How To Be A Woman ? Caitlin Moran ? Judging Covers | Book Reviews

How To Be a Woman
Caitlin Moran

?Spectacular! Very, very funny, moving and revealing.? ? Jonathan Ross

?I have been waiting for this book my whole life.? ? Claudia Winkleman

?I adore, admire and ? more ? am addicted to Caitin Moran?s writing.? ? Nigella Lawson

?Moran?s writing sparkles with wit and warmth. Like the confidences of your smartest friend.? ? Simon Pegg

?Ever since I was eighteen I?ve wanted to be as cool as Caitlin Moran. Now this book has shown me how. Witty, wise and wonderful, this is an indispensable guide to Ladyhood. I laughed. I cried. I found out what my favourite writer calls her vagina.? ? Lauren Laverne

This book would have had a hard time not getting a glowing review from me. It?s about my favourite soap-box subject: FEMINISM and is by the downright awesome Caitlin Moran. Thank goodness I can tell you that it did not disappoint and is one of the best books I?ve read all year.

Part memoir, part feminist polemic, Moran takes us through certain events in her life and tells us what she has learned about womanhood, as well as regular swipes against the total daftness of some of the things women do to ?fit in?.

I may have put some of you off with the words ?feminist polemic?, but don?t fear ladies, this is book is hilarious and hugely relevant to our lives today. Moran takes the (infuriating and totally bogus) idea that feminism is all about man-hating, not shaving and having no fun ever, and gives it a right royal kick up the backside. But that?s without succumbing to the equally irritating Sex And The City style of ?ooh look feminists can be fun and sexy, giggle giggle? either. In How To Be A Woman, feminism is about recognising the massive inequality of opportunity for women, how women are still largely judged by their looks above and beyond anything else, and how absurd and unfair all of this patriachal nonsense is. This is why a comment I read somewhere about the book focussing more on the foibles of women than men really irritated me. Uh, way to miss the point dude. Women get bikini waxes and buy ?statement handbags? and spend more money than they have on clothes and torture themselves with diets, because there is so much pressure from a system and a culture that undervalues them unless they conform to an aesthetic ideal. Yes, we should probably have the brains to realise wasting all our money on this stuff is stupid, but at the same time it?s not about ladies vs dudes. And Moran doesn?t say that fashion and pampering are BAD, she?s talking about how it shouldn?t be expected of us.

I don?t 100% agree with every single comment in this book (although most of it had me banging my fist and wanting to yell, ?TELL IT SISTER!?) but that?s sort of the point. Feminism should be relevant to all of us, and so it?s impossible for us all to think exactly the same things on everything. This book to me is about either awakening or rekindling the enthusiam in women and allowing us the opportunity to shout about the things that get to us, and remind people about what a bum deal a lot of women around the world still get. This book is focused on feminist issues from a Western perspective, and so doesn?t address the oppressive and inhuman conditions many women live under in other countries. But that?s not a criticism, as Moran makes her points from her own life experience, and as she isn?t a child bride or a trafficked sex worker, it?s unlikely to make its way onto the pages.

I read a lot of this on public transport to and from work, which was perhaps a bad idea because my God it?s funny, and snorting with laughter doesn?t go down too well with people trying to snooze next to you. Moran doesn?t pull any punches, with the things she crticises, but also with examining her own life. Some of the topics covered in this book are beauty, lap dancing, pornography, marriage, motherhood, abortion.

Caitlin Moran has written a brilliantly honest and funny book that manages to be very personal yet also hugely relevant to many women. Although I take issue with her opening comments that feminism has ground to a halt, I can see why she said this. I know plenty of inspiring women and brilliant activism taking place, but there are still a huge number of women who don?t see feminism as relevant anymore, and if this book converts more women to the cause through not being afraid to take the piss and have a laugh with it, then BRILLIANT.

This book is probably not for the faint hearted or easily embarassed, and I can imagine a prudish person picking it up and tutting loudly throughout. But you know what? Caitlin Moran wouldn?t care. She?d be too busy falling off her chair from a glass or few too many and laughing at some dirty comment she just made up. And I would dearly love to join her. FEMINIST AND PROUD.

Rating: ?????

By Sarah

Source: http://judgingcovers.co.uk/reviews/how-to-be-a-woman/

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