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jesslane88's review
1.0
This is less about the history of Jello and the struggles of feminism and more about the many woes of a wealthy and destructive family. Blaming all misfortune on a "curse" and the patriarchy came across as dull and self indulgent. I found myself rolling my eyes more often than not. I had to skim the last 50+ pages. The writing was repetitive and lacked self awareness. No recommendation from me.
maureenquinlan's review
3.0
More of a memoir than a non-fiction narrative, but a powerful look at mothers, daughters, feminism, and how our pasts can haunt us.
dundermifflin's review
2.0
This reminded me of my reaction to Devil in the White City. Everyone was fascinated by the serial killer and I was more interested in the Chicago World's Fair and history. They struggles of a spoiled, wealthy family was of little interest (nothing special there), but the role of Jell-o in the United States, the early marketing and branding of a product, what lives and the perception of women were at the time were fascinating. Great cultural history. I almost didn't finish this, but the history was so fascinating I struggled through the family story.
Oh, and the audio editor should have told the author that even though she wrote the book, she isn't the person to narrate it.
Oh, and the audio editor should have told the author that even though she wrote the book, she isn't the person to narrate it.
frogggirl2's review
3.0
It's perfectly serviceable and of course she's justified, and has a right to, her perspective. It's just that these are such 1%, white people, first world problems. There's nothing about the writing style and no insight here that really illuminates anything for me.
maisiesmom's review
2.0
A one and a half rounded up. I almost DNF this one around page 60, but kept on as I had sympathy for the author and her mother and grandmother. The physical and mental health challenges they endured were awful, and their childhoods were unhappy. But the continued implication that these things could be tied to a “Jell-O curse”, which she equates with wealth and patriarchy grew tiresome. The weaving of the history of Jell-O marketing strategies to demonstrate the oppression of twentieth century American women just didn’t connect for me. This book was bleak, and although it seems the author may have a happy ending, this book just didn’t work for me.
himissjulie's review
Didn't finish. Was pretty interesting, but not enough to keep me reading. Might go back to it another time.
smblanc1793's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.25
Part memoir (or memwah), part history, part feminist awakening, all suspended together in a gelatinous harmony that works…sometimes
If there is anything that saved this book, it is the writing itself. The book cycles from lyrical, to grotesque, to simple and poignant, but the prose never strays from its easy lyricism, flowing down the page as easily as a glissade of the its namesake dessert sliding down your throat.
That being said, this is not a particularly fun book. I thought, from its cover, its description, simply from the fact that it’s about Jell-O (what I see as one of the more comical foods) that this book was going to be funny. And though it did give me an occasional chuckle
“Even a Jell-O Salad can be radical if made from a sex-positive standpoint”
It was overall just overwhelmingly dour. It is a well crafted memoir, spanning 3 generations of women all encountering a host of traumas not uncommon to their eras, but it lacked a certain levity and balance I was expecting.
There were very few positive moments documented alongside the molestations, illnesses, addictions, and eating disorders, and deaths. In that respect, it felt incomplete—the dramas of a life rather than a real, fleshed out one. At least I certainly hope for the authors’ sake as well as her mother and grandmothers’ that there were more moments of levity in their lives than it seems from this text.
There is also, as one could probably parse from it’s title, or description, or even the image on its cover of a Barbie doll eerily encased like a hunk of canned fruit in the center of a Jell-O mold, a book about women. About generations of women, specific women, and—if one is to take the book at its word—women as a whole. This is where I think this book has to be taken with a grain of salt. Its sweeping denouncements and presumptions about society, womanhood, and how “the curse is patriarchy” often feel melodramatic. In its desire to be bold and unflinching, the book ends up lacking a layer or two of nuance. For although every trauma expressed in this book is deep, often heart-wrenchingly so, there is little mention of the inherent privilege possessed by its subjects, a series of rich, white women who, though facing their own Sisyphean ordeals, never wanted for financial support or faced bigotry beyond sexism.
But all that aside, I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the way it weaves stories together—the personal with the history of Jell-O itself and the town of LeRoy, the so-called LeRoy girls who inexplicably suffered Tourette’s-like fits and, according to the author’s mother,
There were very few positive moments documented alongside the molestations, illnesses, addictions, and eating disorders, and deaths. In that respect, it felt incomplete—the dramas of a life rather than a real, fleshed out one. At least I certainly hope for the authors’ sake as well as her mother and grandmothers’ that there were more moments of levity in their lives than it seems from this text.
There is also, as one could probably parse from it’s title, or description, or even the image on its cover of a Barbie doll eerily encased like a hunk of canned fruit in the center of a Jell-O mold, a book about women. About generations of women, specific women, and—if one is to take the book at its word—women as a whole. This is where I think this book has to be taken with a grain of salt. Its sweeping denouncements and presumptions about society, womanhood, and how “the curse is patriarchy” often feel melodramatic. In its desire to be bold and unflinching, the book ends up lacking a layer or two of nuance. For although every trauma expressed in this book is deep, often heart-wrenchingly so, there is little mention of the inherent privilege possessed by its subjects, a series of rich, white women who, though facing their own Sisyphean ordeals, never wanted for financial support or faced bigotry beyond sexism.
But all that aside, I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the way it weaves stories together—the personal with the history of Jell-O itself and the town of LeRoy, the so-called LeRoy girls who inexplicably suffered Tourette’s-like fits and, according to the author’s mother,
“embody the disappointment of a life in which satisfaction stems wholly from a well-manicured lawn, a well-manicured hand, well-behaved children; checking and savings accounts well balanced and safe; a perfect Jell-O salad, so light and clean and wholesome.”
It is a bold story that starts and ends with America’s most unsettling (both literally and figuratively) dessert; like the classic shape of its titular dish, this book comes full circle. It is vivid and dark and heart-wrenching, and now I know WAAAAY too much about Jell-O.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder and Mental illness
Minor: Addiction and Sexual assault
erthsavr's review
3.0
This book had some really interesting parts. I really enjoyed the first half of the book, but the rest of the book made me incredibly sad as it dealt with her care taking of her sick mother.
readalot662f9's review
2.0
This reminded me of my reaction to Devil in the White City. Everyone was fascinated by the serial killer and I was more interested in the Chicago World's Fair and history. They struggles of a spoiled, wealthy family was of little interest (nothing special there), but the role of Jell-o in the United States, the early marketing and branding of a product, what lives and the perception of women were at the time were fascinating. Great cultural history. I almost didn't finish this, but the history was so fascinating I struggled through the family story.
Oh, and the audio editor should have told the author that even though she wrote the book, she isn't the person to narrate it.
Oh, and the audio editor should have told the author that even though she wrote the book, she isn't the person to narrate it.
katherine_elizab's review
5.0
Absolutely incredible. A masterful investigation of how patriarchy affected one family and how that’s a microcosm for our society at large. A beautiful story of mothers and daughters. My absolute favorite book this year. A must read. A true feat by the author. I want to write a book this Fucking good. I cried, I raged, my heart swelled.