of Laurie Penny. And I normally don't mind reading her stuff, but for whatever reason, I just couldn't get into this one.
gmrickel's review
5.0
I really enjoyed digging into this book (my copy had all sorts of annotations). I like reading essay collections in general, they are easier to consume (like short story collections), and this one touched on many of my favorite feminist topics. Highly recommended it! I'll be looking for the authors works online so I can read her regularly. If you liked Geek Feminist Revolution you may also like this book.
nanditha's review
The title of the book made me curious and I was wondering why a book about feminism would have the word "bitch" in its title which is not a gender-neutral term at all. Laurie clears this this for the readers in the book's introduction itself.
"Bitch Doctrine" is a collection of interesting essays around different themes related to feminism ranging from culture to agency and violence. While a lot of the ideas and data presented were interesting and informative, a few parts of the book did not sit well with me. It is difficult to articulate why I felt that way, but for once, I felt like a book on feminism was too white. Agreed, this is written by a white person and any author's writing is bound to have their lived experiences as a prism through which they write. But for some reason, this book felt a bit too white in parts. I was also not sold on the author's reasoning for women being better off economically if they did not marry.
On the whole though, it is always interesting to read different perspectives of feminism and I definitely enjoyed this book though it was not a light read.
"Bitch Doctrine" is a collection of interesting essays around different themes related to feminism ranging from culture to agency and violence. While a lot of the ideas and data presented were interesting and informative, a few parts of the book did not sit well with me. It is difficult to articulate why I felt that way, but for once, I felt like a book on feminism was too white. Agreed, this is written by a white person and any author's writing is bound to have their lived experiences as a prism through which they write. But for some reason, this book felt a bit too white in parts. I was also not sold on the author's reasoning for women being better off economically if they did not marry.
On the whole though, it is always interesting to read different perspectives of feminism and I definitely enjoyed this book though it was not a light read.
ijustkindalikebooks's review
5.0
Review to come.A collection of essays from Laurie Penny, Bitch Doctrine for me is a collection of her highlights that I have through reading this googled and sent to people, thinking this is very relevant.
Penny’s writing style is one of my favourites, a sharp wit that delivers hard truths and pauses for thought, Bitch Doctrine for me brings together some of the best of those moments where the author shares personal moments with her politics - The personal is political, and books such as this highlight that.
A breadth of topics are covered from agency to culture, that make poignant and important reads. A book that relishes in it’s fury at how the world works, it attacks these issues in the right ways - particularly American Politics which Laurie Penny is immersed in during this book.
A great and comprehensive collection of essays from a perspective on the left that is difficult to stop reading.
Penny’s writing style is one of my favourites, a sharp wit that delivers hard truths and pauses for thought, Bitch Doctrine for me brings together some of the best of those moments where the author shares personal moments with her politics - The personal is political, and books such as this highlight that.
A breadth of topics are covered from agency to culture, that make poignant and important reads. A book that relishes in it’s fury at how the world works, it attacks these issues in the right ways - particularly American Politics which Laurie Penny is immersed in during this book.
A great and comprehensive collection of essays from a perspective on the left that is difficult to stop reading.