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Had a really great time with this book, and was frequently laughing aloud on the bus. The snark, the rawness, the time jumps, and the rest - it worked for me. Very glad I got an avenue to learn more about this person.
There is a lot about Lindy West to appreciate. The style is fast-paced, witty story telling paired with incisive social commentary. I am left thinking about the best ways to combat the inhumanity of trolling online and feeling grateful for the small chinks of progress Lindy West won at great personal cost.
i know a looooooot of people who would get a lot out of this book
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
The highly recommended memoir from columnist and performer Lindy West, comprised of a series of hilarious essays that are both personally revealing and astute cultural commentary, peppered with surprisingly geeky Gandalf references. She discusses fat acceptance and her long-running-but-now-retired debate with Dan Savage on the repercussions fat shaming, her battles with Internet trolls, and, most powerfully, a long piece on why rape jokes aren't funny, inherent misogyny in standup comedy, and treading the line between free speech and douchebaggery when creating art. Unlike any other memoir, her stories changed how I think about my own body, how I carry myself, and how to behave when seated next to a fat person on a plane. (Though I've always rightfully blamed airlines for creating inhumanly uncomfortable seats, her piece on dreading travel and worrying whether she'd fit in the seat reminded me to be a lot more generous to the person next to me; they're probably having a much worse time of it and there's no need for passive-aggressive armrest games.) Though she's often considered a writer of women's issues (and there's plenty about bodies, abortion, and periods in there), I strongly recommend this book to men as well for some insight into subtle (and not-so-subtle) hurdles that women face. It helps that the book is laugh-out-loud funny, and the audiobook (read by West) is like the world's best podcast.
I ended up having to file this as DNF. I struggled with a significant amount of the fat acceptance material, having a firsthand experience with being overweight and losing that weight. But, in an effort to push my perspective, I continuted through most of it even if I disagreed with some of the segments.
Beyond that, though, the chapter on the nature of comedy, she claims you can't joke about herpes. I feel that I simply disagree with the author on each and every one of her major worldview points, and her worldview is one with which I am intimately familiar. So I gotta bail, since there's nothing for me to be gained except being annoyed here.
Beyond that, though, the chapter on the nature of comedy, she claims you can't joke about herpes. I feel that I simply disagree with the author on each and every one of her major worldview points, and her worldview is one with which I am intimately familiar. So I gotta bail, since there's nothing for me to be gained except being annoyed here.
listened to the audiobook, glad that some of the points felt outdated
[a: Lindy West|5365754|Lindy West|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1464405835p2/5365754.jpg] is an amazing writer and [b: Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman|29340182|Shrill Notes from a Loud Woman|Lindy West|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1460015959s/29340182.jpg|46238704] is SO GOOD. Seriously, I cannot stress enough just how good this book is.
West's tone is conversational, and oftentimes while listening to this book (which I recommend you do, as West is an engaging narrator) it felt like I was just listening to a friend. She lulls you into a funny and friendly rhythm and then hits you with a lot of extremely powerful and insightful commentaries on our culture and the role of feminism within it. West tells us her story about being a woman, a fat woman, a daughter, a person in love, a comedian, and most importantly a human being. A lot of the feminist literature I've read lately falls into the trap of getting bogged down with very verbose arguments and carefully crafted language, and as a result, they can feel strictly academic and exhausting to read. That's not a problem with this book - it's an accessible and captivating read that is just as funny as it is emotional. I couldn't put it down once I started it.
I left this book wanting to be West's friend and hoping that she writes at least a dozen more books like this. You should all read it; you're welcome in advance.
West's tone is conversational, and oftentimes while listening to this book (which I recommend you do, as West is an engaging narrator) it felt like I was just listening to a friend. She lulls you into a funny and friendly rhythm and then hits you with a lot of extremely powerful and insightful commentaries on our culture and the role of feminism within it. West tells us her story about being a woman, a fat woman, a daughter, a person in love, a comedian, and most importantly a human being. A lot of the feminist literature I've read lately falls into the trap of getting bogged down with very verbose arguments and carefully crafted language, and as a result, they can feel strictly academic and exhausting to read. That's not a problem with this book - it's an accessible and captivating read that is just as funny as it is emotional. I couldn't put it down once I started it.
I left this book wanting to be West's friend and hoping that she writes at least a dozen more books like this. You should all read it; you're welcome in advance.
It was fine. Sad.
Now I know the series was not based on the book, but only inspired by it.
I gave it 3 stars instead of 4 partially because the book was from a different perspective about a person different from me as I'm not fat I could't relate to it strongly. I gave 5 stars to her next book The witches are coming, the writing is exquisite there.
Now I know the series was not based on the book, but only inspired by it.
I gave it 3 stars instead of 4 partially because the book was from a different perspective about a person different from me as I'm not fat I could't relate to it strongly. I gave 5 stars to her next book The witches are coming, the writing is exquisite there.
