Stupid White Men – Michael Moore Review
Genre: Non-fiction, Politics
Source: Bought
Rating: 3.5 Stars
In short: Entertaining, thought-provoking, well-researched enough to be funny – but lacks rereadability.
I read this book again this week after reading it for the first time about two years ago. It’s one of my favourite non-fiction books, brimming with political satire and sarcastic hilarity. Unfortunately, what makes it so novel and fresh in the first place means that reading it again takes the pleasure out of it a little. Still definitely one to get from the library or borrow though. It went to the top of the UK bestseller list before it was even released in the UK, and it really is a triumphant feat of sleuthing.
Another good thing is that you can just choose chapters at random because each is an independent unit. With names such as ‘Dear George [Bush]’ and ‘Kill Whitey’ and ‘the End of Men’, it’s a delight to read and you’ll always find something to interest you.
Something Moore does well is make your blood boil. He somehow comes up with hard, unexaggerated facts that have mysteriously stayed out of the public spotlight, and waxes eloquent about the oppression and corruption that nobody notices.
The last chapter and the epilogue were where Moore fell down in my estimation. I don’t know whether he lost inspiration or something, but he stopped being as witty and hilarious as he had been throughout the rest of the book. And as I said above, upon rereading it you aren’t as shocked by the facts and things he says so it isn’t such an enlightening read. Still, the first time around you really enjoy it, and it is a damn good book.
For almost all of the book, Moore is furious. And funny. And furiously funny. The End of Men and Kill Whitey especially are great chapters to show up misogyny and racism, and he does it all with a sense of humour.
So there you go. It irked me that the UK and Irish version left out a section because we don’t have the Freedom of Speech Law, but hey, that’s the law.
Wow, good for you for reading a nonfiction book! I must admit that I tend to shy away from those... and probably miss out on some good reads in the process. I love all of Michael Moore's documentaries, so I would imagine I would like this, too. "Furiously funny" is a pretty good descriptor, actually!
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