The F-word discussion

I've heard so many great things about this!

Really enjoyed this. I was falling about with laughter. Loved many of her observations and viewpoints. I have a little crush on Caitlin Moran now.

My review: www.goodreads.com/review/show/1000309623

I wanted to like it and expected to like it but really didn't in the end. My review isn't exactly Shakespeare either (and will show I had read this before it was required reading here...which I hope is not cheating) but for what it is worth here it is: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Stef wrote: "I wanted to like it and expected to like it but really didn't in the end. My review isn't exactly Shakespeare either (and will show I had read this before it was required reading here...which I hop..."

It's like we read two different books, Stef. I don't even remember most of what you write in your review, and I only read it a few days ago. ...

Yeah I am looking at yours and agreeing about the good points. Some of the issues I remember she had me agreeing and then she lost me by becoming quite wishy-washy and losing the critical thread, probably to build to her finale of men don't have to change and women don't have to change. See to me if noone changes then change does not happen. I don't think individual consumer choice is going to change the world (have you watched Missrepresentation about the way the media decision makers don;t care that they are not catering to most "consumers" because they know we will buy the product (ie watch) anyway.

So to me the depoliticising is a huge trap. But I read your review and I do think you pulled out some good points and I did agree with those too. I just think she never really got off the ground with any of them.

But the crush thing...that is cute. I certainly get crushes on writers!

I don't recall her writing a thing about women or men not changing!

I've been on a Caitlin Moran YouTube binge :-)

OK. I am going to entertain the possibility I either read two books close together and dissed the wrong one (and try to track down mine that I donated to the women's room at uni)

OR

I don't know. I better look at it again before I argue this too much. As you pointed out you read it very recently.

:)

I just started this - so far I'm quite enjoying her ability to combine humor with some extremely important points.

I've seen that a lot of people have compared this to Bossypants. So far I'm finding it both funnier and more meaningful.

It's funny you like this more than bossypants, I liked bossypants way more than HTBAW! Haha

I've been really behind on the group reads so far this year, but I'm trying to catch up. I'm currently reading this one, and based on some not-so-great reviews I'd heard I wasn't expecting much. However, I'm finding it so much funnier than I thought it'd be. I agree, Alexa, so far I'm finding this funnier and more meaningful than Bossypants, which I personally didn't like very much.

I'm working my way through it quite slowly too. I'm really impressed - it can't be easy to be so funny about something that is so clearly of vital importance to her. But after each essay/chapter I have to give myself time to recover - she really packs a punch!

I love this so much! Everything she says really resonates with me!

Nicole wrote: "I'm finding it so much funnier than I thought it'd be. ..."

I laughed out loud so often. Caitlin Moran is a comic genius. Allegedly, she does stand-up.

I had never heard of her before, so I had to go and look her up - she appears to be an amazing person!

Over and over I would find myself unable to contain my humor, and yet I just couldn't read most of those sentences out loud to the enquiring raised eyebrows I would get.

I just got around to checking out all the reviews (because I just got around to writing my own, seriously behind here!). Wow does this ever have mixed reviews! A lot of people thought it was too silly and not serious enough - while a lot of others say it used all sorts of hate speech. Did I just obliviously read over all sorts of slurs? That's troubling to contemplate.... Yet her style of using humor to make her points just totally worked for me.

Alexa wrote: " a lot of others say it used all sorts of hate speech. Did I just obliviously read over all sorts of slurs? That's troubling to contemplate...."

I do not remember Caitlin Moran using any hate speech, Alexa! ... Anyone? ...

Specifically somebody said she used the words "retard" and "tranny." But there were lots of more general complaints (along with all the people who love it!). I don't have the book anymore to check. I don't recall any air at all of hate or intolerance in the book, unless we count phrases like "zero tolerance policy on patriarchal bullshit," which isn't hate, but accuracy in labeling, in my opinion! Perhaps in the children's conversations? Which would count as fidelity to memory rather than current hatred.

Alexa wrote: "Perhaps in the children's conversations? Which would count as fidelity to memory rather than current hatred."

Yes. I published something containing the word 'retard.' I had written it in my diary 25 years ago. And the diary shows what a shit I was in those days. It's a hard call. But I think in that context, it is permissible.

I thought this was hilarious and extremely insightful.

Alexa, I've seen the comparisons, too - and while I love Tina Fey, I wasn't blown away by her book.

I was blown away by this one, though. Fantastic.

(Soon after reading, I was talking to a friend who is a huge "CaitMo" fan - as she says, and I told her that reading this book made me stop wanting to call myself a "feminist", and instead call myself a "strident feminist" :) ).

And I liked that line well enough to start my review with:

I want a Zero Tolerance policy on "All the Patriarchal Bullshit".

Yes, I'm really glad we read this!!!