Shrill

Notes from a Loud Woman

By: Lindy West

Narrated by: Lindy West

Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

Shrill is an uproarious memoir, a feminist rallying cry in a world that thinks gender politics are tedious and that women, especially feminists, can't be funny.

Coming of age in a culture that demands women be as small, quiet, and compliant as possible - like a porcelain dove that will also have sex with you - writer and humorist Lindy West quickly discovered that she was anything but.

From a painfully shy childhood in which she tried, unsuccessfully, to hide her big body and even bigger opinions; to her public war with stand-up comedians over rape jokes; to her struggle to convince herself, and then the world, that fat people have value; to her accidental activism and never-ending battle royale with internet trolls, Lindy narrates her life with a blend of humor and pathos that manages to make a trip to the abortion clinic funny and wring tears out of a story about diarrhea.

With inimitable good humor, vulnerability, and boundless charm, Lindy boldly shares how to survive in a world where not all stories are created equal and not all bodies are treated with equal respect, and how to weather hatred, loneliness, harassment, and loss, and walk away laughing. Shrill provocatively dissects what it means to become self-aware the hard way, to go from wanting to be silent and invisible to earning a living defending the silenced in all caps.

©2016 Lindy West (P)2016 Hachette Audio

I love this woman

I am a long time audiobook fan (I like to read with my ears) but I have never binged listened to any book before this. May Lindy West continue to lead platoons of strong, smart, out spoken women whose armor and weapons are their wit and hilarity.

Fantastic, funny, smart

This book was phenomenal. Smart, very well written, incisive, funny. West brings her capacious wit, empathy and intelligence to tackle tricky topics like fat-phobia, feminism and rape culture. She's also a great reader (which makes sense given her performance background). This was an accessible, fun, and fast read.

So good

Listening to this, I laughed so loud I got funny looks on the train. And I cried in public. And I wanted to pause it, write down a quote, and tattoo it on myself more times than I can count. Lindy is funny, charming, and oh so real. Do yourself a favor, ladies, and listen.

New favorite book to recommend

If you see value in knowing more about any of the following, then this is for you: a) women in comedy b) rape culture c) treating fat people like human beings d) misogyny and silencing of women e) positive body image

outstanding

hilarious, feminist. a must listen for all. thank you lindy for doing what you do!

So excellent. Read it...

This book, and the woman who wrote and read it, is a gift. Also- she is hilarious.

Perfect

Best book I've listened to in a long time. This is the portrait of a truly beautiful person.

Magical.

If you're a human, or know a human, or want to be a human someday... you should definitely, absolutely read this book. Maybe even read it 2 or 27 times. Yes, it's that good.

Highly recommended

This book was funny, thoughtful, and interesting. I enjoyed listening and would recommend it to anyone of any size or gender.

Amazing. A must-read for anyone...

...who is a woman, who has ever felt they are not enough, who has ever been ashamed of their body, and human beings in general.
I cried laughing, and then I cried because of the truth bombs that Lindy so eloquently and irreverently drops on the status quo. And then I laughed, felt empowered AF, and BRB - off to listen to this over again.