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How to be a woman  Cover Image Book Book

How to be a woman / Caitlin Moran.

Summary:

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 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.

Record details

  • ISBN: 9780062124296 (pbk.) :
  • ISBN: 0062124293 (pbk.) :
  • Physical Description: 305 p. ; 23 cm.
  • Edition: 1st U.S. ed.
  • Publisher: New York : Harper Perennial, c2011.

Content descriptions

General Note:
"First published in Great Britain in 2011 by Ebury Press"--T.p. verso.
Action Note:
Committed to retain 20170101 20321231 COPPUL SPAN Monograph
Subject: Moran, Caitlin, 1975-
Women > Conduct of life > Humor.
Women journalists > England > Biography > Anecdotes.
Feminism.
Women journalists > England > Biography.
Journalists > England > Biography > Anecdotes.
Journalists > England > Biography.
Women > Great Britain > Social conditions > Humor.

Available copies

  • 11 of 11 copies available at BC Interlibrary Connect. (Show)
  • 0 of 0 copies available at Radium Hot Springs Public Library.

Holds

  • 1 current hold with 11 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Holdable? Status Due Date

  • Kirkus Reviews : Kirkus Reviews 2012 June #2
    A spirited memoir/manifesto that dares readers to "stand on a chair and shout ‘I AM A FEMINIST.' " With equal amounts snarky brio and righteous anger, Moran brings the discussion of contemporary women's rights down from the ivory tower and into the mainstream. Although women have come a long way from the battles fought by the early suffragettes and the first-wave feminists of the 1960s and '70s, they have also lost ground in some disturbing ways. Society still scrutinizes female sexual behavior for incipient signs of "sluttiness"; girls still grow up dreaming of becoming brides and wives (aka princesses), and pornography and strip clubs still objectify women. Moreover, celebrity culture puts women under a magnifying glass, dismissing their talents in favor of crowing over their physical flaws, their marital status and whether or not they have children. Into this sorry mess strides Moran, a self-deprecating, no-nonsense guide to womanhood. She frames her debate via a series of chapters detailing her own journey toward becoming not only a woman, but also a good person--polite, kind, funny and fundamentally decent. After all, feminism, she argues, is not a form of man hating; it is a celebration of women's potential to effect change and an affirmation of their equality with men. That such an important topic is couched in ribald humor makes reading about Moran's journey hilarious as well as provocative. With nary a hint of embarrassment, she reveals personal anecdotes about her miserable early adolescence as an overweight girl and her evolution into a music journalist who took London by storm on a quest to fall in love--or at least to kiss a lot of boys. She proves equally forthright in her views on abortion, childbearing and high heels. While some American readers may struggle with the British references and slang, they will find their efforts rewarded. Rapturously irreverent, this book should kick-start plenty of useful discussions. Copyright Kirkus 2012 Kirkus/BPI Communications.All rights reserved.
  • Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 2012 April #2

    Part memoir, part postmodern feminist rant, this award-winning British TV critic and celebrity writer brings her ingeniously funny views to the States. Moran's journey into womanhood begins on her 13th birthday when boys throw rocks at her 182-pound body, and her only friend, her sister Caz, hands her a homemade card reminding her to please turn 18 or die soon so Caz can inherit her bedroom. Always resourceful—as the eldest of eight children from Wolverhampton—the author embarrasses herself often enough to become an authority on how to masturbate; name one's breasts; and forgo a Brazilian bikini wax. She doesn't politicize feminism; she humanizes it. Everyone, she writes, is automatically an F-word if they own a vagina and want "to be in charge of it." Empowering women is as easy as saying—without reservation—the word "fat" and filling our handbags with necessities like a safety pin, biscuit, and "something that can absorb huge amounts of liquid." Beneath the laugh-out-loud humor is genuine insight about the blessings of having—or not having—children. With brutal honesty, she explains why she chose to have an abortion after birthing two healthy daughters with her longtime husband, Pete. Her story is as touching as it is timely. In her brilliant, original voice, Moran successfully entertains and enlightens her audience with hard-won wisdom and wit. (May)

    [Page ]. Copyright 2012 PWxyz LLC

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