Book Review: Women Don’t Owe You Pretty

Author: Florence Given

Genre: feminism, non-fiction

Rating: 5/5

Verdict

Women Don’t Owe You Pretty is a book of essays and open discussion, exploring the limits to self-expression and identity in the mainstream media, and how we can overcome these limits to be who we choose to be, rather than who society wants us to be.

This book was a breath of fresh air for me. Not because it was conveying new ideas, but because it gave a clear voice to preconceived notions I had in my head prior to reading this book. Notions I’ve struggled to vocalise. This book not only echoed arguments that have been appearing online and in the media for a good few years now, but it’s given me a way to convey my thoughts in a calmer tone so that friends and family might be more open to hearing them.

Various topics of importance are covered in this book; including, but not limited to:

• Relationships: both platonic and romantic
• Sexual identification
• Gender Expression
• Race politics
• Feminism: misogyny and toxic masculinity

It’s very easy to dip in and out of the book, although you may find yourself powering through it. Each chapter is dedicated to a topic, so you don’t need to read it in a linear format if you don’t want to. Chapters also come with warnings where triggering topics are covered so you don’t encounter any unwanted surprises.

There were chapters in the book that were simply educational for me. Similar to Florence Given I was born into a position of privilege because of my skin colour, but experience moments of inequality because of my gender. Overall, I know my life has been significantly easier than those of others. Whilst I have experienced some barriers, there are plenty of barriers I’ve avoided altogether due to fitting the cookie cut template society has created better than others. So, for me Given’s writing was eye-opening, persuasive, and a strong reminder of how harsh the world can be when you defy mass culture expectations.

The aim of the book is multifaceted; to me its intention is to empower the reader. However, this empowerment is to help you not only recognise when you’re being mistreated, but also to recognise when you’re mistreating others. Society has conditioned us to normalise certain behaviours that, when put under the spotlight and scrutinised, really shouldn’t be encouraged. As part of the conversation, Given promotes self-reflection to encourage readers to give what they expect to receive. In essence, treat others the way you want to be treated. Classic words to live by really.

The best part about this book is the accessibility of the writing. Its simplistic, compelling and so easy to read. There’s no exaggerations or embellishments, the narrative tells it how it is and cuts out the bullshit. It’s also accompanied by some gorgeous illustrations. It’s the sort of book I’d be happy to leave out on the coffee table for visitors to browse – I want everyone to at least browse this book. I don’t think it will be everyone’s cup of tea, but I think it’s poignant, insightful and captures in writing the problems surrounding freedom of self-expression in the twentieth century, a topic I think everyone could do with understanding better.

Find the book on Goodreads!