How to Be a Woman

By: Caitlin Moran

Narrated by: Caitlin Moran

GALAXY NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER 2011: BOOK OF THE YEAR

BRITISH PRESS AWARDS CRITIC AND INTERVIEWER OF THE YEAR 2011

BRITISH PRESS AWARDS COLUMNIST OF THE YEAR 2010

1913 - Suffragette throws herself under the King's horse. 1969 - Feminists storm Miss World. Now - Caitlin Moran rewrites "The Female Eunuch" from a bar stool and demands to know why pants are getting smaller. There's never been a better time to be a woman: we have the vote and the Pill, and we haven't been burnt as witches since 1727. However, a few nagging questions do remain...Why are we supposed to get Brazilians? Should you get Botox? Do men secretly hate us? What should you call your vagina? Why does your bra hurt? And why does everyone ask you when you're going to have a baby? Part memoir, part rant, Caitlin Moran answers these questions and more in "How To Be A Woman" - following her from her terrible 13th birthday ('I am 13 stone, have no friends, and boys throw gravel at me when they see me') through adolescence, the workplace, strip-clubs, love, fat, abortion, TopShop, motherhood and beyond.

Caitlin Moran had literally no friends in 1990, and so had plenty of time to write her firstnovel, The Chronicles of Narmo, at the age of fifteen. At sixteen she joined music weekly Melody Maker and at eighteen briefly presented the pop show 'Naked City' on Channel 4. Following this precocious start she then put in eighteen solid years as a columnist on The Times - both as a TV critic and also in the most-read part of the paper, the satirical celebrity column 'Celebrity Watch'.

The eldest of eight children, home-educated in a council house in Wolverhampton, Caitlin read lots of books about feminism - mainly in an attempt to be able to prove to her brother, Eddie, that she was scientifically better than him. Caitlin isn't really her name. She was christened 'Catherine'. But she saw 'Caitlin' in a Jilly Cooper novel when she was 13 and thought it looked exciting. That's why she pronounces it incorrectly: 'Catlin'. It causes trouble for everyone.

©2011 Caitlin Moran (P)2012 Random House Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Spectacular! Very, very funny, moving and revealing" (Jonathan Ross)

"I adore, admire and - more - am addicted to Caitin Moran’s writing." (Nigella Lawson)

"Moran's writing sparkles with wit and warmth. Like the confidences of your smartest friend." (Simon Pegg)

“I devoured How to Be A Woman in one sitting...this is the book that frustrated boyfriends have wanted someone...to write for decades” ( Dan Stevens, The Times)

“The book EVERY woman should read” ( Grazia)

This book is a friend you always wanted to have!

I love this book- and to listen to it was an extraordinary experience!
it was like having a chat with your best feminist friend while she explained to you all you ever wanted to hear-about your womanhood- all the necessary detail every woman will go through in her life eventualy but nobody ever talks about it,or eplains or educate!
it is marvelous!

Cuts to the bone

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Every woman should know that there are other women who feel the same way.

What did you like best about this story?

The love that Caitlin feels for her siblings and her honesty in telling the story, a lot of people would shy away from the abortion.

What about Caitlin Moran’s performance did you like?

It is like sitting on the sofa having a chat with your mate.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No

Any additional comments?

No

How Caitlin Moran Wants to be a Woman

Really enjoyed listening to Caitlin read her book, and I loved and appreciated much of what she has to say about Being Woman. As a strident feminist, I marked her down a touch for the things I disagree with her on (just a couple!) but up for making me laugh so much. Down a wee bit for swearing so much I can't share it with my pre teen kids yet. Then again, I didn't want to have the abortion discussion with them just yet anyway. Good book; recommended to all over 16/18 yrs old, but I'm sure it will appeal most to over 30s.

Must read, especially for men (yes I am a man...)

From a literature standpoint there may be things to criticize, basically that is 'too much' here and there. But the tone is light, Caitlin is frank and at the end of the day very sharp and refreshingly original on a very very important subject of which we should all be more conscious of.

A must read for every woman...

What made the experience of listening to How to Be a Woman the most enjoyable?

And man for that matter! Caitlin Moran is the perfect mix of idealism, logic and light-heartedness. I was laughing and nodding along in agreement the whole time. Takes what is generally known as a boring and stodgy topic and makes it hilarious and fun. Had me wishing it wouldn't come to an end, cannot stop recommending this to my friends.

Stirring Stuff!

This book should probably come with a an explicit language warning, but once you get past that, Ms Moran writes with clarity, honesty and humour. Her reading feels like having a clever, funny friend sitting on your sofa.

This is the sort of writing that gives feminism a good name.

I shall be giving a copy to my teenage daughter.

Ludicrousness, hilarity, and food for thought.

Self-narrated, Caitlin Moran addresses the struggles of the modern day woman through anecdotes of her own hilarious experiences. Instead of succumbing to patriarchal shaming of how a woman in contemporary society "should be", she calls out misogynistic tendencies as 'fucking bullshit' AND backs her arguments with solid reasoning. Though there are areas Moran could have explored further by substituting speculation, her presentation of feminist activism is flamboyant, fierce, but fun. If you can stomach a few gnarly details and embrace a northern-girl's choice of language, this book is bound to give you several PAAAHAH!!! moments.

Generally funny, but I expected something more

In my opinion this book is a reasonably funny autobiography which talks about today's view of what it means to be a woman. Nicely read.

Best way to get into feminism

Feminism in a hilarious jacket. She talks about her way of finding out how to be a woman and threads recognizable situations in there!

A great listen

What did you love best about How to Be a Woman?

Caitlin Moran's take on the definition of being a woman, With wit and humour she covers l the whole range of being a woman, from anatomy to relationships, work, children, even a bit on fashion. All men should read it, it'll be an eye opener, even for honorary women!

What does Caitlin Moran bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She's great at reading her own book, brings some depth to the written word,

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

How to be a woman, of course