Reviews

Penny Red: Notes from the New Age of Dissent by Warren Ellis, Laurie Penny

lovegriefandgender's review against another edition

2.0

Laurie Penny will forever hold the title, in my mind, of the woman who changed my mind about abortion. She's an extraordinarily intelligent and talented writer, and there are definitely excerpts of that here. But. The aggression this book is drenched in is suffocating. It will never convince anybody who was already in favour of David Cameron's Conservative government that he was wrong for Britain, least of all because of a series of character attacks on people she doesn't like; she calls Kate Middleton, for example, cold and vacuous. She tells us that her friend is an enemy of feminism. The book as a whole comes across as a series of short, mouth-foaming screams into the void to someone who agrees with most of her ideals. How must it come across to a centrist?

garconniere's review

4.0

according to my receipt, i bought this book this morning at 10:56 am at octopus books in ottawa. it was my sole companion at a coffee shop, and then a long train ride back to québec city. i read it cover to cover, i simply could not put it down. it is filled with an energetic rage, an urgent call to arms. as someone who has worked as an activist and a journalist, and calls herself a feminist, i feel like this book is a must-read for anyone who prides themselves on keeping their finger on the pulse of politics and young people. even though penny writes about student riots in london in 2010, there are striking parallels with the student strikes in quebec in 2012. so much in here to chew on. i can't wait to see what penny comes up with next, and am thrilled to know i can read it on twitter or in book form.

argdov's review

3.0

This is an interesting glimpse into the occupy movement from the early twenty tens and it certainly paints a bleak picture of what was happening then (I was far too young to understand what was going on at the time).
The articles and columns are well written but it’s clear this is early on in Laurie Penny’s career- she writes well but her ability to turn a phrase as well as she does in her more recent writings isnt present. You can see her begin to develop her voice and style though, which is nice.
Overall of all of the books by her that Ive read so far Id probably recommend this one the least- it’s aged fine but is a product of the turbulent times it came from and while times still are very turbulent, things have changed quite a bit in the political world.