Grumpy Old Women by Judith Holder

Grumpy Old Women Reviews

• 
  Nat K

  
  This book was a palate cleanser. Something to read "between books" (kind or like a sorbet between eating mammoth courses of food).
  
  Some of this book was laugh-out-loud. The silly, little, niggling things that get under our skin. Things that we probably wouldn't notice when younger, but once of certain age (IE: "mature") annoy the hell out of us!
  
  It was a light read. Overall the tone got a bit whiny. Yes, you're annoyed, get over it! The TV series was more enjoyable.
  
  2.5★s
• 
  S.C. Skillman

  If you want to shake with laughter whilst reading a book in a public place, read this one. I found this book almost painfully funny. Early on I thought to myself, 'This is a book by a Controlling Woman with humour and insight'.
  
  To be a Controlling Woman is one of those roles in life which - for those who occupy it - is compulsive, and yet ultimately doomed, and even tragic (cue an excellent subject for a contemporary novel). Judith Holder summarises it all perfectly. Even in those parts of the book where I didn't identify with the behaviour - having long given up trying to be perfect, and in many instances, I never even started trying - I recognised it and laughed at it. I particularly liked Judith Holder on the subject of A Perfect Christmas. Because, of course, as a Controlling Woman, the Christmas you organise must be Perfect, or it cannot possibly be Happy. Chief among the culprits in perpetuating this cruel myth are Delia and Nigella.
  
  As Judith described the Christmas insanity which grips many women, I found myself thinking, 'When is she going to get on to Jane Asher?' And sure enough, later on, she did. Also extremely funny were Judith's thoughts on the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme, and her opinions on the way John Humphreys and James Naughtie interview politicians. Finally, I found myself hoping that Judith was going to devote a couple of pages to Supermarket Self Service Check-Outs. But I think this book was published before they were invented.
  
  Glorious reading if you're in the mood to laugh at the sheer folly of our modern society!
  
• 
  Nicki

  It's not necessary to read this if you saw the series, most of it is rehashing. But it is funny.
  I laughed a lot.
• 
  Grace Patey

  Found this in a charity shop and am obsessed with the older and wider podcast so thought it would be similar and I know Judith is the ‘nastier’ and ‘entitled’ one but Jesus Christ this is like a historical artefact of how evil middle aged white women were in the 00s and thought it was a funny personality trait, very textbook middle aged/old WW ‘I’m insecure so I’m going to wish death upon you’. Not an enjoyable read but definitely interesting and a great reminder that boomers will be boomers
• 
  Olivia Meads

  I think I'm 40 years too young for this, didn't find it funny
• 
  Annette Summerfield

  This isn't a book I would have picked up and bought, a friend sent it to me. It's cute. Warning...don't read before bed..lol..you'll start thinking about things that has happened in your life, relating to something she has said and off goes the thinking as you start going over your own past events.
  It's a cute book. Sure, I don't feel I'm a grumpy old woman and some of the things that bothered her doesn't bother me...but there are a lot of things that I can relate to in some way or other.
  It was cute.
• 
  Sarahanne

  Like Erma Bombeck but without the humor. I kept thinking the whiny, stereotypical prologue was setting the stage for a story or essays. Then I realized that it wasn't a prologue... it just kept going like that. There is poking fun at your situation, then there is caustically bashing generations of women. Meh. Not for me.
• 
  Tanis

  This was much funnier than I expected it to be, I read the Grumpy Old Men book last year and that was dreadful. This one though actually made me laugh aloud on the train a few times.
  
  I really like Germaine Greer and Jenny Éclair so theirs were the bits that I liked the most. I left it behind in a fantastic café called Riccos in Walthamstow when I'd finished it.
• 
  Paula Croskell

  I borrowed this book from my mum as I enjoyed the tv series but didn't think the book was as good as the tv series. I thought that the last chapter in the book was the best. Although some things in it did make me smile as I could relate to them.
• 
  Sally906

  Preferred the tv series to the book - I am certainly a grumpy old woman
• 
  Michelle

  If you've seen the TV show, you don't need to read the book.
• 
  Dymphie

  Flauw
• 
  Mary Snaddon

  I think I read this years ago. Found it slightly out-dated, but I suppose what ever makes you grumpy makes you grumpy regardless of the date.
• 
  Debbie Southwell

  I could relate to parts of this book so well. It was an easy read and was pretty humourous.