Caitlin Moran (1) (1975–)

(8 March 2014, charity shop)

A collection of Moran’s newspaper columns which was clearly put out to build on the success of her “How to be a Woman” but was to me actually a more enjoyable and engaging read. When I reviewed the earlier book back in 2011, I wasn’t sure what I thought of it, and I’m left with a memory of lots of rude bits (or reclaiming of woman’s right to talk about whatever she wants to talk about) and a bit of missing out on the idea that other people of the same show more age could have similar ideas. This one is more inclusive, more conspiratorial, even, and more enjoyable for that.

There’s a good mix of the silly (and very funny), the (very) serious (and on occasion tear-inducing), the very perceptive but not nasty (for example on the Royal Wedding and the tweets around it) and, probably her best pieces, those that draw on her childhood experiences of poverty and draw parallels with events, policies and perceptions that are happening right now. Those are the most powerful pieces in the book, and really have something important to say.

With additional framing comments which fill in the context and in particular delightfully describe her early attempts at journalism, all is well-written and highly competent, with probably just the appropriate amount of the read-out-loud hilarious. show less

A raw and honest description of a girl's journey from pre-pubescence towards womanhood (even if she never quite gets there). Irreverent and funny -sometimes laugh-out-loud funny. I really enjoyed the book for the first two thirds. Then it started to flag a little for a couple of chapters. BUT! The chapter on abortion is a must read for every woman (or man) who thinks that they have to feel bad about an abortion. Searingly honest - but not in a "bring you down way" - this chapter makes the show more book a must-read. Followed by a brilliant explanation of why the belief in an after-life is the opposite of life affirming; well done Caitlin Moran. show less

How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran came out late last year and there was a ton of good book buzz about it – the cover! The story! The wit! Unfortunately for me I was feeling rather poor at the time and immobile due to a broken foot bone so I did the sensible thing and reserved it at the library. Feeling rather smug that I was number one in the queue, I settled to wait to read this book. Finally, after Christmas I received the email from the library I’d been waiting for. Was the book show more worth a three month waiting list? You bet.

How to Build a Girl is funny, self-depreciating and witty. It’s a coming of age novel that a lot of us wish that we’d experienced (well – most of it. Not the acute cystitis/sitting in a bath with a band thing). It celebrates youth, music and making but wrong choices but eventually putting things right. The only thing I have a tiny doubt about is that my library group categorised this as YA – from an adult perspective, I think a 13 or 14 year old girl is going to get a hell of a good education here, perhaps a bit much too soon. However, if I was the said 13 or 14 year old girl, I’d love this book to bits and change my name to Dolly Wilde (and the sex would probably be nothing new).

The book tells the story of Johanna Morrigan, a slightly overweight, not very remarkable teacher growing up in Wolverhampton, England in the late 1980s/early 1990s. Her dad is on sickness benefits and things are tight money wise in the family. Johanna feels that teenage need to reinvent herself, become someone else who can make a difference to her family’s life after she accidentally mentions her dad’s benefit status. So she becomes Dolly Wilde, top hat wearing Gothic guru of all things indie music. It’s not an easy thing to do, teach yourself the latest ins and outs of the music scene when you wait on the library list for months to access CDs (we have something in common, Johanna/Dolly). But she does it; becoming a teenage music writer, attending a lot of cool gigs and getting a ton of blag. In addition, there’s the men, sex, smoking and drinking. Has Johanna created a monster in Dolly?

Johanna was an immediately likeable character for me – she’s blunt and unapologetic. She’s determined and honest. She bares her soul with the reader, discussing sex and masturbation from the opening lines. But there’s also a vulnerability about her, despite the hard shell she tries to build. What I loved about Johanna is that she went for whatever she wanted, no holds barred. There were no gender politics holding her back and she didn’t care that her music magazine colleagues were all men. She’s just a person and equal to everyone else. She’s also got the guts to work out when she does something wrong and fix it. Johanna’s wry cynicism was another plus for me.

I loved Johanna’s brothers and sisters too. Krissi, her sweet older brother was a quiet voice of reason while Lupin, the younger brother is plain cute. I would have liked to have read more about Krissi coming out and more about their mother’s postpartum depression. (An idea for another book, perhaps?) The Morrigan family was quirky, but real in their struggles. The description of Wolverhampton and its history were also really interesting (I ended up looking it up on Wikipedia) – it’s a place I’ve not heard much about. But most of all, I loved the tone of this book. It’s refreshingly honest and Johanna kept me turning the pages. I think my library should buy another copy for the adult fiction shelves because this is one of the best (and funniest) coming of age stories I’ve read for a long time.

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How To Be A Woman is part memoir and part discussion on the state of modern feminism. Moran uses milestones in her own life as jumping off points for her feminist discussion, ranging from topics such as clothes and shoes to porn, hair removal, weddings, abortion and motherhood.

Moran writes with wit and honesty, and plenty of humour. I have no knowledge of feminist theory, but I found I did agree with a lot of Moran’s arguments, and in a couple of places she had a way of putting into words show more things that I had unconsciously noticed but had never really considered.

I really enjoyed this book. The memoir aspect of the book may not have been anything out of the ordinary in regards to the events described, but Moran has a fun voice, and the feminist aspects I found interesting and relevant. The capitalisation of whole exclamations throughout the book, while in keeping with Moran’s exuberant personality, did wear a bit thin by the end. I had to admire a writer who can have me feeling a bit queasy after a description of a really horrible labour and birth, and then by the end of the next page I’m sniggering with laughter again.

How To Be A Woman is not an academic treatise on feminism, but it doesn’t need to be when it has insight, good common sense and humour to make an argument that is very accessible. show less