Ugh, Flâneuse was such a disappointment. It doesn't really deliver what it promises; it just reads like a bunch of research papers Lauren Elkin has wrUgh, Flâneuse was such a disappointment. It doesn't really deliver what it promises; it just reads like a bunch of research papers Lauren Elkin has written and strung together with a flimsy scaffold of personal reflections. The writing is not nearly as lively as I'd hoped and neither is Elkin; at one point she describes herself as "no rebel," and she's right, she isn't. I'm giving this 3 stars because there were a few interesting sections and some insights worth underlining, but I don't recommend it. Might I suggest Paris Was a Woman, The Dead Ladies Project, Spinster, or the Virginia Woolf chapter of Men Explain Things to Me instead?...more
I received this book last Wednesday and started it the very next day. This is unusual for me; no matter how much I want to read something, it usually I received this book last Wednesday and started it the very next day. This is unusual for me; no matter how much I want to read something, it usually has to sit around the house for a while before I'm ready to dive in (this is one reason I never read library books). In this case, though, I was about to finish a book that was pretty dark and disturbing. I opened Schadenfreude, A Love Story, read the joke on the very first page, and laughed out loud. I decided this memoir would be the perfect thing to lift me out of my reading-related funk.
And I was right! This book was funny. The stream of jokes in the first half of it was, in fact, pretty relentless. There is no element of her life, no matter how much of a bummer, that Rebecca Schuman can't make a total joke out of. Good for getting you out of your funk, for sure. But not so great when it comes to caring about a narrator. Rebecca Schuman's inability to take her own life seriously made it hard for me to take her life seriously either--which can be entertaining but ultimately makes for a somewhat hollow reading experience.
But that wasn't Schadenfreude's biggest problem. Honestly, this book is a mess. Most of it is about Schuman's experiences spending summers and semesters abroad in Germany. Elements of German culture and language dot the narrative, and Schuman's obsession with Kafka (who wrote in German) is a thread throughout, but mostly the book is about Schuman's attempts to be cool while studying abroad, including eschewing dorms to share apartments with actual Germans, wearing weird makeup and clothes, and drinking beer. This was the most enjoyable part of the book, but there was nothing particularly fascinating about it; it was pretty standard stuff for this type of memoir.
Still, reading about her experiences abroad was more satisfying than reading about her experiences as a grad student in German at UC Irvine, which make up the rest of the book. At this point, the actual "German-ness" of the narrative becomes even less important and the entire memoir turns into a screed about the folly of getting a PhD and attempting to gain a tenured position in academia. Given that Schuman has written about this topic on Slate for quite some time now, I shouldn't have been surprised when the narrative took this turn, but it just didn't work well with the previous section, or with the book's alleged main topic, which, again, was supposed to be all things German. Admittedly, Schuman is able to work Kafkan themes into this section much more handily than in the previous ones, but beyond that it could have been written about any grad program at all. There's also a point-by-point accounting of her initial courtship with the man who eventually became her husband, of the sort you'd maybe go over in your head obsessively while trying to figure out if your suitor liked you or not, or possibly share with a patient friend for the same purpose, but not the kind of thing that needs to included in a memoir. Then Schuman and her boyfriend get married and have a baby. The end! The end? Why do so many memoirs by women end with getting married and having a baby, even if the rest of the book was about something else entirely? It's so lazy and retro, and also dishonest, because these sorts of "happy endings" aren't actually endings at all. Life continues on, and finding a way to acknowledge that while tying in the theme of your book is the real challenge of writing an authentic conclusion.
I'm starting to think I'm going to avoid books by people whose primary writing has been internet-based. These people just do not understand that a book needs to have some kind of unifying structure. It's not enough to decide your theme is "German," then recount your life experiences in haphazard fashion while piping in a little "German" around the edges. I have German ancestry myself and I was really hoping to learn a thing or two from Schadenfreude, A Love Story. Alas, I just learned that having a regular internet column can land you a deal for a book you're not necessarily up to the challenge of writing. But unfortunately I knew that already.
I received this book via a giveaway here on Goodreads....more
This book was lent to me by a co-worker who thought that I, being a copy editor myself, would enjoy this true story of a copy editor and his friends tThis book was lent to me by a co-worker who thought that I, being a copy editor myself, would enjoy this true story of a copy editor and his friends traveling around the country correcting typos on signs. I was skeptical—honestly, I'm a fan of good grammar and spelling, but I've long accepted that typos are not going anywhere and I don't generally get worked up about them anymore. However, it seemed to me that the author was going for a Bill Bryson vibe, so I tried to be optimistic.
Unfortunately, my optimism faded quickly. At one point, more than halfway through the trip, a former professor of the author expresses surprise that he and his traveling companions haven't gotten punched in the face by anyone, and I agree. It's generally just obnoxious to go up to customer-service employees in businesses, tell them their signs are wrong, and ask to change them. A lot of the employees worried they'd get in trouble with their bosses if they allowed Deck and his friends to change their signs, which Deck extrapolates into some kind of fear of, or unquestioning obedience to, authority. He even compares it to that experiment where people give what they think are dangerous shocks to other people because a man in a white coat is standing over them! I kept thinking to myself, "No, you [expletive redacted], they're afraid of their bosses because They don't want to get fired!" I mean, hello? Hasn't this guy ever worked a customer-service job himself? Most managers are so afraid of getting fired themselves that they redirect that onto their employees and get rid of anyone who causes any sort of problem. Anyone who's worked in customer service has experienced this. The fact that Deck was so willing to obliviously harass minimum-wage workers in pursuit of his "quest" bugged the crap out of me.
Then there's the fact that, when Deck and his friends were able to change signs, they usually did a terrible job of it and made the signs look much worse than before, gobbed with Wite-Out or with extra letters squeezed in where they didn't really fit. They even (view spoiler)[changed a sign that was CLEARLY a part of the historic character of a landmark they were visiting (hide spoiler)], which infuriated me. Granted, they did (view spoiler)[get slapped with a lawsuit, which they deserved (hide spoiler)], but the whole time I got the feeling Deck and his partner in crime thought they were the wronged party somehow—which did nothing to endear them to me.
Occasionally, Deck tries to justify his whole excursion (which he clearly undertook just to get a book deal out of it) by talking about the different schools of thought on typos and misspellings—i.e., the people who think some rules are necessary versus the people who think language is constantly evolving, and the middle ground between the two. These sections were mostly boring, and his girlfriend's apparent belief that no one can ever really say what's "right" or "wrong" when it comes to language caused me much eye-rolling, although not as much eye-rolling as her use of baby talk. Authors, please do us all a favor and don't include your significant other's baby talk in your memoir. No one wants to read that. Or at the very least, in a book about typos, make sure your girlfriend's pet name for you is spelled consistently throughout.
So who should read this book? If you care a lot about the correction of typos and don't find the idea of someone going around hassling people as off-putting as I did, you may like this. Everyone else can probably find something better to read....more
I picked this up in a newly opened independent bookstore in my area, and when the owner of the store saw it in my hands, she expressed her enthusiastiI picked this up in a newly opened independent bookstore in my area, and when the owner of the store saw it in my hands, she expressed her enthusiastic appreciation for Jessa Crispin. "She's a smartie," she said. But honestly, I wasn't so sure. I had never warmed to Crispin's website, Bookslut, even though it should have been exactly the kind of thing I loved. I always had a sense that Crispin's work was hobbled by her trying too hard to be the smartest person in the room. I hate saying that about any writer, and especially a female writer, but it was a feeling I just couldn't shake. But I bought The Dead Ladies Project anyway, and after a few stops and starts unrelated to the book's quality, I am thrilled to be able to tell you that I was totally and completely wrong about Jessa Crispin.
The Dead Ladies Project is misleadingly titled. While it's ostensibly a memoir about Crispin, at loose ends in her own life, traveling to the hometowns of various writers and artists she admires, not all of these writers and artists are women. More significantly, this frame is just a jumping-off point for Crispin's real topic, which is all the ways human beings allow themselves to become unfree. Sometimes this refers to all of humanity, as in her discussions of the politics and history of the various regions she visits; sometimes it does indeed refer to the writers and artists she admires; and sometimes it refers to herself.
All of this is fascinating and extremely relevant to what's happening in the world today, and eventually I stopped even setting my pen down while reading, so often did I need to stop and underline some important point extremely well made. There's a lot here to admire, but what I most admired was Crispin's own intense vulnerability, gutting but somehow conveyed without a hint of sentimentality. How did she do that? I don't know. But I do know that after years of resisting what Crispin had to offer, I am now on the hook for anything else she comes up with. She really is the smartest person in the room. The Dead Ladies Project, the last book I read in 2016, is easily one of my favorite books of the last ten years....more
I bought this book in an airport. My family and I had been traveling together, we had recently hit our upper limit of togetherness, and the book I'd bI bought this book in an airport. My family and I had been traveling together, we had recently hit our upper limit of togetherness, and the book I'd brought with me, Mary Karr's Lit, was proving too dreary. I wanted something funny and absorbing for the flight home, and I found it in A Walk in the Woods, a book I'd always meant to read anyway. I'm fascinated by stories of people who go on long, challenging wilderness adventures--probably because I know I'll never be one of them--and Bill Bryson and his companion Katz kept me laughing and entertained for hours. I found the detours into Appalachian Trail history frustrating, because they interrupted the main narrative, but I still appreciated learning more about the trail. Probably the best thing about this book is knowing how many of Bryson's travel memoirs are still out there waiting for me....more
In some ways it wasn't really this book's fault that I didn't like it. It came out in the U.S. in 1990 and was probably one of the first "I-lived-amonIn some ways it wasn't really this book's fault that I didn't like it. It came out in the U.S. in 1990 and was probably one of the first "I-lived-among-the-French-and-they-are-peculiar" memoirs. Since then, there have been countless other memoirs on this same topic, several of which I have read and enjoyed, so by the time I got to this, the flagship volume, the subject matter was a little old hat. Also problematic is that, while some of this book is composed of funny anecdotes, some of it is just Mayle explaining how the French do things (cheek kissing, for example), and those sections not only aren't particularly funny, they're sometimes rather dull. Maybe they were fascinating in 1990, I don't know. But frankly, once you've read David Sedaris on French villagers, Peter Mayle is just never going to stack up.
The book does contain the obligatory shout-outs to French paperwork and the way business is conducted there, as well as copious descriptions of food and wine, so it hits all the right marks, and I considered giving it an extra star (3 total) in recognition of the fact that I read it about 25 years too late. But I started to get annoyed at the way Mayle poked fun at French peasants, accusing them of being either penny-pinchers with ancient cars (hilarious, right?), or "greedy" for hoping to sell their houses for high prices. Meanwhile, he was spending a gargantuan sum on remodeling his large Provence house, not to mention all those cases of wine. His ridiculing the less well-off, even if all in good fun, rubbed me the wrong way, so the extra star came right back off. When my sister gave me this book years ago (after she had read it and loved it), she also gave me its sequel, Toujours Provence, but it's going to be a long time before I'll be willing go in for more of this sort of thing....more
I won this memoir in a First Reads giveaway. I entered to win it because my employer, like a lot of U.S. publishers, contracts with a vendor in India,I won this memoir in a First Reads giveaway. I entered to win it because my employer, like a lot of U.S. publishers, contracts with a vendor in India, and I've been very curious about the day-to-day lives of the people I correspond with multiple times a day. But let's be honest: If I had the money and motivation to travel to such distant lands, I would probably ... pick somewhere other than India to go. So I thought this book would be the ideal way to learn more.
First things first: I don't know if this book actually began as a blog, but it definitely had that blog-to-book feel, meaning the writing and structure were sometimes a wee bit casual for my taste. But ultimately that didn't matter, because I found this book immensely entertaining. When I put it down, I couldn't wait to get back to it. I think there are a few reasons for this; there's the novelty (to me) of the subject matter, the lightheartedness and humor (although the book doesn't shy away from presenting the less-than-flattering side of India, it's definitely not at Behind the Beautiful Forevers levels of grimness), and the sheer relatability of Jennifer Hillman-Magnuson. She's kind of like that co-worker who's always in the break room, turning every aspect of her life into a funny story for everyone's amusement. I also liked that the book didn't shy away from a certain amount of sentimentality. To me, that made the whole story much more effective.
I think this book could have been longer--I certainly would have been willing to read more. But I understand Hillman-Magnuson's family also spent an extended amount of time living in Abu Dhabi, so here's hoping we'll get a book about that experience next....more
This was disappointing--it felt thrown together, and it was kind of dull and self-absorbed. Also, I didn't realize going on a business trip and then hThis was disappointing--it felt thrown together, and it was kind of dull and self-absorbed. Also, I didn't realize going on a business trip and then hanging out with your mom in France constituted an "age of license." I'm going to go so far as to say that Lucy Knisley has tapped out the whole "mid-twenties angst" thing. She needs to live a little more before she attempts yet another memoir--or maybe she just needs to stop skimming over the surface of everything in her books, I'm not sure. The watercolors were beautiful, though!...more
This book's average rating here on Goodreads is not the best, and I suspected it was probably because of the way Miller kept mentioning the influencesThis book's average rating here on Goodreads is not the best, and I suspected it was probably because of the way Miller kept mentioning the influences that led her to move to Paris in the first place: de Beauvoir and Sartre, Colette, Godard. I thought for sure reviewers would think she was acting too intellectual and showing off (for the record, I loved that aspect of the book). But I was wrong--it turns out the low ratings are the result of too much boy craziness and sexytimes. Guess you can't please everyone!
It's true: young Nancy Miller seems to go from one man to the next with scarcely any time in between, and usually with some overlap. She has more pregnancy scares than such a smart person should have and makes some terrible choices. She barely seems attracted to most of these people and barely seems to love the man she marries. It can get a bit exasperating at times.
However, I eventually came to see this memoir in a slightly different way. Miller moves to Paris not just because it's the city of her dreams, but because she's trying to establish her independence from her parents. However, in the early 1960s, it was difficult for many women to imagine an independence from their parents that didn't involve getting married. Paradoxical, yes--trading one form of dependence for another, because a lot of women quit working after marriage. Yet there was a part of Miller that knew that getting married wasn't really her own path to independence--hence her tendency to say yes to just about anything. As she puts it (paraphrasing), "How can I be sure I don't want to do something unless I try it?"
This book was very well-written, dealt with some serious issues, and was a welcome change from the typically frothy Paris memoir where the heroine, who isn't even looking for a man, somehow has the best-looking, most romantic Frenchman fall madly in love with her, and whose only real problem is that French people can be so standoffish sometimes. If that's what you're looking for, try this or this. But a glance at my ratings will give you a sense of where my own preference lies....more
Has there ever been a book more loved and more hated? It seems to me that there are two dominant readings of this memoir. People who like it find it tHas there ever been a book more loved and more hated? It seems to me that there are two dominant readings of this memoir. People who like it find it to be a fun, inspiring story of regaining happiness after a rough time. People who don't like it find it (and its author) to be self-centered and insufferable. But I don't think either of these readings really takes into account the heart of the book, the section set in India. Rereading it, I was struck by the importance of the spiritual concepts Gilbert tries to portray, and also by her bravery. The fact is, it takes a lot of strength to face your painful past and actively work on breaking the patterns that don't serve you, and it takes a lot of discipline to engage in the practices she describes--the intensive meditation and mindfulness. It's not a walk in the park, and I don't see how such a rigorous process can be deemed selfish. Yes, it does hopefully lead to some kind of contentment with your life, but what's wrong with that? What good does it do anyone for us to walk around miserable, hoping that one day things will fix themselves without our having to focus on our problems? Or, you know, actually do anything? As we all know, unhappy people are no good for themselves or anyone else. Or as the book puts it, "all of the sorrow and trouble of this world is caused by unhappy people."
The India section is definitely not all fun and games, and it may be that it's the other two sections, the "eat" and "love" sections, that raise some readers' ire. But I think her question of how to include both pleasure and spiritual discipline in your life is a valid one (even if I don't share it--I see taking pleasure in things as part of being mindful). Further, I think it's fair to mention the entertainment value of these sections. If the entire book was about her establishing a meditation practice and finding god in herself and others, it might be useful, but it wouldn't necessarily make for scintillating reading all on its own.
And that leads me to something people rarely seem to mention when they talk about this book--how well written it is. Given all the advice it contains, this memoir could be viewed as a self-help book, yet it contains none of the stultifying writing that is the downfall of most such books. Even as Gilbert unflinchingly faces down her painful past and her own flaws and mistakes, the book is ceaselessly entertaining and often funny. That's not an easy feat to pull off. Hopefully The Signature of All Things, one of my favorite books from last year, has reminded people of what Elizabeth Gilbert was before Eat, Pray, Love and what she is now, which is what made it possible for her to take this trip in the first place: a smart lady and a kickass writer.
This reads like the author took a bunch of her Facebook status updates from her time in Paris and expanded them slightly. Because that's what actuallyThis reads like the author took a bunch of her Facebook status updates from her time in Paris and expanded them slightly. Because that's what actually happened....more
This was very funny and interesting, and it contained a lot of useful information and great recipes. But it could have used a good copyedit, for sure.This was very funny and interesting, and it contained a lot of useful information and great recipes. But it could have used a good copyedit, for sure. It got a bit maddening at times....more
At first, I found this book kind of annoying. When the author was writing about China and its people, it was very interesting. However, when she was cAt first, I found this book kind of annoying. When the author was writing about China and its people, it was very interesting. However, when she was complaining about adjusting to China, or fretting about whether her kids would adjust well to China, or wondering why her kids seemed to be adjusting better than she was, it was dull and slow-moving. Fortunately, eventually everyone adjusted a reasonable amount, and the book picked up.
When Susan is diagnosed with breast cancer, the book obviously goes off in a new direction, and finds its heart in the process. There's no denying the power of some of this material. However, I still felt that the "China memoir" and "cancer memoir" parts of the book didn't quite work together. The book generally read as a second-to-last draft, rather than a completely finished book. It was still worth the read nonetheless.
I won this through Goodreads' First Reads program....more
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