Moranthology

A bit of a break from fiction for me here but having loved Caitlin Moran's first book 'How to be a Woman' (I read that in a day) I was eager to get my hands on a copy of her next book. I was delighted to find that this book is written with exactly the same voice as her previous novel, a voice which completely permeates everything around you. So, as before, it felt like she was reading her own words to me and only me. I think that it is one of the reasons I can get through her work so quickly, it feels like listening to someone over a glass of wine or two and discussing what is going on in the world and what to do about it.Because this book is a collection of columns rather than chapters as such, it had a slightly different feel from the last book, but meant that this is the perfect book to read on a commute or when you don't have much time to read a great big chunk of book at a time. It also means that the reader can pick and choose what they want to read about that day. I admit that there were some things that she wrote about in this book which don't interest me at all. I am guilty of skipping through the sections about Dr Who as I am simply not a fan of that show, but if you are-you will love her witty take on the hit BBC series!This book had a great balance of her own personal stories, some hilarious laugh-out-loud moments with her husband and her chatting in bed, with her opinions on current issues, as well as some of her interviews and encounters with other celebrities or writers. Because of this beautiful balance, there really is something in there for everyone, male or female. Whilst I think that her first book had a very specifically female target audience, this collection of columns could be picked up and enjoyed by anyone. It really was a welcome break from fiction for a bit, and has all the comedy, thought provoking moments, and heart warming tales as any novel I have read recently. I thoroughly recommend you let this woman's voice into your heads the same way that I did!

I love Caitlin Moran: I really do. Her first novel 'How to be a Woman' had me crying with laughter to the amusement of a train full of passengers on a busy commute. Moranthology has the same quirky, irreverent undertones, if not the same depth. Because it is a collection of columns and musings rather than a linear novel, it is possibly not quite as funny or engaging but her talent does shine through nonetheless.Reminiscing from her teenage years she had me giggling to myself again, recognising that all-out confidence and b******* we all have at 16. Moran is sharp and quick-witted and her comments on transgender and feminism in particular are crisp and clever. Some columns are better than others (her carrying a lemon cake in a suitcase through London for an interview is priceless) but overall it is impossible to read this book and not fall a little under the charm of Ms Moran.One small grumble but this is entirely personal: Caitlin rants about Charlie and Lola which in my household is sacred and the whole family holds Lola as one of the best characters ever created. This apart, read this book in one sitting and like me sigh and feel slightly depressed because a) you would like to write as well a this and b) you would like Caitlin Moran as one of your friends.This is definitely one for the sisterhood although my poor husband endured me reading all passages to him and even found it slightly amusing.Not high literature but the best kind of literature: something which makes you wish you knew the author and moreover that she would hurry up and write something else.

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.