Caitlin Moran's How To Be a Woman

I just finished this today. I enjoyed most of it, but really can't say I warmed to her at all. She's a really shameless name-dropper and I found her incredibly smug. She's a good writer and has a lovely turn of phrase and I laughed out loud several times. I cried at the abortion chapter and thought that it was really brave stuff. Her husband sounds fab!

I was really disappointed in the marriage chapter - ok, she brought up the cost and the princessy stuff and the 'best day of your life' rubbish, but totally fudged stuff like engagement rings and being 'given away' by your dad. Then at the end of the chapter, she suggests that maybe we should resist getting married at all but doesn't take the idea any further. I'm in the anti-marriage camp and would have really liked to read a more thoughtful discussion of marriage, rather than madcap rememberings about her siblings' behaviour on her wedding day, a lot of which sounded to me

'For a different memoir with a feminist slant try 'why be happy when you can be normal' by Jeanette winterson'

Thanks LadyMedea, I'm looking forward to reading this

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I had already read the Gaga chapter - it was in the paper at the time as a big feature. I haven't checked but it felt as if it was word-for-word the same thing.

*masturbation (doh!)

I really enjoyed it, but I found the Ga-ga chapter nauseating.

Mostly enjoyed it. Found the masterbation and abortion bits refreshingly honest. Agree that some of the feminist theories were a bit flimsy. Very funny in places (e.g. "I'm cleaning shit - off a hat" when talking about newborn).

I've not read it yet, Kiwiinkits. What should modern feminist priorities be?

I'm reading it for my feminist book club. Made me laugh but annoys me in places.. But that's ok.

I do see it as a memoir rather than a feminist treatise. It is a very personal account so just needs taking from that point of view.

For a different memoir with a feminist slant try 'why be happy when you can be normal' by Jeanette winterson.

I loved it - I thought it hit the mark about what modern feminism's priorities should be, without being preachy or bull-headed. Also very funny.

(I wonder if Jordan will read it....)

I am a strident feminist!

well it was entertaining and funny, and I like Caitlin's weekly column in the times, but I did think some of her arguments were pretty flaky in places/not entirely thought through. Having said that if it helps women (and men) take back what it means to be a feminist and promotes it as something to be proud of then I am all for it.

I liked it. It was funny and engaging. No, it wasn't the new Female Eunuch as some people were trying to claim and I think this was what made some people irritable about it, but when I want full-on academic feminism I have plenty of other books I can read.

Lots of my friends who would only really be interested in feminism in a loose sort of way read it and loved it, and felt that various parts really made certain things clearer for them and impacted them in a big way, which I think is great.

I loved the book. I found it entertaining and it made me laugh out loud. I thought the feminism part was lightly done but deliberately so. If you are looking for in depth politics you would be disappointed.

It made me rather envy her large family and close relationship with her siblings.

Absolutely loved it except for the birth of the second child bit. Blaming herself for the bad first birth and believing that the second was wonderful because she willed it to be wonderful. Oh Caitlin!

When she talks about the birth of her second child it sounds very much as if she is blaming herself for her first birth being traumatic. Like it was her not-thinking-positively that made it go badly.

I liked it a lot - although I did get annoyed when she started harping on about the epiphany that was the birth of her second child. And not sure whether the Lady Gaga chapter added much.

However it spoke to me more than anything which goes on about "trauma-bonding", MRAs etc.

I'm not entirely sure what I make of the book. I think I wanted it to speak to me more than it did... I found it fairly facile. It seemed to suggest that the patriarchy wouldn't have as much power if everyone didn't wear heels (unless you are doing it for FUN!) which ignores... so much.... aargh. I was pretty disappointed after it had been talked about as "great feminist writing" to find it a "I am a woman and I don't do this because - oh who cares, let's be irreverent! LOL!!"

I don't shave my leg or armpit hair because it hurts & I'm lazy. I know it's my choice & in an ideal world more people would feel comfortable being unapologetic about avoiding itchy rashes & time consuming depilation routines. I'm with her on so much, but sometimes her attitude rankles as it's light on the theorising about why women feel pressure to conform to pressure rather heavier on the "aren't I a bit special because I indulge myself?" angle....

Thank you both

IDoNotLIKEFuN, there was a loooong thread a year or two back about 'small sexual assaults'. It was mind-blowing: how many people had suffered something like that, how much they were affected by it, how many had blamed themselves, or been blamed, how many had never told anyone else until that moment.
(There were also quite a lot of assaults described that were NOT small but somehow calling it 'small' assaults gave people permission to talk about them when they had been under pressure to minimise them and not wanted to make a fuss.)
I mention this so you will know that you are not alone. The thread was upsetting for a lot of people but also weirdly liberating as well.

Hope you're ok, do not feel embarrassed about mentioning it here, it is the perfect place to do so.

Don't feel you have to have it removed if you don't want to. I'm not very good at replying to stuff like that because I don't know what to say other than "sorry that you went through that", but if you want to talk about it then you should.

Well I'm not quite sure what happened there Hardly relevant. First time on the feminism board / reading Caitlin Moran, plus and I start ranting. Is that what people refer to as a "trigger"?

Sorry - have asked for it to be removed.

I liked it as a book but think it was misrepresented - it was sold and advertised as a feminist treatise rather than a memoir (which is what it really is).

I'm really enjoying it and have just read the, "I Am a Feminist" chapter.

Loved her simple test. Vagina? Want to be in charge of it? Feminist.

"Kick my arse and take back the vote" and the comments about Daily Wailers endlessly debating it at £1500 per article and that money going into their own bank accounts.

And this:

Imagine if, in the sixties it had become fashionable for black people to say that they "weren't into" civil rights?

@ShagOBite I've conflated it a lot a bit but she talks about her arduous first labour gave her greater perspective, which I thought, um, maybe...

Some of her phases brilliant. Loved her description of a lap dancing club as "an AGM for bad husband material". Spot on and funny too.