Thursday 30 November 2017

Rude by Katie Hopkins. Book review

Hello. You can say what you like about Katie Hopkins, you can throw all kinds of insults her way, threaten to kill her even, but she will always respond with an equally harsh put down, enough to knock the wind out of the sails of even the most persistent bully. Katie must be one of the most trolled people on the internet, yet there is no sign of her scurrying away into her little hole in the ground. This woman is for fighting her corner, and is not afraid of using whatever ammunition she sees fit. 
I first saw her when she was on The Apprentice a few years ago, she was determined to claw her way into the finals, whatever it took. When she got there, she told Sir Alan what he could do with his money, and walked out. I thought then that she had balls, but never imagined that she would propel herself into notoriety at such a breakneck speed.

Katie has a lot to say for herself, on most topics in the news today. It seems she has lots of opinions which she is keen to voice to anyone who will listen. Her choice of language is always direct and straight to the point, often littered with insults and name calling. She believes she is speaking for the thousands who are afraid to say what they are thinking, for fear of being labelled with whatever name is in fashion at the moment. Look what happened to me four and a half years ago when I said the UK is full up and didn't have room for any more. Some agreed with me, but I was also shot down in flames with readers saying they would never visit my blog again. Katie has a point, keeping your mouth shut for an easy life is far preferable for some than being trolled and bullied for your views.

Anyway, love her or hate her, I read the book because I wanted to know what drives her. I don't agree with everything she says, but a lot of what she says does make sense. She deliberately uses shock tactics to get her points across, in my opinion that works sometimes but is not always necessary.

The book. It's about her earlier life before she was famous, her travels to different countries, roughing it in remote parts of the world, her turbulent career, her battles with epilepsy and finally overcoming that with a brain operation. She talks fondly about her husband and children, as a wife and mother. The last part of the book digs more deeply into the reasons behind some of the opinions she has about politics, lifestyle, and religion.

I found a lot of the colourful attention seeking phrases she uses a bit silly and a bit school girlish, I felt they were inserted to embroider an elaborate picture around the ordinary bits of her story. Maybe that's how she speaks in everyday life anyway, I don't know.

There were parts of her story which gripped my attention. The graphic descriptions of what happens during an epileptic fit were quite shocking. I used to work with a girl with the same affliction a long time ago, and had forgotten how brutal the fits could be.

It's on the whole an easy read, but I found myself fast forwarding a bit through what I would call ranting. Maybe ranting is her thing. I don't rant myself, preferring a more laid back and calculated  approach to life. I didn't get through 32 years as a lorry driver by ranting, I got through it by steadily plodding on, believing in myself and knowing I was on the right track with my life.

Read what you like into her newspaper articles and videos, but there is another side to her. She is  intelligent, even though she puts some of her opinions across in a cruel and unorthodox way. I think she's going to be around for a while.

I don't buy books. Check your library to see if they have a copy.

It's snowing quite heavy here. No walking today. Don't forget to check in with your miles tomorrow. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

21 comments:

  1. I like Katie Hopkins.I love the way she is straight to the point and says what alot of other people are scared to.I will try getting this book from the library,it looks like a good read,Debi,xx

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  2. Oh liona, it's really snowing in your part of the world,I live in Stockport and when I was out for my walk 1pm-3pm. It was b----- Freezing !!!! I thought it felt like snow was coming.....I don't like winter,normally we go off in our small camper van from oct to march somewhere warmer, but van is in the garage at the moment. :( still I watch 'ice road truckers' so it's not that bad , I think I'll manage!!!i I agree with you liona, say what you want gently and kindly..well most of the time I do,but then sometimes I have to have a written rant so I don't burst !!!!!! Keep on keeping on. Susan

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  3. I generally enjoyed (and agreed with, for my sins) Katie's articles especially in the aftermath of Brexit but I understand she has just been 'let go' by MailOnline after too many pops at lefties. Have reserved her book at the library, thanks for the recommendation. Lorraine

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    1. Yes, 'let go' was the term they used. She has deleted all her tweets, up to that point, but she is back now on Twitter.

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    2. She lost two large defamation suits...hardly surprising they sacked her,

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  4. I don't l<now l<atie but I have seen her on TV .I thought she seemed a bit direct.I wish I was more lil<e her -as to have someone say unpleasant things and not let it affect her.I have had to worl< on being less sensitive.Good for her.Snowing at bit here & all wrapped in fleece blanl<ets x

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  5. I have to admit I have never heard of this katie before but I wil have a look at her book from the library. I read your post from 2013 about being full and I generally agree with it but I think there is always room for some special cases like my family for instance. My nephew born and raised here went to work overseas and married a wife from a non EU country. She is educated, speaks perfect english and works for british high street retailers in clothing design, but she was paid peanuts 3rd world pay. After many years my nephew wanted to return to England with his wife. It was very difficult and meant them having to live apart, apply for spouse visas and have an income over £18,500. Well, all credit to them they have done it and have good professional jobs in this country. What is so infuriating is that if she was from the EU she could walk into this country no questions asked and have equal rights. I don't have an issue with EU citizens but I do think our immigration laws are unfair.

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    1. American (actually both American and French so I guess that makes me EU eligible even though I live in the US? That's a good question) here with a question: Could his wife have immigrated to anywhere ELSE in the EU like, say, France, more easily than England? Become a French citizen, THEN go easily to the UK? Or are all EU countries hard to get into now?

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  6. I think she's despicable and will do anything to get attention, including slagging off her own country on American TV.

    And the Daily Mail never in its entire history let anyone go for annoying "lefties." Remember this was a paper that put Jo Cox's murder by a "rightie" on page 27 of its next day's issue but managed to whine about the length of baguettes on page 7.

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    1. I agree with you Heloise, the the hate rhetoric spewed by her and the platforms where she airs her views genuinely threaten the safety of many good, hardworking British people, included myself and my children.

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    2. I'm so sorry to say ''good for her''.I'm ignorant to what she has said.I have only seen her recent tv quiz programme.I would never support that x

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    3. I agree too. I think she's awful. I think she's sometimes controversial to get attention, not because she really 100% believes in what she says. Karen.

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  7. Katie speaks a lot of truth, should be more like her..and you Ilona.

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  8. In many ways I think she is a courageous woman. She says what she thinks and she's honest. I don't like how controlled everything is becoming, only certain viewpoints are considered acceptable and so on. I used to listen to her when she was on LBC radio, I was struck by how well she dealt with opposing viewpoints, she accepted not everyone would agree with her but remained polite and did listen to other opinions. I don't agree with all her views, but she is an interesting character. I am just speaking for myself here and no disrespect to other views - she is certainly controversial.

    The library here is under threat - they want to send 80% of the unpopular books into storage and turn part of it into a coffee shop!! This when the town has over a dozen of them and numerous other cafes already. I'm furious about it. I love reading and often pick up a book I'd never have seen had I not gone to the library. What an ignorant society we are becoming.

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    1. Kate, that is awful. Our town is full of coffee shops, we don't need any more. Our main library can get a bit noisy at certain times, they have group meets there, including youngsters playing some kind of card games. I know to avoid it at those times, but I suppose at least the facilities are being used. We have a few smaller libraries scattered around the villages, I'm going to start visiting some of them to see what they are like.

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  9. I don't think the country is full up but feel that all our facilities are filled to bursting point. Really need more schools, GPs, hospitals, housing, etc for people who are already here - both native and immigrants. Don't think we should take any more in until we can look after these residents properly. Remember so many are now sleeping on the streets and the wait for health services is disgusting in some areas.

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  10. If people think that being nasty and horrible towards other people is fine and ok then they really do have a issues. How do you decide who to hate? those fleeing terrible wars, who have witnessed things that you or I could not comprehend (like the little girl from Yemen bought into a field hospital with her stomach and bottom blown away? who later died an agonising death?) or those whose skin is not the same as ours ? whose religion is different? All the time people spewing hate like Hopkins are given air time the more the truth gets distorted and compassion is eroded.
    As for Migration the number of people coming here and not working is very small just because you have a street in your town were strangers live does not equal the whole country being 'full to the brim' with scroungers. I would suggest everyone takes the time to research facts figures and numbers before falling for the information fed to us by the likes of Britain First etc. A good place to start is Medics without Borders for the reasons why people flee war!
    We in this country are very very lucky. For 70 years we have not seen our family,friends, relatives and neighbours suffer horrific injuries from bombs dropped on food Markets or land mines which blow our children's legs off perhaps if any of you had witnesses these things you'd feel differently about strangers and Katie Hopkins.

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  11. I have to agree Adrienne. But I do feel a bit sorry for KH. Being horrible is her bread and butter, and people might think it's honesty, but it can't be all true opinions of hers. When she said she wouldn't let her children play with anyone named after a geographical locations, and Holly Willoughby said, "But isn't your daughter called India." Her face! Clearly not something she'd been thinking about too deeply... and she's not stupid.

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  12. I think Katie has some great points. When an immigrant arrives, legally please, they should become part of their new home country. They should assimilate, not try to make the new home like the old one.
    I live in the US, but if I moved to Mexico, I would learn Spanish, I would try to participate in their patriotism and their traditions and I would work to pay my way.
    I do wish Katie would make her points without the dirty language and graphic sex remarks, however. The shock and awe is...well shocking, lol.

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  13. Ilona, thank you for reviewing Katie's book, which I have just read. I ordered it through my local library. Like you I don't agree with everything but she is a strong, courageous woman and has many qualities that I admire. We do need people like her to voice what we think but cannot say. I hope she continues to speak out even if it offends some people.

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  14. Great book Christmas present - I don't agree with all she says but I do think she says a great deal of basic sense

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