What About Men?

by Caitlin Moran

Having read all Moran’s books about women, I was excited to see what she had to say about men. What About Men? is full of interesting facts, anecdotes and personal hypotheses, presented in a fun, funny and humorous ways, with a lot of care and respect for the males that Moran is advising. I enjoyed and agreed with every word, but still something bothered me. Was it the written style? When Moran’s book How To Be A Woman came out in 2011, her laddish approach was unexpected and slightly shocking. Over a decade later, it feels predictable and, for me, doesn’t work as well when telling the lads themselves ‘how to be a man’. But I think the real problem is the title. Moran’s title makes me think of a very old art book I inherited from my granny, called African Art. In 2023, it’s tricky to address ‘all men’ in 300 pages. Especially when you are not even a man yourself. This doesn’t invalidate what Moran has to say, but if she had called her book Thinking About The Men I Know, I would have found it easier.