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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.
oliviapengle's review
2.0
2.5 stars. Though much of this book resonated with me, I felt it tried to do entirely too much within 300 pages. It tried to be a history of female pain, her family, La Roy, Jell-O, and American patriarchy - in doing so, it was a bit of a mess. Though many of these things intersect, the connections were tenuous at times. Indeed, the premise of the "curse" was unconvincing as Rowbottom's family sold the company many decades ago and hadn't even invented the product. I really appreciated that she tried to weave all this together but felt like she was simultaneously writing four different books. (Also a few too many "breaking the mold" metaphors.)
timetravelingnerd's review
2.0
Not what I was sold on- more of like the story of the author’s mother written entirely in purple prose than a history of a Jell-o curse
ramonamead's review against another edition
2.0
There were parts of I found extremely interesting, and others that were confusing and/or unnecessary. The overall feel of the book is choppy. It's clear that the author had a lot of different threads she tried to weave together. It works in a few spots but overall leaves the reader feeling scattered and disconnected from the material and characters.
This is part family memoir, part history of Jello, and part commentary on sexism and the power of the patriarchy. I most enjoyed learning about Jello's role in American culture throughout the decades. The connection between Jello's story and the author's family is there, but seems she could have made it stronger.
The book should have had pictures. There are many times the author describes a Jello advertisement or her family photos. Trying to visualize what she's describing took me out of the story. Photos would have been fun, broke up the text, and emphasized the points the author was trying to make.
This is part family memoir, part history of Jello, and part commentary on sexism and the power of the patriarchy. I most enjoyed learning about Jello's role in American culture throughout the decades. The connection between Jello's story and the author's family is there, but seems she could have made it stronger.
The book should have had pictures. There are many times the author describes a Jello advertisement or her family photos. Trying to visualize what she's describing took me out of the story. Photos would have been fun, broke up the text, and emphasized the points the author was trying to make.
eager_reader_'s review against another edition
2.0
Do not recommend. I love a good family drama, but this was snoozeville. This is the actual story of the Jell-O dynasty apparently. The women are "cursed." ZZZZzzzzzzZZZZZzzz The author also did the narration and nearly put me to sleep. If you read this one, I don't recommend the audio.