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dixiecarroll's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.5
How can anyone not rate this 5 stars? This is wonderful. Jenny Slate is so funny yet sneaks in some thoughts about grief, loneliness, and fear that really hit me deep. She’s not for everyone (lame) but she’s for me (gorgeous, compliment)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, and Grief
kadengrace's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
i loved this book so much!!!!!! jenny slate has such a playful, thoughtful way of putting things that i often really related to and wholeheartedly enjoyed. i think “it’s so weird i love it” sums it up well. i am already looking forward to rereading this :) i would recommend not reading this all at once for maximum enjoyment!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Death, and Sexism
Minor: Gaslighting
savvylit's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
My experience reading this was a little weird (ha!) I found myself quite hot and cold towards these essays as a whole. To start with, here's what I liked: so much of Slate's writing is tender, raw, and honest. I genuinely adore and admire her signature silliness and exuberance. Written after her divorce, Little Weirds follows Slate on a difficult emotional journey. She learns to be content and in love with her solo life, even in the face of so much turmoil. It was a joy to join her on that journey.
Several of these essays frustrated me, however. I think it's because Slate's signature humor doesn't translate as well into the written word. At times, her self infantilization was just too much to read about. A little too twee. The amount of times that she referred to herself or her body parts as little drove me absolutely insane. Slate saying that she's small in the sense of being vulnerable -- that makes sense. But a lot of the smallness was literal and physical. I also found it frustrating that she would simultaneously muse on (basic) ideas of feminism while clearly being obsessed with her own performative femininity. (i.e. I'm so small, quirky, and dainty etc., etc.).
Additionally, some of the passages in Little Weirds about Slate's childhood were jarring thanks to her lack of self-awareness regarding her own privilege. She has one essay in particular where she offhandedly refers to the clay tennis court on her family's property. As if that's not an incredibly unusual and elite real estate feature! That distracted me from the subject matter so much that I can barely recall the rest of that essay.
All that being said, though, I probably would have loved this more had I listened to the audiobook. I think that may be the best way to experience Little Weirds. After I finished this book, my partner and I re-watched Stage Fright, her Netflix special. Her humor is much more entertaining when you hear her voice and see her hilarious gestures & expressions. Stage Fright also has similar content to Little Weirds, so I'd highly recommend watching it as a companion piece!
Several of these essays frustrated me, however. I think it's because Slate's signature humor doesn't translate as well into the written word. At times, her self infantilization was just too much to read about. A little too twee. The amount of times that she referred to herself or her body parts as little drove me absolutely insane. Slate saying that she's small in the sense of being vulnerable -- that makes sense. But a lot of the smallness was literal and physical. I also found it frustrating that she would simultaneously muse on (basic) ideas of feminism while clearly being obsessed with her own performative femininity. (i.e. I'm so small, quirky, and dainty etc., etc.).
Additionally, some of the passages in Little Weirds about Slate's childhood were jarring thanks to her lack of self-awareness regarding her own privilege. She has one essay in particular where she offhandedly refers to the clay tennis court on her family's property. As if that's not an incredibly unusual and elite real estate feature! That distracted me from the subject matter so much that I can barely recall the rest of that essay.
All that being said, though, I probably would have loved this more had I listened to the audiobook. I think that may be the best way to experience Little Weirds. After I finished this book, my partner and I re-watched Stage Fright, her Netflix special. Her humor is much more entertaining when you hear her voice and see her hilarious gestures & expressions. Stage Fright also has similar content to Little Weirds, so I'd highly recommend watching it as a companion piece!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
anahisa's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.0
what a delightful little treat to start the year with! Jenny Slate delivers: meaningful mantras; flowery-prose-filled-dreams; and how to care for a hungry heart <3
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Misogyny, Animal death, Grief, and Gaslighting
katrinaward's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
cybersylk's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
beautiful precious wonderful exploration of what it is like to live as a blessedly strange person in a sometimes stranger world. i feel like jenny and i have hearts made of the same shiny fabric. i cried like 8 times while reading this. so goddamn beautiful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Dementia, Grief, and Medical content
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