Rude

by Katie Hopkins

Love her or hate her, Katie Hopkins is impossible to ignore, and this hilarious and revealing new book – part memoir, part handbook for the modern woman – is much the same.

Laughing through the chapters of her life, she shares her disasters, her biggest disappointments and the time she had to ring her super sensible boss to say she was on the front pages of the tabloids for having sex in a field.

From being kicked out of the army for being epileptic, to firing Lord Sugar; from her first husband leaving her in the maternity ward for the big-boobed secretary, to the reality behind Celebrity Big Brother, she has plenty of surprises to share and lessons she thinks we should learn.

Readers be warned, however! Katie doesn't sugar-coat anything, and neither does she hold back, making her as honest in her book as she is in life.

But this book is an introduction to a quieter Katie too, one people seldom see. She takes us beyond her front door and into the privacy of her home, writing as a mum of three, sharing things even she feels awkward saying.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir

266 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 7, 2017

Reviews

[John Wiltshire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeah, yeah, I know, Katie Hopkins... but I seriously like KH. She makes me laugh--she went to Sandhurst, too, so we share an army sense of humour. I'm four pages into this and already spitting out my tea. She writes like she speaks, so after Stephen King's Revival--unremittingly depressing--and Into the White about Scott's doomed Polar expedition--not a barrel of laughs either--I think I'm owed a chuckle.
I'll update as ever.
Well, I finished this late last night. I definitely recommend it to anyone with a sense of humour. I think if it were my book I'd have called it "Honest" rather than Rude, or even "Honest rather than Rude" because that's the essence of the book--we've lost the art of telling the truth and when someone does they come over as rude. One of my favourite Katie battles is her war on obesity, and her chapters about her documentary My Fat Story are fascinating. She makes the very valid point that if a child were to turn up at school aged 4 emaciated and unable to play with the other kids in the playground or run around social services would be called and the parents would be investigated for abuse. An obese 4 year old turns up at school and can't play or run around and if anyone raises a similar alarm they are reported to the police and accused of a hate crime. When you think about it it's a collective societal madness. Hopkins is fixated by fat people (as she says herself) and so am I. I've just come back from six weeks in the UK and I cannot believe how fat everyone is compared to New Zealand--and Kiwis are getting fatter year on year too. But nothing like the UK. It's unbelievable how much food is available in the UK and how cheap it all is and how much utter rubbish it is too--processed and full of sugar.
Besides her amusing (and heartbreaking) rants about the chubsters (as she calls them) she tackles Justin Trudeau, Angela Merkle, the BBC, Clinton and others with her painfully sharp wit. All brilliant stuff.
But what really knocked me for six in this book was Katie's talk about her epilepsy. I knew she had it, knew it was why she left the army and knew she'd had an op to cure it. But... wow. The chapters where she describes what living with this terrible affliction were like are literally chilling. And that she could survive such nighttime horrors (trips to A&E, dislocated arms, savagely bitten tongue) and then appear on TV or radio zinging with energy and love of life is a testament to this woman's true character. She never talked about it or used it for sympathy whilst often being berated for being insensitive by the "professional victims"--the lame, halt and lazy.
I hope everyone reads this book (not only because the proceeds are going to the epilepsy hospital) but to discover what a truly remarkable woman Hopkins is. I'm often accused of being a bit of a misogynist, which isn't true. I'm in awe of this woman. Read her chapter about mothers and their importance, or about her children, or about her advice to 40+ women--get on out there and be fabulous.
All women should read this book (to be honest, I think it's written for you, not men). This is what a true feminist looks like.

[ColinJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Throughout history the most scorned person is the one willing to tell the truth.

Look who today's media is telling us are evil and dangerous: Milo Yiannopoulos, Ann Coulter, Jack Buckby, and standing tall among them Katie Hopkins.

This book is half rollercoaster biography that is both hilarious and often touching, the second half an anti-Leftist polemic by one of the sharpest, most fearless truth-tellers of our time. And as with the other names I mentioned above, the more the Left attacks, lies about and tries to ruin people like Katie Hopkins, the bigger her audience grows.l

[Kaye Bewley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contrary to what people think, Katie Hopkins is a genius. That is quite possibly a controversial statement in itself and will probably make any of the life's brownie points I've accumulated, deleted. Nevertheless, you may have already formed your opinion of her, but this book will open your eyes to the actual vibrant personality she is.

In any memoir/autobiography, you would be hard pushed to find a person who writes ill of themselves - but Ms Hopkins makes no apologies and is not ashamed. In her usual 'in your face' style she hides nothing from us in the retelling of her life story. At times, she exposes things about her life that even I would balk at.

With her odd explanations of her 'foof' and descriptions of her experience as a (self-confessed) hopeless/useless waitress/bar girl, the comedienne inside her shines through. Many other authors choosing to write about themselves (me included), would probably have chosen to hide these parts seeing these experiences or views as giving others a reasons to dislike them. Fortunately, this exposure only goes to demonstrate how grown up she is. In this expose, Ms. Hopkins has accepted the experiences gleaned from her life and, more importantly, learned from them.

She writes about her family from a very female point of view. A woman who expresses a natural fear for her children growing up in what can be a scary world. She also exposes her vulnerabilities, particularly when undergoing her clearly frightening epileptic episodes which culminated in a decision to undergo a life-or-death operation. Clearly something that required a heck of a lot of courage.

Finally, although this is still a relatively free society - where everyone is exposed to the trivialities and controversies of life on a daily basis through their television screens - Ms. Hopkins shows how the legal authorities together with her employers have demonstrated this isn't the case. Even I had to remind myself that the nature of democracy is to enable people from all walks of life express their views - even if some are likely to disagree. Ms. Hopkins views, butting up against today's 'modern' diverse and all-inclusive society, may appear to come from the Jurassic era but, they are views that need to be exposed in order to understand the woman inside, and the world of free-speech, that is fast disappearing.

[Tyler Gray]

I will never read a book by her. I was born with imperforate anus, a serious medical condition that 1 in 5,000 babies are born with. It causes chronic pain and medical issues. It's a part of why I have daily medication, routines, an ostomy, chronic pain and can't get out much. It's a serious issue, that babies are born with, with life long consequences.

See what i'm talking about Here.

Let me repeat, this is something one is BORN with, meaning kids grow up with this. Kids see this stuff and hear it. It's already majorly embarrassing and causes hospital visits, medical routines, pain etc. Kids already get bullied and mocked over it. She's a grown ass adult.

It is NEVER okay to mock someone's medical condition. You don't know what they go through and more importantly, they aren't the only ones with that medical condition. Other people, like kids, with said condition will see it, hear it, and be devastated. Seriously, just think a little bit before saying such things.

This is important to me and personal. I will never rate a book I haven't read, and I do not agree with doing that. I am just stating my reasoning here because it has me so upset and while I now, nearing 30 years old, don't care who knows about my medical conditions, I want to spread awareness and I care about kids going through it, because i've literally been there.

[Rowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book surprises and delights. Not the literary nonfiction I'm used to, this book feels like a letter to the reader. The first part of this book seems to be the most shocking, the Katie we've all come to know and love. In the middle of the book, she writes about her epilepsy. After that the books seems deeper, not necessarily more sincere, but the views seem more personal, profound, and maybe less shocking. I've already recommended this book to a friend who is also a blunt Aquarian. Hopkins means to give good life advice throughout the book, not to shame people. She believes in separating ideas from people, and she explains how to write your own column: "One of the key tips for column writing is to write it as you think it, and to write like you speak. The moment you try to make things beautiful or try to be clever or construct the thing like a collage, you are stuffed." This passage demonstrates why this memoir works. Deeper, it seems to be a-political. Having opinions should not make someone line up with a political position. An opinion can be just that, an opinion. Hopkins wants us all to be honest, brave, and clear with our own opinions. She ends the book saying, "Opinions are not right or wrong. And no one is better than you. Or has more right to a view." I wrote her an email, asking if she were still friends with Michelle Visage in real life. I want to be part of that squad.

[Emily Clifton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bluntness is kind of her thing. 😉

[Rudolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exelent

A free thinker, a lady that go out and do. The book bring insight to a very complex woman that is a mother at hart. Fighting upstream makes her just stronger.

[Rod Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do not read this book if you are male. This is the scary inner sanctum of the female mind and will set all men on a path to paranoia. After reading I find myself asking is six inches a micro? At ten minutes am I a premie? Seriously though it is a great read and so refreshing to meet a person with an open mind who says it like it is. Bravo Katie!

[Ruth Jalfon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Katie Hopkins is fantastic. So funny and I was laughing and crying and nodding at different times while I read this in one sitting. We need more direct people who say what we're all thinking.

[Amanda Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

You might agree or disagree with Katie on a lot of things but she sure can give you a good laugh with her totally unrestricted sense of humour.

[Jvm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well Worth Reading - buy this and rate it just to trigger the snowflakes!

Great book that gives the reader the chance to hear things straight from the horses mouth. There’s definitely much more to KT than we’ve seen plastered over the papers.

[P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly sensitive book when you know her Twitter feed. There were even some really moving paragraphs.

[Anouk Decuypere · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite entertaining!

[Jessie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I admire the way Katie Hopkins speaks her mind. That much is true. However, this book just seems to press forward the point that she has a strange, and rather delusional, world view.

The idea that half of the country are silent conservatives too scared to speak their mind baffles me, considering I live in a largely Liberal area and yet daily I'm met by people speaking their truth in both subtle and not so subtle ways. I'm met with racism, homophobia, and Islamophobia every single day. It's hard to believe that people act that way if they're scared. As someone in the LGBT community, I have literally gone out of my way to lie about my sexuality due to fear of being seriously hurt. I have met conservatives scared of being hurt by others-never because of what others think of what they believe, but rather because their beliefs lead them to thinking minorities will hurt them simply by existing. Even if that wasn't true, I know Liberals that are afraid to speak any part of their mind. The idea that conservatives are a repressed minority forced into silence is far from true.

She makes many points that fail at the first hurdle. Islamophobia doesn't exist, she claims, because for it to exist the phobia would have to be irrational. Yet she seems to fail to see the number of Christian terrorist attacks, or other violent crimes, happening. If the facts showed an increased level of attack from Islam I'd understand-but instead she chooses to focus on the facts that suit her view of the world, and ignore the full picture. This is a common theme throughout the book. None of the stories are ever fully complete-and the entire chapter focusing solely on groups of people (such as gingers and Germans) she doesn't like completely baffles me. She constantly complains about people judging her before they meet her, yet she does the same to literal millions of people in this book.

She also seems to want to encourage women to be manipulative-telling them to use their "foof" to get what they want. That just makes life harder for men, who I know all too well can currently live in fear of being accused of something harmful. Allowing women to have power over men simply for being women is ridiculous, as it is the other way around. Positions in life should be earned on the basis of hard work and talent, and teaching young girls to use their vagina to get what they want is teaching them how to manipulate men. She complains regularly about feminism and how things are fine the way they are-and then encourages people to use their gender to their advantage. It leads me to think perhaps she's okay with inequality because there's inequality on both sides (which there is), so clearly that makes it all okay.

Political opinions aside, this book is a stream of thoughts of a woman that you can tell truly believes in what she writes. She is almost charming, is compelling, and very regularly helps to truly remind the reader that she is a person (instead of just the b***h the media portray her as). The writing style is easy to read, and honestly, I wouldn't have an issue with the ideas she states is they weren't so glaringly hypocritical. The hypocrisy is what kills off Hopkins charm. She gives us half a sandwich and throws the other half in the bin, telling us it's rotten. It doesn't make sense, and honestly the number of time she contradicts herself among the hypocrisy made me have to put this book down at several times and remind myself was happening.

A book that presents one side of a story, whilst claiming it's the whole thing. It's a good read to stay informed of ideas and others worldviews, but must be taken with a pinch of salt.

[Negin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t even remember how this book ended up on my Kindle, since I’d never heard of Katie Hopkins. I don’t live in the U.K., and I guess most people there are aware of her. She’s apparently controversial. Having read this, I could see why, especially in today’s hyper-sensitive world. I liked this book just fine. However, I wouldn’t rush to recommend it to everyone. It is very English, and there are parts that are quite crude, which is often a cultural thing. There were parts that had me laughing. I think that I’d enjoy her company, which, in my case, seems to be more and more a pattern when it comes to controversial individuals.

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

BBC
“From a BBC perspective, apparently, I am as disruptive as a heavy period at a swimming gala.”

Cancel Culture
“It is a mad world where burglaries go unattended but Twitter results in arrests.”

Identity Groups
The more we break down into different identity groups, the more labels there are. I’ve been called them all. They are a lazy thing, flung out carelessly in the hope that at least one will stick, activating any group with sufficient power to lobby to have you fired or arrested. So if you identify as black, you’ve got ‘racist’ in your armoury, to fling at anyone who crosses you. If you identify as a Muslim, you’ve got ‘racist’ and ‘Islamophobe’. If you are a black Muslim lesbian, you have ‘racist’, ‘Islamophobe’ and ‘homophobe’.

Labor and Delivery in the U.S. versus the U.K.
“Americans give you your induce date on the same day you have your pregnancy confirmed; it is organised and efficient. British midwives are a bit like Catholic nuns circa 1960 who consider any interference in the natural order of things to be deeply sinful. They like ‘nature to take its course’ even if you are clearly going into the summer term when your baby should have been born in spring.”

Leggings
“No woman should ever wear leggings as an outfit choice. They are the devil’s clothes and look universally crap on everyone apart from Elle Macpherson.

Rude and Aggressive People
“… if someone is shouting at you, imagine you are watching from above, like an angel on the ceiling. And focus on something small on their face, like a spot. Or their ear hair.”

[Bruce Philp · Rating 3 out of 5]

A perplexing memoir. I admit I got this from the library to read, in order to confirm my prejudices but finished it rather confused. It certainly is easily readable and very funny is places. She is intelligent but not intellectual. She says she wants children to be taught to think, not to be taught what to think which is admirable but spoilt by her political intransigence. She seems genuinely empathetic in some situations but very cruel in others. Her account of her intractable nocturnal epilepsy and the cure by a high risk neurosurgical operation was well written and authentic. I wonder if her intractable narcissism, delight in the attacks of her detractors and blinkered hypocrisy was in anyway related to her epilepsy induced brain damage. She can be very frustrating when she is at one moment very candid and honestly reflective and then at another supports her own arguments with wildly biased selection of evidence ( a trait she is quick to blame on the BBC). Her professed courage and “I’ll fix it “ personality is dented by her fear of other people’s opposing arguments. I’d recommend this to anyone who wants to try and understand the mindset of a right wing polemicist. It has been very interesting reading this whilst watching “Miss America” on BBC 2 (Right wing women attacking left wing women) and also “What we do in the Shadows “( as she reminds me of the Psychic Vampire Colin Robinson who feasts on the distress of humans). Also recommended for the meaning of the neologism Gunt during her Fat Story.

[John Pearce · Rating 1 out of 5]

Desperately Seeking Attention

What I like about this book is Ms Hopkins's remorseless self-obsession, coupled with her apparent conviction that her views, essentially a compendium of saloon bar maunderings, represent some kind of coherent world view. Less likeable is her apparent belief that talk of wetting herself, of her bedraggled vagina, or her outsize in tampons some how authenticates her views as those of a woman of consequence. She also makes much of how hated she is, and here I do think she is deluded. To hate MS Hopkins is to take her far more seriously than she deserves; she is a shallow person with a trivial mind, and every page of this book attests to that. The only positive thing to be said for having ploughed through this terrible book is that it means that I can safely ignore anything else written by Ms Hopkins in the future: it will be as big a waste of my time as was this one.

[Jack Falvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully done.

A voice in the wilderness is a beautiful thing. It says there is life. It says there is light. It says that what lacks reason is insanity. It says that it speaks for more than itself. It speaks for reason. It speaks for truth. It speaks for those who know that the road we are on will lead to destruction and devastation .

A mind and spirit with vision and courage and the skill to communicate at a world class level is seldom seen or heard. Kate Hopkins is such a person. It is a beautiful thing that she is being seen and heard.

Her message is long overdo. She has arrived at the right place just in time. She in on a worthy mission.

God's speed. Do your thing. You do it better than any other. Do more of it and more will be with you. Onward! It is your the

[Rick Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed it more than I thought I would ... probably just for its outspokenness. Don't read if you're easily offended or not prepared to be challenged ( from which you will either evolve or entrench ... either is truly possible and both may happen over the course of reading the book).

This was part of my current spate of reading challenging/contentious/divisive authors as I explore the concept of personal bias and assumption. The more I read the more I seek out the gems that can exist in places I least expected to find them.

KHs chapters on weight loss are more instructional than any of the swathes of diet fad books and far more compelling.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This took me by complete surprise.
Not only was it excruciatingly hilarious, it showed a much softer side to a woman known for controversy. I still completely disagree with 98% of the things that come out of her mouth, but instead of wanting to lock her in a sound proof room until the end of time, I think I'd quite like to go to the pub for a pint with her to discuss our opinions.
A bloody good read, all in all.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

This woman. You either love her or hate her. Those who hate her must ask themselves how it is possible for someone with her views to be a success. I think it says more about the Orwellian society we live in where most intolerance comes now from the supposedly " liberal left". No alternative view is tolerated but worse those who hold those views must be denigrated and humiliated rather than have open-minded discussions.

[G M · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I was going to enjoy this book more than I eventually did. Most of it isn’t about her views on the crazy world we love in, but rather about herself and her life. I suppose I should have expected that given it’s an autobiography. But listening about kids, health and such was really dull. I’ve given it a two rather than a three as, while she seems quite funny, I couldn’t abide the constant references to her genitals. Was glad when it got to the end of this book.

[Bobbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to describe how I feel about this book. I love her outlook on current events, politics and the like, but I'm not crazy about her rather crude way of describing her views. I also can't agree with her description of her rather crude lifestyle and encouragement for others to go and do likewise, but I did enjoy the book and love seeing her on TV

[Elise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than I expected. I’m not one to usually agree with the things that Katie says, but overall it was an interesting read and I laughed at some parts, and found other things she said to be quite true, like not taking yourself, or life too seriously. Maybe I have misunderstood Katie, she probably is a tolerable as she says she is.

[Agi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasnt sure what to expect, as I got this book by chance. And I enjoyed it very much! Smart woman, good book. I check her out- she's bit controversial, but she says out loud things other just think. Two feet on the ground and very logical.

[dawn bowdidge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprising

I loved this book , so funny , a very interesting read . I wasn't pc before after reading this I'm so glad I'm me . gives you a great perspective what's important would recommend even if your not a fan

[Bernadette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read. Sometimes made me laugh, occasionally annoyed and a couple of times I disagreed with her observations or opinions. Which, of-course, made this a most enjoyable book to read.
Read it in a day!

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

More about katie hopkins and what a shock jock she is. I'm perfect, everyone else is wrong. Put me in mind of a brat with an opinion

[Katie Azzario · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Katie! Loved her book! Very funny and entertaining!

[Dave B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, funny, great read. Katie holds no punches. Do not read if easily offended.