How to Be a Woman Paperback – July 17, 2012

How to Be a Woman, by Caitlin MoranI’m a feminist, a strident feminist and a male. I have been for a long time. In 1965 I fought against women’s hours, which required college women to be in their dorms by 11:00 p.m. at Indiana University, while men were allowed to roam free all night. I’ve been married to a strident feminist since 1967, and recommend that path to anyone. So I’m reasonably well versed in feminist culture over the years.How to Be a Woman, by Caitlin Moran, is, hands down, the best source on feminism I’ve ever encountered. It surely helps that it is hilarious. It also helps that at least half the barbs are directed at herself, and most of the rest at other women. (Actually, she lets men off pretty easy.) She is shockingly frank about all sorts of socially unacceptable conduct in which she has engaged, such as binge drinking, drug use and promiscuity. But shining through is a deep understanding of things that women routinely experience from puberty through early middle age, and how to live and grow through them. Again and again she raises up values I value.To make it appropriate to all genders, I would restate her best known quote as: Feminism is believing that if you have a vagina you should be in charge of it.Her championing of guilt-free abortion is radical, finding it just as appropriate as deciding to bear a child. "By whatever rationale you use, ending a pregnancy 12 weeks into gestation is incalculably more moral than bringing an unwanted child into this world." She quotes a like minded friend: “It’s one of the top four best things I ever did—after marrying my husband, having my son, and getting a fixed quote on the loft conversion.”The trauma of her first pubic hairs resonates, I assure my female friends, quite fully with me as a male.I’m not sure quite how old young people should be before reading this book. It does unabashedly relate experiences that will make parents (and grandparents, teachers, etc.) cringe. But I’m not sure that it makes those experiences attractive, and much of what I know of those from 15 to 25 makes me think their culture normalizes such tales so universally that this book only puts them in a real world context that is OK with me. Such stories will be surely old hat to the bulk of college sophomores, and probably to many a high schooler, and too many in middle school.I’m not sure quite how liberated adults should be before reading this book. I surely have friends who will be shocked that I would recommend such trash. But I do. One person’s trash is another’s treasure. This book is a rare treasure.

Overall: I loved this book.Pros:-hilarious-articulates a lot of things that have needed deeper discussionCons:-crude and disgusting- I hesitate to recommend it because of experiences I don’t agree with or have hadApproach:-with an open mind (to get past things that are disgusting...first few chapters were wretched)-the ability to disagree and continue-laugh a lotI had to look at the 5 stars and the 1 star reviews to see how to best describe this. I can understand why people said what they did for the 1 star reviews. But I also totally get the 5 star reviews. I get it. But I also loved this book and thought it was fabulous!!! SO, I feel 4 stars is totally fair. A good book should elicit a range of emotions. This is a good book.

"So here is the quick way of working out if you're a feminist. Put your hand in your pants.a) Do you have a vagina? andb) Do you want to be in charge of it?If you said 'yes' to both, then congratulations! You're a feminist.”I read this book as part of a feminist reading club on Goodreads. I had never really thought about being a feminist before. In fact, a feminist to me sounded like one of those red-faced, angry women protesting about something or the other, and always bitching about men. But guess what, being a feminist is about understanding yourself as a woman and defining the role you want to play for yourself in your own life. It's about taking control, it's about asserting our freedoms, and it's about celebrating our interactions with men in a way that is satisfying and fulfilling for both.Caitlin Moran tells her story in a relatable, humorous, and often irreverent style that did make me stop and think about many issues. Some of her life choices may be questionable, especially in the culture I was raised in, but hey, that's exactly the point. She can --and should-- choose what she believes is right for herself. In the end, I found her courageous for speaking things many of us will shy away from, and to find humor in it too.

How To Be A Woman is an interesting read. Its a recommended read by a handful of celebrities I follow on social media so I gave it a go. Its funny for sure and relatable to a certain extent, but I don't recommend it if you can't grasp British language...there are a decent amount of references that Americans don't use so it makes a few sentences hard to follow or understand. I had to look up a couple words that I'm not used to hearing just to make sure I understood the point. Other than that I would recommend it if for nothing as to think of it as one lady's perspective on how to be a woman. Lots of references to other books and other celebrities so it does also slightly read like an essay rather than a story, but I dont think its necessarily supposed to be read as the latter anyway.

As a 50 year old woman I can look back on my life and see how this book would have been VERY useful to read at age 15. It does not matter if your life is parallel to Ms. Moran's - or not. Actually, that's the point. For once we have a brave woman who is putting her experience out there for the world to see (and laugh about). I applaud her. Anyone who condemns her, condemns her because they are not as brave, honest or true to themselves. As women we have been dictated on how to behave by mostly religious and political members - that have been predominantly men. We need to unapologetically break the glass ceiling and feel the cool wind of change upon our faces. Ms. Moran reminiscences about the confusion of being an adolescent woman through humor, intelligence and tact. It is a journey I thoroughly enjoyed.

I bought this book on the basis of reviews heralding it as a worthy contribution to modern feminism. It is anything but. My patience was wearing thin by the time I'd reached the chapter where the 'author' suggests that all women are paying for Brazilian waxes etc. and even scheduling their lives around them - what nonsense. It then went on to state that women are wearing increasingly tiny knickers. While there might be a small proportion of women who wear next to nothing as underwear, I'm certain that the vast majority of women buy and wear ordinary-sized knickers and are not thinking about either the Hollywood porn industry that the 'author' seems so obsessed with or the sexual allure of such underwear on an everyday basis. The final straw came for me in the chapter on bras. The 'author' talks about the effect throwing a bra at a 9 year old boy would have, i.e. the boy would be disgusted and run away as if from a rat. Unfortunately, the author does not leave it there, and goes on to compare such a reaction with that of the Vietnamese child covered in napalm! Everyone has seen that horrific image. Indeed, once you have seen that photograph, it is indelibly etched in your memory. For such cruelty and horror to be used by this so-called 'author' in such a flippant manner, with wilful disregard for decency and humanity, disgusted me to such an extent that I did something I have never done before - I tore the book in two. This woman is a disgrace, and any self-respecting publishing house should never have allowed such offensive material to make it into print.

It goes on and on and on! Yes parts are funny and she can write, but the down side is in-between the enjoyable story telling and the funny bits the book goes on and on and on elongating chapters that are overly long! Eventually got to stage after the important elements of story and the funny sections I was skim reading, something I normally save for dull Uni work.

Caitlin Moran is a hugely impressive writer, woman, person. She tells her story honestly and personally which I massively credit her for, however her story has a touch of celebrity that I feel she tries to link to everyone or every woman in a way that I don't necessarily associate. It's okay to have views and strong ones at that, but it's the implication or insinuation that because I'm a woman I should feel the same about everything and I don't.I like her confidence and openness about her experience of being a woman, but I wouldn't consider this a deep book in any sense, or one that really considers a variety of experiences. I guess it doesn't suggest it would, I just made an assumption.However, I'm glad I read it and now I know what she's about I will read more of her works :). Because you know, *stands on chair and shouts*, I am a feminist.

I really wanted to love this book.. Great to have an entertaining take on the modern feminist debate. And in many areas Moran seems sound and eloquent. But the book was mean-spirited and facile. Women (like Moran) who drink too much, take shed loads of drugs and dress weird are 'good' role models whilst women who wear high heels and have fake boobs are traitors. Poor old, easy target Jordan is described as revolting for being narcissistic, whilst Lady Gaga (who I adore) is revered as a goddess for, pretty much the same reason. It was all a bit, ' me and my c-list celebrity chums are ace feminists, but the rest of you are stupid, vain and man-pleasing'. It got very rant-y and same-y by the end.If you want to be cheering a modern-day narrative on modern feminist identity, I strongly urge you to read Tina Fey's BossyPants' instead.

Extremely quick delivery, within two days. Looks new, far better than I expected it to be. Very explicit, funny, honest. Most women will recognise at least some part of themselves in here and it gives the odd laugh out loud chuckle.I even had to stifle a sudden giggle, which turned into an explosive snort, while reading on the train home. Moran pulls no punches and can be very 'in your face' with emotional and bodily descriptions but offers keen observations on life. I read Moran's 'How to Build a Girl' first and enjoyed it enormously. Had no problem lending it to my 16 year old niece but I'd be a little more uneasy sharing 'How to Be a Woman' partly because we aren't all as precocious as Moran would have us believe she was at the same age. All in all a good fun read, not too taxing.

I bought this on a whim, having not read anything like this before but seeing it recommended as one of the funniest books to read and having won book of the year from some awards. I wasn't sure what to expect but I did not expect what I read. This is the most honest book I have read, it can be blunt and to the feminist point. If you don't want to be hit round the face with feminism until you stand on the chair next to Caitlin Moran shouting "I am a strident Feminist" then this book isn't for you. If however you are open minded, fancy a laugh, or would like a fresh opinion on feminism then I would definitely recommend you this book.For the opinionated take this with a pinch of salt, you are after all reading someone else's opinions.

There are thousands of reviews already. This book has been knocking about long enough that there's nothing much I can say to add to the collected thoughts of Goodreads reviewers.I'll keep it short.Moments of bravely honest and insightful genius interspersed with far too much self-obsessive blah blah blah.Will that do?

This was a second copy as I always seem to be lending mine out. This selection of stories and thoughts from Caitlin Moran is mainly funny, sometimes poignant, and one of those reads where you find yourself telling the person next to me 'Listen to this bit! That's me, that is!'. People seem to love or hate Caitlin Moran, and if you're more of the latter then this won't really change anything for you; however for those who enjoy her work or are just discovering her, this is a must-have. I think it should be issued to every girl (and probably the boys) as soon as she turns 13.

I didn’t agree with all of it but that’s ok. This is a comedian writing a candid story about chapters in her life with humour. She credits male and female feminists so there’s no man hating, just observations of absurd patriarchy. I like her way to identify misogyny - is it happening to men too? If the answer is no, chances are it’s bullsh*t to suppress women. I’ve not read a book quite like this before and appreciated it.

This was one of those books that once read, went straight into the charity shop box! I was wholly unimpressed, both with the writing style and the awful, crass and coarse language. I expected to be amused and informed, I was neither. I kept thinking that it would get better, it didn't. If this is what Ms Moran thinks being a woman is all about, I can assure her that she is very wrong. I will not be buying any more of her books.

I purchased this for my wife, having heard Caitlin Moran deliver a witty and engaging promotional interview on Radio 4. The snippets my wife shared with me while she read it were enough to convince me to buy a copy for myself and I wasn't disappointed.The autobiographical side works far better than the feminist side in my opinion, and herein lie the many highlights. Moran's older sister displays a tremendous array of put-downs and one-liners that frequently had me in stitches, and there are some great stories about, in particular, pubic hair and red wine spillages (unconnected, I might add).If you're looking to be entertained by a genuinely funny and clever writer, this is definitely worth checking out.

I was looking for a good comedy, but soon got bored with this. Too simplistic and bland and only occasionally sort of funny.

I didn't agree with everything she said but parts of it made me laugh out loud which is very rare for me when reading. I enjoyed listening to her take on life and would definitely read more of her work.

I really liked this and although I wasn’t sure in the beginning I’ve since gone back to re-read some chapters. A little about her personal life (but to give context/starting point for ideas and thoughts she writes about in the chapters). Enjoyable.

Funny and meaningful, makes feminism seem much more approachable and everyday. I liked it as a work talking about feminism from a working class view and not an academic one. Four stars instead of five because some of it seemed more relatable to the generation before me (the ones who were teenagers in the 90s) e.g. not much on social media or today’s working motherhood, but I would definitely recommend it.