The New York Times Book Review - Andi Zeisler
Caitlin Moran is the Mary Poppins of contemporary pop-culture feminism, a benevolent, irreverent cheerleader whose magic bag contains everything from position papers on pubic waxing to full-throated defenses of music snobs…The book's more than 60 previously published columns toggle between surface-skimming cultural musings and political entreaties meant to light a fire under readers' otherwise comfy rears…despite its self-deprecation, Moranifesto is not a collection that suffers from low self-esteem. Moran thinks big, writes expansively, and expects a lot from readers…
Publishers Weekly
08/22/2016
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. (Nov.)
From the Publisher
If you dug How to Be a Woman; trust Lena Dunham’s recommendations on literature; are intrigued by chapters titled, variously, ‘David Bowie—England’s Beautiful Boys,’ ‘BACONI’ and ‘The Exact Amount of Famous I Am: 35 Percent,’ Caitlin Moran’s latest, Moranifesto is for you” — Elle
“No one tackles issues as big as income inequality and global warming or as small as bang trims and Benedict Cumberbatch’s ass quite like the wickedly funny Caitlin Moran.” — Cosmopolitan
“Author Caitlin Moran has taught us How to Be a Woman and How to Build a Girl, but with her latest collection of essays, she’s eyeing the bigger picture and outlining her personal manifesto… with the signature blend of earnestness and irreverent wit that have made Moran a bestselling writer.” — Bridey Heing, Bust
“If you haven’t heard of Caitlin Moran, I’m afraid you deserve to be publicly shamed.... [She’s] a hilarious, insightful feminist intellectual who writes about politics with the same clarity and ease as she does Benedict Cumberbatch.... This is a book that made me miss my subway stop in both directions.” — Dana Schwartz, Observer
“Moran has won audiences over with her sharp wit and penetrating insights about modern-day sexism…. It is difficult, and rare, to be both political and funny, critical yet inviting, but Moran handles this tension skillfully.” — Meagan Lacy, Library Journal, starred review
“Witty and intelligent, honest and silly, a shrewd combination of culture, politics and feminism-a conversation worth joining.... Moranifesto exposes the many facets of this complex, wickedly smart woman. Missing it would definitely be a crime.” — Jen Forbus, Shelf Awareness, starred review
“Humorous and/or serious essays that run through the gauntlet that comprises life.... [Moran’s] observations on somber topics are the highlights, giving readers a better sense of the compassionate, intelligent woman behind the prose.” — Kirkus
“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.” — Publishers Weekly
“Exuberant....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.” — Booklist
“The joy of Moran’s writing lies in how she combines thoughtfulness and intelligence with proper belly laughs.... It’s this clarity about how the world can be improved, how we can all be better at life, that lies at the heart of Moran’s writing. She may be funny, but she’s also right.” — Independent (London)
“Having conquered feminism, Caitlin Moran is ready to solve the problems of the world…. We’re in.” — Marie Claire (UK)
“Brilliant…. If you like Caitlin Moran you will love how Moranifesto… feels as though she has plonked herself down next to you in the pub and is knocking back gin while folding forth.” — Sunday Times (London)
“[Moran] describes the book as ‘detailing how I would solve the problems of the Earth.’ You wouldn’t bet against her.” — Glamour (UK)
“When she writes on politics Moran is predictably brilliant… full of great ideas…. Reading Moranifesto I thought how much I’d like to live in the world Moran is arguing for — a kinder, fairer, more equal place.” — Evening Standard (London)
“If you haven’t heard of Caitlin Moran, I’m afraid you deserve to be publicly shamed.... [She’s] a hilarious, insightful feminist intellectual who writes about politics with the same clarity and ease as she does Benedict Cumberbatch ... This is a book that made me miss my subway stop in both directions.” — Dana Schwartz, the Observer
“In Moranthology, a collection of [Moran’s] greatest hits, she has full rein to unleash a barrage of scorchingly funny and uncensored opinions on the rest of the known universe.” — Vanity Fair on Moranthology, a Best Books of the Year
“Fans of Ms. Moran will be especially pleased that all the pith and wit about How to Be a Woman remain on display in Moranthology.” — Wall Street Journal on Moranthology
“It is bracing in this season of losing [Nora] Ephron to discover a younger feminist writer who scrimmages with the patriarchy and drop kicks zingers with comic flair….A must-read for anyone curious to find out just how very funny a self-proclaimed ‘strident feminist’ can be.” — NPR's Fresh Air on How to Be a Woman
“Vivid and full of truths…. There’s a point in midlife, when you’re already built, as it were, when the average coming-of-age story starts to feel completely uninteresting. But Moran is so lively, dazzlingly insightful and fun that “How to Build a Girl” transcends any age restrictions.” — San Francisco Chronicle on How to Build a Girl
“Wonderfully wise and flat-out hilarious.” — People on How to Build a Girl
“Very funny.... Moran never loses touch with what seemed to me an authentic and believable teenage voice…. The joy of this easy-read novel is not just the scrappy protagonist…. Moran makes strong statements about social inequality and gender throughout.” — NPR's Fresh Air on How to Build a Girl
“Uproariously funny.” — Entertainment Weekly
Jen Forbus
Witty and intelligent, honest and silly, a shrewd combination of culture, politics and feminism-a conversation worth joining.... Moranifesto exposes the many facets of this complex, wickedly smart woman. Missing it would definitely be a crime.
Cosmopolitan
No one tackles issues as big as income inequality and global warming or as small as bang trims and Benedict Cumberbatch’s ass quite like the wickedly funny Caitlin Moran.
Meagan Lacy
Moran has won audiences over with her sharp wit and penetrating insights about modern-day sexism…. It is difficult, and rare, to be both political and funny, critical yet inviting, but Moran handles this tension skillfully.
Bridey Heing
Author Caitlin Moran has taught us How to Be a Woman and How to Build a Girl, but with her latest collection of essays, she’s eyeing the bigger picture and outlining her personal manifesto… with the signature blend of earnestness and irreverent wit that have made Moran a bestselling writer.
Booklist
Exuberant....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.
Elle
If you dug How to Be a Woman; trust Lena Dunham’s recommendations on literature; are intrigued by chapters titled, variously, ‘David Bowie—England’s Beautiful Boys,’ ‘BACONI’ and ‘The Exact Amount of Famous I Am: 35 Percent,’ Caitlin Moran’s latest, Moranifesto is for you
Dana Schwartz
If you haven’t heard of Caitlin Moran, I’m afraid you deserve to be publicly shamed.... [She’s] a hilarious, insightful feminist intellectual who writes about politics with the same clarity and ease as she does Benedict Cumberbatch.... This is a book that made me miss my subway stop in both directions.
Independent (London)
The joy of Moran’s writing lies in how she combines thoughtfulness and intelligence with proper belly laughs.... It’s this clarity about how the world can be improved, how we can all be better at life, that lies at the heart of Moran’s writing. She may be funny, but she’s also right.
San Francisco Chronicle on How to Build a Girl
Vivid and full of truths…. There’s a point in midlife, when you’re already built, as it were, when the average coming-of-age story starts to feel completely uninteresting. But Moran is so lively, dazzlingly insightful and fun that “How to Build a Girl” transcends any age restrictions.
Sunday Times (London)
Brilliant…. If you like Caitlin Moran you will love how Moranifesto… feels as though she has plonked herself down next to you in the pub and is knocking back gin while folding forth.
Vanity Fair on Moranthology
In Moranthology, a collection of [Moran’s] greatest hits, she has full rein to unleash a barrage of scorchingly funny and uncensored opinions on the rest of the known universe.
NPR's Fresh Air on How to Build a Girl
Very funny.... Moran never loses touch with what seemed to me an authentic and believable teenage voice…. The joy of this easy-read novel is not just the scrappy protagonist…. Moran makes strong statements about social inequality and gender throughout.
Entertainment Weekly
Uproariously funny.
Evening Standard (London)
When she writes on politics Moran is predictably brilliant… full of great ideas…. Reading Moranifesto I thought how much I’d like to live in the world Moran is arguing for — a kinder, fairer, more equal place.
People on How to Build a Girl
Wonderfully wise and flat-out hilarious.
Marie Claire (UK)
Having conquered feminism, Caitlin Moran is ready to solve the problems of the world…. We’re in.
Glamour (UK)
[Moran] describes the book as ‘detailing how I would solve the problems of the Earth.’ You wouldn’t bet against her.
NPR's Fresh Air on How to Be a Woman
It is bracing in this season of losing [Nora] Ephron to discover a younger feminist writer who scrimmages with the patriarchy and drop kicks zingers with comic flair….A must-read for anyone curious to find out just how very funny a self-proclaimed ‘strident feminist’ can be.
Wall Street Journal on Moranthology
Fans of Ms. Moran will be especially pleased that all the pith and wit about How to Be a Woman remain on display in Moranthology.
Booklist
Exuberant....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.
Cosmopolitan
No one tackles issues as big as income inequality and global warming or as small as bang trims and Benedict Cumberbatch’s ass quite like the wickedly funny Caitlin Moran.
Bust
Author Caitlin Moran has taught us How to Be Woman and How to Build a Girl, but with her latest collection of essays, she’s eyeing the bigger picture and outlining her personal manifesto….with the signature blend of earnestness and irreverent wit that have made Moran a bestselling writer.
Library Journal
★ 01/01/2017
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
Kirkus Reviews
2016-08-24
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.
