Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman
Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman is a 2016 non-fiction book by American writer Lindy West.[1] Favorably reviewed, Shrill was optioned as a television series, which premiered on Hulu in March 2019, starring Aidy Bryant.
![]() First edition | |
Author | Lindy West |
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Country | United States |
Language | English |
Genre | Non-fiction |
Publisher | Hachette Books |
Publication date | 2016 |
Media type | Hardcover, paperback, e‑book |
Pages | 272 pp |
ISBN | 978-0-316-34840-9 (Hardcover) |
Synopsis
The book collects a series of humorous personal essays, with topics ranging from body image and rape threats to puberty and West's love for her husband.
Reception
Overall, Shrill received generally positive reviews. Writing for Slate, Nora Caplan-Bricker described West's writing as "both sharp-toothed and fluid as it rips into period stigma and abortion stigma, sexism and fat-shaming. Though the book's many shrewd insights sometimes feel strung together in a way that's less than artful, they are always a pleasure to read."[3] In The Guardian, Annalisa Quinn praised the book, writing, "Shrill mixes humour with pathos so effectively that those qualities magnify each other rather than cancelling each other out. West has somehow stayed open and vulnerable in the face of constant attack, abuse that would turn a lot of people into a brittle shell, instead of a warm, capacious and funny writer."[4] Dayna Tortorici writing for The New York Times gave Shrill a mixed review, noting West's "wildly generous attitude toward her audience—meeting readers at their point of prejudice so that she may, with little visible effort, shepherd them toward a more humane point of view."[5] However, Tortorici was less enthusiastic about the book's "at times ... juvenile" style of humor ("I dislike all caps in print, of which she is fond, because I am NO FUN," Tortorici says.) Generally, she said, "Shrill feels hasty and unfinished, less like a book than the assembled material required to consummate a book deal," but drew on West's public contributions that deserved the compensation.[5]
Television adaptation
In December 2016, Elizabeth Banks optioned Shrill for adaptation to television, ultimately going into development at Hulu. Lindy West, Ali Rushfield, and SNL's Aidy Bryant conceived of the series' premise. Bryant stars in the series as a character based partly on West. Executive producers include Elizabeth Banks, Lorne Michaels, Andrew Singer, and Max Handelman. Production companies involved with the series include Broadway Video and Brownstone Productions.[6] The series premiered on March 15, 2019, on Hulu. The series final season, season 3, premiered on May 7, 2021, on Hulu.[7]
References
- Salvo, Natalie (March 19, 2017). "Book Review: Lindy West's Shrill will make you laugh, cry, rage and feel jubilant at her uncompromising prose". The AU Review.
- "Nonfiction Book Review: Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman by Lindy West. Hachette, $26 (256p) ISBN 978-0-316-34840-9". Publishers Weekly. April 11, 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
- Caplan-Bricker, Nora (17 May 2016). "Louder Than Trolls". Slate. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
- Quinn, Annalisa (13 May 2016). "Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman by Lindy West – 'I never wanted internet trolls to be my beat'". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
- Tortorici, Dayna (2016-06-13). "'Sex Object: A Memoir' and 'Shrill: Notes From a Loud Woman'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
- Goldberg, Lesley (April 24, 2018). "Lorne Michaels, Aidy Bryant Adapting Lindy West Memoir 'Shrill' as Hulu Comedy (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
- Framke, Caroline (2021-05-09). "The Series Finale of 'Shrill' Leaves Us Wanting More: TV Review". Variety. Retrieved 2021-05-31.