Not That Bad

By: Roxane Gay

Narrated by: Roxane Gay, Brandon Taylor, Emma Smith-Stevens, A.J. McKenna, Lisa Mecham, Vanessa Martir, xTx, Sophie Mayer

Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's Summary

Edited and with an introduction by Roxane Gay, the New York Times best-selling and deeply beloved author of Bad Feminist and Hunger, this anthology of first-person essays read by all 30 contributors, including Gabrielle Union, Ally Sheedy, and Lyz Lenz, tackles rape, assault, and harassment head-on.

*Vogue, “10 of the Most Anticipated Books of Spring 2018”

*Harper’s Bazaar, “10 New Books to Add to Your Reading List in 2018”

*Elle, “21 Books We’re Most Excited to Read in 2018”

*Boston Globe, “25 Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2018”

*Huffington Post, “60 Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2018”

*Hello Giggles, “19 Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2018”

*Buzzfeed, “33 Most Exciting New Books of 2018”

In this valuable and revealing anthology, cultural critic and best-selling author Roxane Gay collects original and previously published pieces that address what it means to live in a world where women have to measure the harassment, violence, and aggression they face, and where they are "routinely second-guessed, blown off, discredited, denigrated, besmirched, belittled, patronized, mocked, shamed, gaslit, insulted, bullied" for speaking out. Contributions include essays from established and up-and-coming writers, performers, and critics, including actors Ally Sheedy and Gabrielle Union and writers Amy Jo Burns, Lyz Lenz, and Claire Schwartz.

Covering a wide range of topics and experiences, from an exploration of the rape epidemic embedded in the refugee crisis to first-person accounts of child molestation, this collection is often deeply personal and is always unflinchingly honest. Like Rebecca Solnit's Men Explain Things to Me, Not That Bad will resonate with every listener, saying "something in totality that we cannot say alone".

Searing and heartbreakingly candid, this provocative collection both reflects the world we live in and offers a call to arms insisting that "not that bad" must no longer be good enough.

The full list of narrators includes: Roxane Gay, Gabrielle Union, Ally Sheedy, Amy Jo Burns, Lyz Lenz, Claire Schwartz, Aubrey Hirsch, Jill Christman, Lynn Melnick, Brandon Taylor, Emma Smith-Stevens, A.J. McKenna, Lisa Mecham, Vanessa Mártir, xTx, Sophie Mayer, Nora Salem, V.L. Seek, Michelle Chen, Liz Rosema, Anthony Frame, Samhita Mukhopadhyay, Miriam Zoila Pérez, Zoe Medeiros, Sharisse Tracey, Stacey May Fowles, Elisabeth Fairfield Stokes, Meredith Talusan, Nicole Boyce, and Elissa Bassist.

©2018 Roxane Gay (Compilation and introduction) (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic Reviews

"Such a powerful and necessary collection!" (AudioFile)

Powerful

These are powerful essays with unique perspectives on rape culture made stronger in the audio edition as each author reads her or his own work. Even if you're not a feminist or interested in the many ways people experience rape culture, these essays are well-crafted and engaging and the variety of voices and points of view will keep you listening.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Important.

As a survivor of abuse, this is the most healing book I've read. An important read for all people.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

tough but necessary

I hate that books like this have to exist but I'm grateful that this one does. All of the essays were powerful but the last one will stay with me forever and should be required reading for all high school aged kids, who should read it again while at university and then again post college and at least twice a year after that.

I also appreciated Roxane's explanation of "not that bad" I've often said this to myself and other women...I am ashamed of this fact. thank you for highlighting why it is all that bad.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

STELLAR COMPILATION!!

Every woman should have this on their bookshelf! the words of these women and men shine brightly. They shine a light on a very serious and much more diverse issue than I ever imagined.

Required Listening

This book should be required reading/listening for every young girl/teen/woman regardless of age. Will the day ever come when our voices are respected and listened to?

Riveting storytelling!

Gritty, heart-wrenching and sometimes heartbreaking. Each story was well told, compelling and offered deep insight into the untold experiences of so many women.

The most moving book I've read this year

A collection of essays from a true variety of people reveals a true variety of experiences with rape culture. The thing you really take away from this book, however, is not the diversity of experiences but rather the common vein that runs through them. I could not recommend it more.

A moving must-listen collection

I knew I would love this book before I hit play, but I didn't realize how moving it would be to listen to each author read their own stories. There's something about hearing the experiences literally in the writers own voices that had me shaking my head, dropping my jaw, nodding in agreement, and, more often than I expected, shedding tears. This is an important collection that deserves not only to be read but to be heard and acted upon. This is #rapeculture, from the worst of the worst to the "not that bad" moments that every woman has experienced and needs to stop explaining away. It's the rape culture behavior that needs to stop and this book is an important step in that direction. You will be effected by this book but you must read it!

definitely an important book

This collection of essays describe just what the title says. This idea that because YOUR story is "not that bad," that it does not qualify as rape. These stories concern emotionally dealing with rape culture and rape.

There are some essays that are wonderful standouts. I thought the one about refugees did not fit the flow of the essays, but it really opened my eyes to the dangers of being a refugee and especially a female refugee. I don't have the book to flip through, but there are some must-listens in here for sure!

The essays last about 10-30 minutes so I found one or two chapters a day easier to digest. Doing a 2 hour run of rape stories isn't the most pleasant experience ... I think this one is better to partition by essay by essay. And then it was nice to have a little moment of quiet time after each essay as I completed my drive to work.

Roxane Gay edited the book, so she doesnt have an essay in here, just an intro.

I'm trying to be impartial about this book. There are stories about people who gave consent to sex, but did not want to give consent. And those stories might be a huge divider on people's interpretation of the book. Also, if you're a staunch conservative and/or male, you might feel attacked if you don't sufficiently understand women's rights (or if you've engaged in some of the behavior listed in this book). So, is this book for everybody? I think it is, I just don't think everybody is ready for the book.

Required reading

If only everyone was required to read this book. I could only imagine how much easier it would be navigating through the world.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful