The Book Depository Moranthology by Caitlin Moran
805 ratings
TO EXPLORE MORE
Price: £13.06
Brand: The Book Depository
Description: Moranthology : Paperback : Harper Collins Publishers Inc : 9780062258533 : 0062258532 : 06 Nov 2012 : First published in Great Britain in 2012 by Ebury Press--T.p. verso. The Book Depository Moranthology by Caitlin Moran - shop the best deal online on thebookbug.co.uk
Category: Books
Merchant: The Book Depository
Product ID: 9780062258533
MPN: 0062258532
GTIN: 9780062258533
Author: S. Linter
Rating: 5
Review: There was only one reason for me to watch Naked City in the early 90s. Caitlin Moran. If I wanted to read witty, well-written articles about music and current events, I would turn to various publications for - Caitlin Moran. As you can tell, I am a Moranite and many of you who are reading the first lines of this review may feel that it might be just a tad biased. Well, you'd be right but at the same time wrong. Moranthology is a collection of Caitlin's columns, articles and interviews, all packaged neatly in one book with funky pictures of Caitlin on the front and back. For many who have followed Caitlin and read every article written by her, this book really is like buying a greatest hits album expecting to find a hidden new song written especially for it. The new song takes the form of Caitlin's introduction to each article and each of the four sections. Now, to many, this may well be the greatest hits of Moran, making many bemoan the fact that they have read all of the articles before, cursing the day when they bought the album for just one song. On the other side of the oblivious Moran-free fence, this book represents a collection of witty, well-written articles as mentioned in my second sentence and will represent a barrel of laughs and Moran insights for those who have not read anything by her. As I have been lucky enough to meet her and been a fan since Naked City, I award this book five stars mainly because of a combination of Caitlin's wit and my bias. However, to other Moranites, this book will represent a deep sigh in the self-knowledge that you can't resist the new intros and articles unavailable anywhere else. For that, I would award this book two and a half stars (which I can't as Amazon doesn't allow halves!) + my bias + rounding up - three stars.
Author: katherine
Rating: 2
Review: I love Moran's writing when it's light-hearted. It's funny, warm and charming. She is usually great at writing on popular culture and autobiographical events. There was a little of that involved in this collection, which I enjoyed. Unfortunately any good stuff was heavily outweighed (maybe not literally, but by the end of the book it felt that way) by ill-conceived columns on various subjects that she, bafflingly, seems to have appointed herself a spokesperson for (at least, that's how it comes across). To say Moran over-simplifies world issues is an understatement. This type of writing makes me baulk. It's not considered, funny or thought-provoking and it's impossible to take seriously when it's riddled with mawkish philosophizing, emotional outpouring and unrealistic solutions written in a 'why can't we all just get along' vein. At times it reads like a teenager's diary. When I want to read about politics, or global issues, I look to the appropriate publications, or experts, or at least a writer who has thoroughly researched their subject; not a columnist/author famous for her 'Celebrity Watch' populist style. (nb. I have also read How To Be A Woman, and found some of the language used a bit problematic - no, not the swearing - 'retard' & 'that napalm kid' for example. I disagreed with many of her views on feminism, finding them contradictory and ill-considered eg. burlesque good - stripping bad. Small pants bad - 'sexy' bra good. She was judgemental, ethnocentric and her musings lacked real, wider relevance. I gave her the benefit of the doubt as I did not consider it a serious attempt at academia. As long as you didn't take her feminism 'critique' seriously, it was still a fairly enjoyable, easy read; something to while away a few hours on holiday). Overall, this book (or collection of columns) was disappointing. Perhaps I only slowly became aware of it, or perhaps the tone changed, but as the book progressed, I found the emotive, childish language and heavy sentimentality present everywhere. I can cope with it up to a point; when it's autobiographical there is a 'authenticity' (for example, a retelling of her and her husband's road to marriage) which lends gravitas - but even the (you would presume) light-hearted subject-matter, such as interviews with pop stars, were given this treatment, and so everything read in the same, cloying manner. Towards the end, it was irritating me so much I almost didn't finish the book. At least I know I've not been missing out on much behind that 'Times' paywall. I wish the writer would stick to writing about subjects she knows well; the difference when she doesn't, is glaringly obvious. 'Moranthology' is no 'one thing' - it's not funny enough to be called comedy and it's not well-written enough to be taken seriously. Maybe it's just me, maybe she's always written this way and I've only just noticed? I was sure she was better than this though.
