Women Don't Owe You Pretty The debut book from Florence Given
Reviews
bought this after a “two margaritas and chips and salsa” lunch, and i think i was distracted by the pretty colors.
a book written by a 21 year old white woman for 17 year old white women who have no life experiences.
is this book wrong? not really. is it groundbreaking or adding to the discussion in any sense? absolutely not. does it have pretty colors? sure. did the author focus on instagram graphics of cartoon women with their tits out and hairy armpits rather than referencing feminist literature and doing research? oh yeah.
Shallow collection of 2013 tumblr feminism. Absolutely nothing insightful or interesting here.
I would give this 3.5ish stars if I could. I did really enjoy the book but I think because I am reading it a little later than it came out, the concepts and ideas I have already heard 100x. Some of the thoughts that Given had were newish to me and some things have changed my perspective on how I will go on and live my life. Overall, it was pretty good!
Reading this book has been a rollercoaster of emotions. I found myself giggling, feeling attacked, pausing for a few seconds to let whatever I was reading sink in... Women Don't Owe You Pretty will make you feel uncomfortable and that's precisely the reason why it is phenomenal.
I bought this book back in 2020 and it felt like every other book about feminism I had ever picked up but with cute colors. This one looks really nice and the artwork is probably the only positive I can point out as someone who has already heard these topics over and over again. This book really did not try to be anything new even though it advertised itself as refreshing and audacious. Honestly, I felt like this would be a good gift for my niece as she gets older (probably middle school age) or someone who hasn't heard of feminism. Maybe if someone lived under a rock and hadn't been around when these "radical" feminist topics were actually new, this book would actually be good for them. However, I just found this book to be incredibly boring and I wouldn't recommend it unless you want it to look pretty on your coffee table.
Instagram feminism energy. Liked the illustrations but most notions were very surface level and lacked nuance.
Florence Given ist eine international jungen Stimmen des Feminismus in den sozialen Medien. Inhalt: Die zweiundzwanzigjährige Florence Given ermutigt ihre LeserInnen, sich von gesellschaftlichen Erwartungen freizumachen. Ob es um »pretty privilege«, Selbstliebe, »Catcalling« oder Enthaarung geht, Florence Given öffnet uns die Augen darüber, wie stark das Frauenbild in unserer Gesellschaft noch immer von Oberflächlichkeit und Sexismus geprägt ist, und was das für Frauen an Einschränkungen zufolge hat. Sie geht dabei alle Themen an, die heute wichtig und kontrovers diskutiert werden: Rassismus, Sexismus, queere Identitäten, Body Positivity, Online-Dating und toxische Männlichkeit. Ein feministischer Ratgeber (nicht nur) für junge Frauen. Meinung: Auf unfassbar sympathische Art und ohne erhobenen Zeigefinger, sondern mehr aufzeigend, bespricht Sie gesellschaftliche Probleme und patriarchale Strukturen, so wie Misogynie. Zudem gibt die Autorin Ratschläge internalisierte Werte dieser Themen aufzubrechen und sich selbst kritisch zu hinterfragen. Sie tut Sies mit Hilfe Ihres jüngeren Ichs und versucht diesem den gesellschaftlichen Druck zu nehmen. So erklärt die Autorin mit ganz viel Empathie und Charme warum Diversität so wichtig ist und wie wir unsere Privilegien kennen sollten, um Feminismus für alle zugänglich zu machen.
women dont owe you pretty is ironically a very pretty book. but it is filled to the brim of very… questionable words. although the premise is promising and understandable, almost even refreshing… Given doesn’t quite know the difference between basic feminism and genuine feminism, nor shaming and being helpful. this comes through however in many self help / educational books, it’s a genuinely awful pattern. her writing tone is condescending but the points she makes are not invalid. it’s kind of a “do what u want w this” kind of book.
*2.5 I think if this had been around when I was younger (like 15/16) then it would have been more beneficial and such the eye opener but reading it at the age I am now, 20, it felt as if I already knew all this and it was rather repetitive overall
I want to read this once a year 🙏
“you cut men and they bleed audacity.”
an interesting read, but felt a bit too much like surface level feminism
This book has been on my radar for a long time and I've only got round to it now. In 2022 and at the age of 25, a lot of this is nothing really new. I definitely think if you are a young person who hasn't delved into much feminist literature, then this could be a good suggestion but there are other (arguably better and more educational) options out there.
A must read for every woman.
This should be required reading. End of story.
This was good but nothing groundbreaking. I felt like the points the author was making were often quite obvious? Maybe it is her age, but I agree with the comments that 16 year old me would have loved this. The drawings were really cool but.
this book blows. maybe less plagiarism next time <3
This is one of my all time favorites. Be prepared to heal
This is a must-read, it‘s holy.
A wonderful way for women to rediscover their power and learn about the many ways we have been twisted and contorted. Funny, to the point, and a page turner.
4⭐️
will break you, then heal you. this book redefined how i view feminism, queerness, female friendships, body image, and intersectionality.
All i can say is that this book is amazing. It highlights and discusses the modern day issues women face and how to grow
wow. life changing. an amazing resource for me to find my strength and growth. I recommend this book to absolutely everyone.
Highlights
Wenn du dein wahres Ich zeigst, zwingt das andere Menschen dazu zu zeigen, ob sie einen Platz in deinem Leben verdienen oder nicht.
Das Buch ist voller (für mich) lehrreicher und starker "Zitate", sodass ich mich wirklich nur auf die besonders herausstechenden Sätze fokussieren möchte. Dieser Satz hat es geschafft, ein Highlight für mich zu sein. 😍
DAS PATRIARCHAT PROFITIERT NUR DAVON, DASS DU DEINE KRAFT NICHT ENTFALTEST.
Während die Jungs zehn Minuten, bevor sie zur Schule gehen, aufstehen, ihre Schuluniform anziehen, ihr Frühstück essen um losgehen, verbringst du den ganzen Morgen vor dem Spiegel, um dich so zu stylen, dass du exakt diesen Jungen gefallen könntest. Du lässt dein Frühstück ausfallen, um das dünne, hübsche Objekt ihrer Begierde zu sein. Das muss so anstrengend sein. Hast du jemals darüber nachgedacht, was du stattdessen mit deiner Zeit anfangen könntest? Hast du jemals darüber nachgedacht, was sich ändern würde, wenn du einfach so in die Schule gehen würdest, wie du nun mal bist?
In unserer Gesellschaft wird Schönheit danach bewertet, wie weiß, dünn, nicht-behindert und cisgender jemand ist.
Choosing to be single is an autonomous choice, and a lot of men fear autonomous women and gender non-conforming people. It reminds them that we have other purposes on this planet than to serve them.
The ability to defiantly resist is only afforded to those who are already privileged enough not to be ostracized if they do so.
Shaming other women for caring about their appearance is just another form of internalized misogyny, and an inability to see how race, class, sexuality and desirability all affect the way you're perceived in the world.
The media is what shapes our culture, so we have to make a conscious effort to break out of this cycle - it doesn't just happen. Take action now. Read books by Black folks. Follow fat, disabled and trans people on Instagram. […] Up until now we have been bombarded with the same stories that either make us subconsciously hate ourselves or hate others. It's time to change the narrative, and the power lies in your hands. Consume diverse content.
OF: Well, if you're going to be punished either way - tell me. What option does that leave you with? YE: To do whatever the fuck I want? OF: Exactly.
I was taught how to count calories, have boundaries with and say "no" to food as a young girl, before I learned about the importance of having boundaries and saying "no" to other people. What do you think that taught me about being a woman in this world? I learned that it was more important for me to be an object of desire, than it was to have my own needs met and be respected as a person.
I realized how much of my self-worth was determined by whether or not I appeared desirable to men, and whether that prettiness would be enough to encourage them to treat me with respect.
"You don't owe prettiness to anyone. Not to your boyfriend/ spouse/partner, not to your co-workers, especially not to random men on the street. You don't owe it to your mother, you don't owe it to your children, you don't owe it to civilization in general. Prettiness is not a rent you pay for occupying a space marked 'female" - Erin McKean