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447 reviews for:
Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated
Alison Arngrim
4.13 AVERAGE
447 reviews for:
Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated
Alison Arngrim
4.13 AVERAGE
emotional
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
I didn't even watch the show and I found this book entertaining. I imagine fans of the show will really like it.
Trigger warning though - Alison writes of her experience as a victim of childhood sexual abuse.
Trigger warning though - Alison writes of her experience as a victim of childhood sexual abuse.
This book was so fun to read. I grew up watching Little House on the Prairie, not enough to be a superfan by any means, but I still loved reading about the characters and all the behind-the-scenes antics. Alison Arngrim took horrible circumstances (her childhood, being hated by everyone due to a character she played) and used them to help herself and others in life. Reading about her AIDS activism and her work against child sex abuse was really impressive. There are many other people who have gotten famous for one single role who whine and complain and try to break out of it, but the way she embraced it was fascinating.
The last few paragraphs of the book sum it all up:
"I owe it all to the bitch on the prairie. When I played Nellie Oleson, she allowed me to scream, to howl, to throw things, to put out all my pain and rage over and over again in a safe place. All of us who have lived through abuse are terrified of our anger. Nellie taught me that I could be angry, and the world would not open up and swallow me. She also gave me a family for life that I made on the show, and she gave me friends all over the world. When my friends began dying of AIDS, Nellie gave me the means to help them-- to raise money for their care, to advocate for their rights, to educate their friends and loved ones about their illness. And when it was time to go to war for abused children, she gave me the means to do that as well. When Nellie talks, even Larry King listens." (pg. 297)
The last few paragraphs of the book sum it all up:
"I owe it all to the bitch on the prairie. When I played Nellie Oleson, she allowed me to scream, to howl, to throw things, to put out all my pain and rage over and over again in a safe place. All of us who have lived through abuse are terrified of our anger. Nellie taught me that I could be angry, and the world would not open up and swallow me. She also gave me a family for life that I made on the show, and she gave me friends all over the world. When my friends began dying of AIDS, Nellie gave me the means to help them-- to raise money for their care, to advocate for their rights, to educate their friends and loved ones about their illness. And when it was time to go to war for abused children, she gave me the means to do that as well. When Nellie talks, even Larry King listens." (pg. 297)
I liked this book way more than i thought i would and have great respect for the actor/writer's sense of humor and positive outlook. Also, of course, i loved all the dish about working on "Little House." Definitely took the glamour out of the idea of working on a show. Well done, Allison/Nellie!
This was a very fun read. Every day after school I'd run to the house after getting off the bus so I wouldn't miss a minute of Little House. My friends and I would play Little House all the time. It was interesting to hear about Alison's experience of playing Nellie Oleson and how it affected her life. I agree: it's more fun to be the baddie. She had a hell of a childhood, but thankfully she was able to start healing once she was older, and her excellent sense of humor helps her cope as well.
IWho'd have thought that the actress that played Nellie Oleson could be so humorous and have such a passion for peoples' rights? Arngrim is definitely a great actress. She had the Nellie "bitch" bit down pat, but was (and is) a completely different person with a huge heart. I appreciated her candidness about her own trials, her passion for 2 of the big causes in her life, and her humor in relating adventures with Melissa Gilbert (Laura).
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
dark
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Surprisingly dark and funny.
DAMN is this woman strong. And funny. And down to earth. I didn't watch the show, but this was still a great book.