Veering from awesome to awful

“Being single is often awesome. You can leave a party when you want to, whether that be 9pm or 9am; you don’t have to live in fear of ever hearing yourself described as ‘my better half’; and you can spend all day lying on the sofa in your pajamas watching ‘Murder She Wrote’ and eating peanut butter straight out of the jar”. 

 Well, that could be described as awesome. Unfortunately it also sounds like putting on a brave face after being dumped by your boyfriend. More awful than awesome.  

Freeman begins with empowering words on the need to feel awesome, weaving in feminism, fashion (or the lack of) and a little of her personal experience. But what’s meant as an introduction to a guide on self-confidence quickly begins to sound like the inner monologue of someone on the edge of a breakdown. Freeman rambles on without seeming to have a clear message.

“I pretend to be a newspaper columnist and fashion writer,” she says, but “... 70 per cent of my fashion articles have been written when I’ve been wearing, at best, vaguely coordinated pyjamas, T-shirt, leggings and Ugg boots ...”. 

Us, ordinary, unglamorous women are no doubt meant to feel heartened by this confession.

Instead, it has the opposite effect. Freeman comes off as trying too hard – to relate, to be funny, and to inspire.

 She does, however, have valid and timely things to say about feminism, noting it’s relevance is still being questioned today. If racism is still relevant, she asks, why is treating women as second-class citizens being ignored?

But Freeman is soon trying to raise another chuckle from readers.

A lifelong meat-refusnik, she regales us with her “Top Ten Commandments for being a vegetarian”. Number two on the list (ho-ho) is not to talk about your poo. Because obviously that’s what all vegetarians do – talk about their poo non-stop.

In contrast, her 10-point guide to being a modern-day feminist is actually quite good. However, many of her points are either too subjective or barely researched, which is a shame because these are what gives the book that special “oomph”.

“Be Awesome” has some pearls of wisdom, if you look very hard. Unfortunately, it isn’t anywhere near awesome enough.

 

Be Awesome: Modern Life For Modern Ladies

By Hadley Freeman

Published by Fourth Estate

Available at good bookshops, Bt396

Reviewed by Suloshini Jahanath