A review by lucyduller
How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran

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.

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