The Witches Are Coming

Someone shared a quote on social media and it was so funny I knew I needed to read the book. This was the book and I laughed out loud through a lot of it. I seethed and raged and gnashed my teeth through parts too. Lindy has a gift of making the invisible ridiculous crap that we both perpetuate and put up with visible. I had so many moments of feeling seen and having my experiences validated in reading this. I also felt exposed and regretful about not stepping up more to demand a better world for everyone. I want more Lindy West. I’ve signed up for the newsletter and will look for other opportunities to hear from this brilliant, funny, brave, heartfelt woman.

Make no mistake, this book will resonate with women... but it's a book for men. We as those who hold supreme privilege in our society by simple virtue of having a Y chromosome cannot be allies in the fight for gender equality (indeed, for human equality) - we must be the frontline warriors. We can no more expect women to overcome misogyny than we can expect people of color to overcome racism. The problem is not them; the problem is us. Until people like Donald J. Trump and those who think like him can be rendered irrelevant or educated (and doing either in his case will be an Augean task, if even possible), writers and influencers like Ms. West can continue to publish and speak and agitate, but they must become the rear guard. It is up to men to take up the cause and win the war. At the age of 70, I do not expect to see a bloodsoaked fatal flawless victory in my lifetime, but battles are being won. The #MeToo movement and its consequences are just one example. But that's still a sortie in the war, waged by the oppressed minority. Do you wonder why there are so many "strident" feminists out there? It's because their stridency is the moral equivalent of the Watts riots and so many subsequent outbreaks of violence by people of color who have been enslaved, oppressed, lynched, sidelined, and minimized for over 400 years... although much more civilized. Read up on history and you'll see that women have been waging a battle for equality for just as long, if not longer.Men, buy this book and read it. Then think about it, and read it again. Despite its biting humor and delicious writing, it's not a book to entertain or amuse. It should be a textbook for anyone who wants to understand why the problem of misogyny is so rampant, and what needs to be done moving forward.

I loved Shrill and was expecting this one to be the same. It was good but was harder for me to get in to and never became something I just couldn’t put down. However, Lindy writes well and is funny and the messages in the book are valuable and need to be yelled every chance we get. I would definitely recommend reading this.

This was the first book by Lindy West I've read. I was not familiar with her writing prior to it. I loved her viewpoint and also found myself laughing at many spots. I enjoyed it so much, I bought the audiobook (which she narrates - sooo good) and her other books. Highly recommend!

This is a book of hope and realness as 2ell as commentary on why there's so much inaction in this country.

I didn't hate it. It's a quick read. Though I didn't love it either. To reference the title in only a handful of her chapters was a slight disappointment. I guess I wanted more comedy monologuing of you're a witch, I'm a witch, everybody's a witch, here let me tell you why in a very witty and funny way, than general info that's happening in the world and her (and apparently mine & other readers) opinion of it all. Only some chapters came back to the witch hunt topic, but I didn't feel like it was needed...more of a reminder to hey, were calling out the witches here; remember, it's the name of this book! Boom! Parts of the book reminded me of Samantha B's talk show so laugh out loud funny chapters (none of which I can actually remember - whoops), but others are like ok, what's your point (IE: Sandler's movie detailed breakdown)? While the info (stories?) included did have an overall theme (I guess?), the description of the book overall to me fell short. The topics of #metoo and Trump were sprinkled throughout, but nothing spectacularly new IMO. I wasn't very impressed.

A brilliant book. I don’t often buy more than one copy of a book—after reading Jill Lepore’s These Truths: A History of the Unites States I ordered extras to give or loan out. And now this remarkable collection of essays by Lindy West. Having read Shrill, I anticipated West’s brash humor, intelligence and savvy—her hallmarks as a stand-up comic. But also as an author, West synthesizes the elements of current social and political chaos with unique clarity, purpose and perspective that offers lasting relevance. It is pitch perfect. Bold. Cutting. Hilarious. Wise. A stand-up standout book.

I enjoyed most of these essays, but this book is definitely a time capsule of 2019 (I purchased the book in January 2022, and did not notice the publication date). There's a lot of explanation of events and people that are not really needed by now (e.g. Why Trump is/was terrible; What brought on the #MeToo movement).

I have loved every moment reading this book

Alles gut.

To much P trump inside trying to understand it but am not myb coz am not America.

Gift - well received.

I don’t think I can put into words how powerful and illuminating this book is. It’s like Lindy is able to point to the heart of so many issues. She explains exactly why they feel so wrong with crystal clarity.