How to Be a Woman
by Caitlin Moran
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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERThe book that launched a feminist revolution—the hilarious memoir/manifesto from Caitlin Moran, "the UK's answer to Tina Fey, Chelsea Handler, and Lena Dunham all rolled into one" (Marie Claire).
Though they have the vote and the Pill and haven't been burned as witches since 1727, life isn't exactly a stroll down the catwalk for modern women. They are beset by uncertainties and questions: Why are they supposed to get Brazilians? Why do bras hurt? Why the incessant show more talk about babies? And do men secretly hate them?
Caitlin Moran interweaves provocative observations on women's lives with laugh-out-loud funny scenes from her own, from the riot of adolescence to her development as a writer, wife, and mother. With rapier wit, Moran slices right to the truth—whether it's about the workplace, strip clubs, love, fat, abortion, popular entertainment, or children—to jump-start a new conversation about feminism. With humor, insight, and verve, How to Be a Woman lays bare the reasons why female rights and empowerment are essential issues not only for women today but also for society itself.
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nessreader My love for Hadley Freeman is unbounded. Both these authors are columnists in the UK newspapers, young, female, funny and intelligent. If you've read the books of both and are hunting more in the same vein, try Lucy Mangan from the Guardian (My Family And Other Disasters)
Alas, the jacket design for be awesome is godawful.
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Member Reviews
I'm a couple of years older than Caitlin, grew up in less than affluent circumstances (my family wasn't as large or as poor as hers - I didn't have 7 siblings - thank goodness! one was enough!), was a chubby teen and rather bookish. So we start from a similar place, making this, for me, a thoroughly familiar journey to womanhood. We're going to have to disagree on some details of pants (her - big is better, me - it depends), and heels (I can walk in them, she can't. Not saying I'm elegant in them but I love my heels). At times this had me laughing out loud while listening in the car. That's not to say that it is avoiding difficult issues, the chapter on abortion, in particular, pulls no punches. She tackles difficult issues of body show more confidence, misogyny, reproduction, the media and the benefits of a good duffel coat. Written a while ago now, this is part memoir, part rant, part essay. It was a timely reminder of how awful being a teenager was and how much better life is now than then. Like her, I can only think I've got this being a woman thing nailed, but I have only ever got my version of it nailed. show less
Have you ever read a book that made you blush? Well this one did!! So, I quickly decided that I was only listening to this audio in the car, ALONE, and as I loosened up a bit I found myself completely laughing out loud. (You HAVE to get the audio!) Let's be real. The Brits, for all their prim and properness, take everyday life and sex to new levels of honesty. I mean I doubled my anatomical slang vocabulary!! But Moran has a serious side, too, and time and again, she makes very insightful comments. (Which is an argument for print, so you can make note of these passages, something I was unable to do while driving.) Topics include but are not limited to: feminism, childbirth, waxing, abortion, periods, dating, marriage, etc. And show more men--don't shy away from this one--it could be exactly what you need to understand the other sex! I highly recommend this book. show less
You can't really top the wacky adventures of Moran's semi-autobiographical Johanna Morrigan aka Dolly Wilde, but her nonfiction feminist manifesto was still a fun read. Her perspective on life is at once brutal and humorous, delving into the harsh realities of the modern feminist movement with just enough pathos not to come off as bitter. I mean, we all know the patriarchy is trash anyways, so it's great that she doesn't waste a lot of time lamenting "oh what should we do" and instead takes a more practical approach: demanding change, doing what you want, and holding the world accountable for its actions. There were a few spots where I was challenged by her writing, namely her chapters dealing with children, as I'm firmly in the camp of show more "no thank you" and I will disagree endlessly and tactlessly with anyone who dares question my life choices (it is none of their business, thank you kindly to shut up), but she redeemed herself in the end with a rather brutal but honest discussion around abortion. While she may come off as a pretty rambunctious take on modern feminism and kind of a goofball, Moran's voice is unique and holds true to the punk-ethos that feminism goes hand in hand with: make your choices, let no one tell you what to do, and live your life to be happy for yourself and those who love you. Seeking out more of her work, tout suite! show less
Yes. This is the book I've wanted to read. A book that is a funny memoir with reminders of how we are all feminists! Damn it.
Of course, I didn't know I wanted to read it until I started reading it and I kept wanting to discuss EVERYTHING I read with someone else. It's the first time I was truly upset to not be in a book club and also that I was borrowing it from the library because I wanted to underline everything.
There were a few occasions where I had to Google something very British - Sindy, Katie Price, The Wombles - but I like to learn about other cultures, so that was fun. And the Olympics are in London and happening now so I felt like I was more involved in the whole Anglophile thing, you know?
Great read. Now I must find out more show more about Caitlin Moran. show less
Of course, I didn't know I wanted to read it until I started reading it and I kept wanting to discuss EVERYTHING I read with someone else. It's the first time I was truly upset to not be in a book club and also that I was borrowing it from the library because I wanted to underline everything.
There were a few occasions where I had to Google something very British - Sindy, Katie Price, The Wombles - but I like to learn about other cultures, so that was fun. And the Olympics are in London and happening now so I felt like I was more involved in the whole Anglophile thing, you know?
Great read. Now I must find out more show more about Caitlin Moran. show less
picking up this stridently feminist book immediately after my previous read, which was borderline misogynistic, was not planned (really), but im sure glad at how the order of things turned out.
1. this book is one heck of a rant! well written, even though i had to pause a bit to resolve some of the very English (to me, at least) commentaries in my mind.
2. the tone swings from the ridiculously and laugh-out-loud funny, to the cringe-inducing-i-cant-believe-someone-will-actually-commit-that-anecdote-to-print!, to the down right gut-wrenching! but always, ms. moran's voice is honest. i might not agree with all she said in this book, but it was fun arguing with her in my head.
3. i spilled coffee and food all over this book...which is my way show more of saying, i could not find ample excuse to stop reading it.
4. if or when i have my own daughter, this is a book i'd like them to be able to read.
5. this book made me decide to go and buy that katy perry and lady gaga albums i had been eyeing for a while now. show less
1. this book is one heck of a rant! well written, even though i had to pause a bit to resolve some of the very English (to me, at least) commentaries in my mind.
2. the tone swings from the ridiculously and laugh-out-loud funny, to the cringe-inducing-i-cant-believe-someone-will-actually-commit-that-anecdote-to-print!, to the down right gut-wrenching! but always, ms. moran's voice is honest. i might not agree with all she said in this book, but it was fun arguing with her in my head.
3. i spilled coffee and food all over this book...which is my way show more of saying, i could not find ample excuse to stop reading it.
4. if or when i have my own daughter, this is a book i'd like them to be able to read.
5. this book made me decide to go and buy that katy perry and lady gaga albums i had been eyeing for a while now. show less
I thought this book was hilarious, surprisingly feminist, and identifiable for women. I did not have a childhood remotely like hers, yet parts of the book resonated with me. She was a chubby kid; so was I. Those moments echoed my childhood. I absolutely died laughing when she talked about her childhood crush on Chevy Chase, and had to read that part alound to my husband between giggle fits to the point where I had to reread it to him so he could understand it.
She talks about topics that you don't read everyday in books - female masturbation, what to name your boobs, porn, childbirth, marriage and about hair removal in certain areas of your body. She talked about the difference between strip clubs and burlesque, and having attended a show more burlesque Alice in Wonderland show, I admit I can see the difference. Burlesque is more of an art form, telling a story or pantomime, where strip clubs are a place men go to to see women take off their clothes. To each their own in my opinion, but she said that one is about embracing the sexuality of women where the other isn't. (paraphrasing here)
The feminist parts came as a surprise to me; I didn't know this book was anything other than a memoir. I thought the feminism was out of place, I would be laughing along with a story from her childhood and bam! There it was. I don't know if it was because I wasn't expecting it, but it just seemed out of place, and there to give the book more depth.
I enjoyed this book, and Moran's writing style. I recommend this book to those who don't mind reading about the things women usually keep secret about themselves or any woman who likes to read amusing memoirs by people who grew up in England. (or anywhere) show less
She talks about topics that you don't read everyday in books - female masturbation, what to name your boobs, porn, childbirth, marriage and about hair removal in certain areas of your body. She talked about the difference between strip clubs and burlesque, and having attended a show more burlesque Alice in Wonderland show, I admit I can see the difference. Burlesque is more of an art form, telling a story or pantomime, where strip clubs are a place men go to to see women take off their clothes. To each their own in my opinion, but she said that one is about embracing the sexuality of women where the other isn't. (paraphrasing here)
The feminist parts came as a surprise to me; I didn't know this book was anything other than a memoir. I thought the feminism was out of place, I would be laughing along with a story from her childhood and bam! There it was. I don't know if it was because I wasn't expecting it, but it just seemed out of place, and there to give the book more depth.
I enjoyed this book, and Moran's writing style. I recommend this book to those who don't mind reading about the things women usually keep secret about themselves or any woman who likes to read amusing memoirs by people who grew up in England. (or anywhere) show less
Moran's autobiographical discussion of feminism and womanhood in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century is laugh-out-loud funny, scathing, blunt, touching, and important. She reads her own work to perfection. Her views (while I don't agree with all of them) are smart and on-point. The candid way she talks about her own life (particularly her abortion) sometimes feel revolutionary (in that, among other things, someone's talking about them). I may have to go buy a print copy of this, because I'd like to have it on my shelf. I loved this. Recommended.
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The joy of this book is just that: the joy. What Moran is really arguing for is more female happiness. Women spend too much of their time worrying, beating themselves up, going along with time-wasting, restrictive, often expensive, sexist mores. The triumph of How To Be A Woman is that it adds to women's confidence. It reminds us that sexism, and all that is associated with it, is not only show more repressive, it is tedious and stupid. It is boring. Best give it a body swerve and get on with having fun show less
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Author Information
11+ Works 5,919 Members
Caitlin Moran (born Catherine Elizabeth Moran; 5 April 1975) is an English broadcaster, TV critic and columnist at The Times. Moran was the British Press Awards (BPA) Columnist of the Year for 2010, and both the BPA Critic of the Year and Interviewer of the Year in 2011. In 2012 she was named Columnist of the Year by the London Press Club, and show more Culture Commentator at the Comment Awards in 2013. Her book, entitled How to be a Woman, became listed on the New York Times bestseller list in 2015. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Awards and Honors
Awards
Notable Lists
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Harper Perennial Olive Editions (2016 Olive)
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title*
- Naisena olemisen taito
- Original title
- How to Be a Woman
- Original publication date
- 2011-06-16
- First words
- [Prologue] Wolverhapmton, April 5, 1988
So, I had assumed it was optional.
[Postscript] So do I know how to be a woman now? - Quotations
- "Pencil skirts, skin-tight jeans and leggings - they all allow us to witness an exact outline of the wearer's pants, rather like the 'Geo-Phys print-out of an ancient drainage system on Time Team."
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)But as the years went on, I realised that what I really want to be, all told, is a human. Just a productive, honest, courteously treated human. One of 'The Guys'. But with really amazing hair.
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)[Prologue] A fairly comprehensive telling of every instance that I had little, or in many cases, no idea . . . of how to be a woman.
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)That's the very, very last thing women are.
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)[Postscript] But with really amazing hair. - Blurbers
- Ross, Jonathan; Winkleman, Claudia; Lawson, Nigella; Pegg, Simon; Laverne, Lauren
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
- Genres
- Sexuality and Gender Studies, Biography & Memoir, General Nonfiction, Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 305.420207 — Society, Government, and Culture Social sciences, sociology & anthropology Social group - Age, Gender, Ethnicity Women Social role and status of women Standard subdivisions Humour
- LCC
- PN5123 .M683 .A3 — Language and Literature Literature (General) Literature (General) Journalism. The periodical press, etc. By region or country
- BISAC
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- Reviews
- 199
- Rating
- (3.76)
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- 13 — Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Galician, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian (Bokmål), Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish
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- ISBNs
- 47
- ASINs
- 14