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on 18 July 2015
Recommended to me by my sister in law when my husband was in a coma following emergency surgery.... I requested some thing uplifting and funny. This is so much more, hilarious, thought provoking and insightful. I highly recommend it. I am now returning to the amazon page to purchase another of her books!
on 12 March 2017
Will make a point of forcing people to buy their own copy rather than borrowing mine.
on 6 April 2017
Very funny and insightful.
on 26 April 2017
I love her writing and laughed a lot but did switch off during all the Sherlock and Dr Who chat!
on 25 October 2014
Not a very good look, her opinions often don't match up. She's a feminist so wants 50/50 work place quotas (that's not equality, that's just silly) but then in the next chapter she wants men to stand up for her on the tube and give her their seat. Make your mind up! Its just a way for her to show off how rich she is still working class innit.
on 19 January 2013
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.
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.
TOP 100 REVIEWERon 29 March 2013
This was funny and smart but felt like an anthology rather than a book in itself. I only laughed out loud a couple of times ( but boy did I giggle at the Downton section!!!), and I was moved by some articles too. Good but not my favourite. Still, us Wolverhampton girls will stick together and I do like Moran's writing.
