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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
medium-paced
An entertaining read that has kind of passed me by, but did work well as a sort of satire of office jobs
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
I love angry, sad, complicated female main characters.
You will rarely encounter such an accurate rendering of depression.
dark
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
a short and darkly funny novel about the idea of starting over, glowing up, and getting a new perspective… and how fleeting that is. the author showcases how the realities that exist in our minds are not the same as the realities in others minds. this novel was a quick read, relatable, and reflective.
convinced me to do a workout in the morning, so that’s something!
The New Me was a compulsively fast read. Most of the narrative comes from the first-person POV of Millie -- a millennial who is smart, observant, angry, and so busy strategizing every word she says that she's incredibly awkward. She has a temp office job in a design firm full of women. Her comments about office culture and the women she works with brought me back to my mind-numbing months at a paralegal firm when I was about Millie's age and education level. Initially, her slightly off-kilter interactions with others made me empathetic -- yep, been there.
As the book continues -- and there are occasional third-person interjections from Millie's direct supervisor, Karen, and a designer -- it becomes obvious that Millie is in rapid decline. She has one "friend," Sarah, who she can only tolerate if they are both drunk; the feeling seems to be mutual. They wait for the other person to stop talking so that they can either express generic interest or steer the conversation toward their own solipsistic tale of how no one else understands or appreciates them, how unfair the world is, but what choices do they have? Neither makes much money or sees a way out of low-paying employment. What Millie says in conversation has more to do with her construction of the situation than the conversation itself.
The ironic distance between what Millie perceives and what the reader understands widens with each chapter until it is clear that Millie has no clue how far she is from her goals. She finds goals in online guides about how to be happy. Her New Me takes yoga, has a clean apartment, is independent enough to attract other strong, independent friends, and works at a meaningful job.
Millie's not a likeable character so this tension becomes an analytical activity where the readers are critiquing Millie in the way that she critiques the characters in her world. Author Halle Butler even includes a reference to this kind of meta-observation early on as Millie listens to two women complaining at the design firm, one saying how boring and annoying her mother is and becoming just as boring and annoying when she rehashes their conversation. This is a clever device that reappears periodically, illuminating Butler's sophistication.
As others have noted, Butler's writing style and subject matter are reminiscent of Ottessa Moshfegh, author of My Year of Rest and Relaxation. Is this what it means to be a millennial -- educated beyond your job potential, seeing no options beyond the ones you know and hate, an inability to actually connect with others because the guides to happiness online tell you your world is inferior? Well, in some exaggerated way, maybe, but this certainly doesn't describe everyone in that generation.
When I finished reading, I was relieved to exit Millie's increasingly unpleasant, malodorous life. Throughout the day, though, I couldn't put this down. The more I thought about it, the more interesting Butler's project seemed. Truly thought provoking.
As the book continues -- and there are occasional third-person interjections from Millie's direct supervisor, Karen, and a designer -- it becomes obvious that Millie is in rapid decline. She has one "friend," Sarah, who she can only tolerate if they are both drunk; the feeling seems to be mutual. They wait for the other person to stop talking so that they can either express generic interest or steer the conversation toward their own solipsistic tale of how no one else understands or appreciates them, how unfair the world is, but what choices do they have? Neither makes much money or sees a way out of low-paying employment. What Millie says in conversation has more to do with her construction of the situation than the conversation itself.
The ironic distance between what Millie perceives and what the reader understands widens with each chapter until it is clear that Millie has no clue how far she is from her goals. She finds goals in online guides about how to be happy. Her New Me takes yoga, has a clean apartment, is independent enough to attract other strong, independent friends, and works at a meaningful job.
Millie's not a likeable character so this tension becomes an analytical activity where the readers are critiquing Millie in the way that she critiques the characters in her world. Author Halle Butler even includes a reference to this kind of meta-observation early on as Millie listens to two women complaining at the design firm, one saying how boring and annoying her mother is and becoming just as boring and annoying when she rehashes their conversation. This is a clever device that reappears periodically, illuminating Butler's sophistication.
As others have noted, Butler's writing style and subject matter are reminiscent of Ottessa Moshfegh, author of My Year of Rest and Relaxation. Is this what it means to be a millennial -- educated beyond your job potential, seeing no options beyond the ones you know and hate, an inability to actually connect with others because the guides to happiness online tell you your world is inferior? Well, in some exaggerated way, maybe, but this certainly doesn't describe everyone in that generation.
When I finished reading, I was relieved to exit Millie's increasingly unpleasant, malodorous life. Throughout the day, though, I couldn't put this down. The more I thought about it, the more interesting Butler's project seemed. Truly thought provoking.
challenging
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If you enjoyed "Eleanor Oliphant Is Not Ok", you'll probably like this due to the similar vibes of feeling a bit alien - like you can't be your genuine self day to day or fully connect with your life and the people in it.
This book does not however have an intricate plot, it's very straight & narrow, full of dry humor and shameful relatability. As you spend some time inside Millie's head, you'll hear her complain about life's many inconveniences and unpleasantries, whilst also battling with her own desperate want to (eventually, someday, one day, when/if [x] happens) become this functional, elite version of herself.
Millie simply expected more for herself but is annoyed by the simple fact she needs to work hard and do things she doesn't like in order to have nice things or even avoid loosing what she has already!
Like me, you will enjoy watching Millie drag her feet through this book and you'll also find yourself a little bit worried every time you relate to her.
This book does not however have an intricate plot, it's very straight & narrow, full of dry humor and shameful relatability. As you spend some time inside Millie's head, you'll hear her complain about life's many inconveniences and unpleasantries, whilst also battling with her own desperate want to (eventually, someday, one day, when/if [x] happens) become this functional, elite version of herself.
Millie simply expected more for herself but is annoyed by the simple fact she needs to work hard and do things she doesn't like in order to have nice things or even avoid loosing what she has already!
Like me, you will enjoy watching Millie drag her feet through this book and you'll also find yourself a little bit worried every time you relate to her.
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes