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I want to give this book 10 stars. What an incredible read! Lindy West is a phenom and I am so glad she is out their fighting the important fights. We are incredibly lucky that she is loud and speaks her mind. Not only does she write beautifully but she is brilliant. She manages to sort through many mucky issues and reveal the nugget of truth. I honest don't know how she does it, but it is extraordinary. Her writing is clear and straightforward but far from simplistic or black and white. She is also both passionate and compassionate--a combo that can be hard to find. This book should absolutely be required college reading. I love love love this book and hope that all my goodread friends go out and buy it now!
I started reading Lindy West in the Jezebel days. Her recap of Love, Actually is one of my favorite things in the world.
The first half of Shrill is brilliant. The writing is so sharp and lovely and hilarious, it's better than a ride on Space Mountain. "Baloo dressed as a sexy fortune teller is the single most positive role model of my youth." Killing it.
And full disclosure, I'm fat too. And I've never seen anyone so perfectly capture the nuance of that experience as Lindy does here. I'd like to photocopy the first few chapters and make the whole world read them. Or if not the whole world, maybe just the people who sit next to me on planes.
The second half of the book was a little tougher for me. First, it covered some ground I'd read about it because I've followed Lindy's writing for a couple years (so not a big issue if you're not familar with Lindy's work). I wanted to be drawn in more by the chapters about rape jokes and stand-up comedy culture, but maybe there were too many moving parts and ancillary people floating around?
Final call, I'm glad I read it (and I loved it enough that I ate it all up in two sittings). I'd like everyone to read it. And I'll absolutely read anything Lindy has to offer becuas
The first half of Shrill is brilliant. The writing is so sharp and lovely and hilarious, it's better than a ride on Space Mountain. "Baloo dressed as a sexy fortune teller is the single most positive role model of my youth." Killing it.
And full disclosure, I'm fat too. And I've never seen anyone so perfectly capture the nuance of that experience as Lindy does here. I'd like to photocopy the first few chapters and make the whole world read them. Or if not the whole world, maybe just the people who sit next to me on planes.
The second half of the book was a little tougher for me. First, it covered some ground I'd read about it because I've followed Lindy's writing for a couple years (so not a big issue if you're not familar with Lindy's work). I wanted to be drawn in more by the chapters about rape jokes and stand-up comedy culture, but maybe there were too many moving parts and ancillary people floating around?
Final call, I'm glad I read it (and I loved it enough that I ate it all up in two sittings). I'd like everyone to read it. And I'll absolutely read anything Lindy has to offer becuas
I. Just. Love. It. I saw the show first, and I’m a fan. Lindy says important things, and this is must-Read literature. Very empowering.
Lindy West's reviews of "Love, Actually" and "The Notebook" are two of my favorite pieces of internet lore, so I already knew I was going to love this book. Her writing style is breathless, captivating, quick, sharp, disarming, and damn funny. I'm calling it now: Lindy West will go down as one of the quintessential feminist voices of our generation. Go read this, now!!!
I liked some parts. Quite a bit of it felt like the author revisiting discussions she's had and doing the "I should have said this or done that" routine. I bought it because of chapters read out loud on This American Life and other podcasts but found the ones read aloud to be the most interesting to me so the rest was a little less exciting to read.
I'm not even sure what to say about this book except that it is amazing and everyone should read it. Or listen to the audio. The audio version (read by the author) is great, like an extended radio piece or a conversation, not someone dryly saying words out loud.
had a hard time getting past some of the sheer millennial writing at times.
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Abortion, Death of parent
So funny I laughed out loud and touching that I cried. West wrote eloquently on many feminist issues that gave perfect words to feeling I have had, especially about women being asked to grin and bear it through abuse under the cheap mask of “joking”. I hope she continues yes to be an outspoken cultural critic!