Wednesday, March 5, 2014

How to be a Woman

How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran
Series? No
Publisher: HarperAudio
Date: 2012
How did I get this book? borrowed from library
My Rating: 5 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Author | Publisher

Bloody f***ing brilliant! I can barely put into words how much I love this book. The narration of the audiobook by Caitlin Moran herself is absolutely perfect. One complaint I've seen in reviews is an excessive use of CAPS LOCK FOR EMPHASIS, but that is not an issue with the audiobook for obvious reasons. I listened to much of this book while outside doing yardwork (gives away how long this post has been in draft, doesn't it!) and laughed so often and so loudly, I am now convinced the neighbors think I've gone mad.

Each chapter focuses on a particular point in Moran's life and she hilariously discusses a lot of day-to-day stuff that affects modern girls and women. She can be very blunt and I doubt anyone reading would agree with her on every single point, but overall there is such truth in what she is saying and so much of it really resonated with me. She captures the absurdity of a lot of the silly crap women think about, deal with, and worry about on a daily basis in addition a lot of the "big issues". She talks about body image, weight, high heels, shaving, Brazilian waxes, work, relationships, fashion, weddings, having babies, not having babies, being a mother, abortion, porn, and so much more.

It's important to realize this is first and foremost a memoir. It is not meant to be a feminist manifesto that comprehensively addresses every single issue and speaks for every single woman out there in the world. Moran writes about her own experience as a modern, middle-to-upper-class, western woman and she does so brilliantly. I'm not trying to discount the experiences of women who do not fall into that demographic, but I think in the format of a memoir, it would have been disingenuous for Moran to try to speak for absolutely every woman out there. This is the story of her life as she struggles to establish her identity in a society where women are constantly bombarded with mixed messages and unrealistic expectations. It is a story I can relate to and I think many other young women will relate to as well, at least in part.

12 comments:

  1. I did like this one, but you liked it a bit more than I did. I think I must have missed something as everyone apart from me loved this book! I felt the feminist stuff and the memoir stuff didn't mix as well as I had hoped they would.

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    1. It is a hard combination -- I think listening to the audio really put this one over the top for me. I'm sure I would have liked it in print, but I'm not sure it would have been the same experience.

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  2. So I think your are saying that I need to read this? lol I think once I catch up on my ARCs I will pick this one up at the library. I could use a few good laughs and I was a woman and gender study minor in college so I think I'll like this. Thanks for the review!

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    1. What a cool minor! I think you would like it -- I highly recommend the audio version :)

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  3. I've seen this book around, and have even thought of giving it a try (love how you read it while doing garden work :) ), but feminist things can be a bit hit or miss for me, so I'm not sure. However, I think good humour is something to be appreciated any time and also I do like people who speak about things the way they are (even if it comes out blunt).

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    1. I can definitely see how this one could be hit or miss -- for me it was a hit, but I can certainly see why that wouldn't be the case for everyone. She's quite blunt, but I found her completely hysterical -- serious at times, but most of her points are conveyed through humor. Humor depends a lot on the audience though and I think I just read this at the perfect time and could relate to a lot of her experiences, so it came across that much better to me.

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  4. Well Christine you have piqued my interest, the humor aspect sounds wonderful,

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    1. It's definitely not going to be a book for everyone, but if your interest is piqued, I highly recommend trying it out -- and at the risk of sounding like a broken record, I say go for the audio!

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  5. I loved this book too! Like you, a lot of what she said really resonated with me. I think you make a great point about this being a memoir, so it's not something where everyone is going to agree with every point or where she's going to address every women's issue ever. Great review!

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    1. Thanks! This one really hit the sweet spot for me since she touched on so many expectations of modern women that have always irked me -- for example the wedding stuff (and so much more!) -- and she talks about them in such a funny way. I think I may need to buy a copy of this audiobook since it was originally a library borrow :)

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  6. After reading the first 3 words of your review, I'm sold! LOL! I am always looking for a good audiobook.

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    1. Haha, I love that! It's the best way I could think of to express my feelings :) It was really great on audio.

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I'd love to hear what you think :)