Prompt Proofing Book Review: How To Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran

VANCOUVER, BC, April 26, 2013 (Press-News.org) This is one of those books that I was initially quite confused about. Before I offer my own opinions, here's the summary of the book, courtesy of Amazon.com:

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. With humour, insight, and verve, How To Be a Woman lays bare the reasons why female rights and empowerment are essential issues not only for women today but also for society itself.

On the one hand, I had to admire Moran's guts. She lays out her deepest most embarrassing experiences and secrets from growing up and becoming a woman, for all the world to read. That's not an easy task and I can't imagine any of us would want to join her. Some of these observations are facts most people retain only for the therapist's office.

However, on the other hand, I did at times feel that Moran only included certain elements with the hope of shocking the reader - perhaps this was her take on feminism, but I read it more as: if there's shock value, perhaps we'll ignore what's underneath. I didn't ignore it, and that's the problem.

Once I got past her honesty and respected her for that, I was left feeling disappointed in what was there to read. The chronological jumping around was confusing and came at the wrong times - just as you were starting to connect with Moran at one phase in her life, she jumps out of it. Also, she didn't develop the surrounding characters in any great depth. We're aware she came from a large family so struggled to get attention from her parents, but even the sister she talks about the most, Caz, remains one-dimensional, and the other family members are hard to visualize as we are given next to nothing to go on.

I really struggled to get through this book, and it was only my stubborn determination to finish what I start that kept me going. I wanted to give up after Chapter 3 - probably even earlier, but I always give books a few chapters to settle in - and looking back, I think that's where I should have stopped, sadly. Obviously, numerous others did not agree with me as the book has won many awards, so perhaps give it a go for yourself and see what you think.

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