Moranifesto

August 22, 2016
Moran, a novelist and career pop culture critic, doesn’t consider herself one of the “professional political people,” but emboldened by the success of her 2011 book How to Be a Woman—a feminist manifesto, of sorts—she’s taken on even more tough topics, including political ones, in this collection of her columns from the Times of London. The collection is organized loosely into themes such as “change” and “arguing on the Internet,” with new introductions that tie everything together. Moran touches on a wide array of topics, including Daft Punk’s hit song “Get Lucky,” Hillary Clinton, social media, class differences, and abortion. Moran’s endless sense of humor, enthusiasm for punching upward, and liberal use of the word you makes reading the collection like hanging out with a loud and chatty friend (“WHERE ARE THE SEXY BITS?” she demands of Tolstoy’s War and Peace, in an essay on the importance of reading). Readers don’t have to be interested in or knowledgeable about everything she references (such as U.K. politics) to have fun with Moran, but they do need a silly sense of humor.

The bestselling author of How to Be a Woman (2012) compiles columns on all aspects of life into one giant explosion of thoughts.Quirky, funny, stupid, serious, compassionate, and thoughtful are just some of the adjectives necessary to describe Moran's (How to Build a Girl, 2014, etc.) British-centric compilation of essays on just about anything that has happened to her. Want to know her thoughts on cystitis, printers, the 5:2 diet ("wherein the dieter eats perfectly normally for five days of the week--then spends the remaining two days on a very restrictive diet"), the song "Get Lucky," seven things about fashion every woman should know, or Lena Dunham and Girls? Look no further. Interested in Moran's take on Margaret Thatcher's death, bus tour guides, how she learned about sex, or her love for David Bowie? That's here as well. Fortunately, the author does delve into more than these fluff pieces, addressing tough issues like rape, female genital mutilation, what it means to be a feminist, the body issues women face, immigration, war, terrorism, and the problems with social media, including the ease with which people can harass others online. The tone is satirical, humorous, serious, or snarky, depending on the topic. Some of the commentaries include locker-room humor, which sits awkwardly next to the more significant discussions of important issues. In attempting to address everything and find a common theme, "the same old problems and the same old asshats," Moran has created a mishmash that leaves readers laughing one minute and begging for more seriousness the next. Her observations on somber topics are the highlights, giving readers a better sense of the compassionate, intelligent woman behind the prose. Up-and-down, humorous and/or serious essays that run through the gauntlet that comprises life. COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from January 1, 2017

In both her previous essay collections and her best-selling novel, How To Build a Girl, British humorist, writer, and feminist Moran has won audiences over with her sharp wit and penetrating insights about modern-day sexism. And while she continues this conversation, her newest collection, which compiles her most recent columns from UK newspaper The Times, has more range as she examines the current state of Western culture and politics in general. Her message, or manifesto, persists in its tone of empowerment. She believes in her readers, and she believes that they, and not just the rich and connected, can and must be the catalysts of change. In this way, she brings to light how all political action, big or small, ultimately matters--an inspiring reminder, especially in today's uncertain political climate. VERDICT It is difficult, and rare, to be both political and funny, critical yet inviting, but Moran handles this tension skillfully and she succeeds in at least compelling her readers to listen and read on, if not inspiring them into instant action.--Meagan Lacy, Guttman Community Coll., CUNY

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2016
British writer Moran, author of the essay collection How to Be a Woman (2012), reached even larger American audiences with her stellar novel How to Build a Girl (2014). This collection of her London Times columns, newly compiled for U.S. fans, won't hold the same imminence as the columns did when they ran in England over the last few years, but no matterseriously. With her exuberant vocabulary full of Briticisms, Moran's wise, bracing observations about politics, pop culture, feminism, and nearly everything else are no-holds-barred, and made easy and fun to digest by her crackling humor. Most undated columns run for three to four pages and are rather loosely organized into four sections, each one appearing after a new blurb from Moran that connects it to the previous piece. Once a homeschooled kid, Moran features libraries largely in her work. Bemoaning her young teen daughters' lack of interest in reading, she writes, There's an air about someone who's gallivanted, joyously, through a library in their early years that I revere. Meet the original joyous library gallivanter herself; and stock up.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)