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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
If you ever watched Little House on the Prairie, you know Nellie Oleson. I never hated her like many friends did (oh how they hated her with a burning passion!) but I could see why she was hated. To me she just seemed sad - it was obvious Laura had the hearts of the village, and the full support of her family, so Nellie wasn't really a worry to her, just an annoyance.
Alison's life before, during and after Little House is quite astonishing. I'm just amazed by the lack of parental behavior by so many parents in the Hollywood / acting / theater world - but I guess they're everywhere, we just don't read about them as their children don't get to ack on Little House on the Prairie! :) Alison writes candidly about so many subjects, and tells all the stuff I like to hear - details on the logistics of a day on the set, why things happened, who made what decisions, what people were really like - even the people she doesn't like, she gives second and third chances to and tries to find the good in them. She's honest about herself and her actions, and her revelations about herself are fascinating to witness.
I read this book all in one sitting, staying up until 4am. I truly did not see the hours passing - started it as a little something to read before sleeping, and next thing I knew, the birds were chirping their moning song. Oops. But what a recommendation, eh?
Alison's life before, during and after Little House is quite astonishing. I'm just amazed by the lack of parental behavior by so many parents in the Hollywood / acting / theater world - but I guess they're everywhere, we just don't read about them as their children don't get to ack on Little House on the Prairie! :) Alison writes candidly about so many subjects, and tells all the stuff I like to hear - details on the logistics of a day on the set, why things happened, who made what decisions, what people were really like - even the people she doesn't like, she gives second and third chances to and tries to find the good in them. She's honest about herself and her actions, and her revelations about herself are fascinating to witness.
I read this book all in one sitting, staying up until 4am. I truly did not see the hours passing - started it as a little something to read before sleeping, and next thing I knew, the birds were chirping their moning song. Oops. But what a recommendation, eh?
A worthy story excellently told, and fantastic on audio. (I was a beyond-mega Little House fan growing up and wasn’t sure I wanted to sympathize with Laura’s tormentor, but I’m so glad I did. It’s heartening to see how both she and Melissa Gilbert have used their celebrity for activism.)
This was such a fun and entertaining read!! Highly recommended for anyone who is/was a fan of the show.
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
A must read for anyone who grew up on the Little House series. This is a smart, funny, and wise memoir--but often very serious and poignant. In addition to some behind-the-scenes memories, Alison also discusses how character Nellie helped a shy girl, raped and beaten by her older brother beginning at the age of 6, find the emotional strength to deal with her feelings , and later, to help many others--as the Prairie Bitch.
Those of us who grew up in the 70s and 80s know Alison Arngrim as "Nellie Oleson," Laura's primary antagonist in "Little House on the Prairie." In this book, she is so much more than that. She's sharp, funny, and honestly the kind of person I'd like to have as a friend. She's honest about her experiences - terrible, bad, and good.
The book is highly engaging and well-written, most definitely worth a read. And it was very interesting to read about how Ms. Arngrim feels that Nellie Oleson helped her.
The book is highly engaging and well-written, most definitely worth a read. And it was very interesting to read about how Ms. Arngrim feels that Nellie Oleson helped her.
Nearly a 4. Well written and so amusing if you were / are a lover of LHOTP. A section about abuse at the start, but keep reading. It is amazing any child actor lived. So many amusing 'behind the scene' chapters of parts that I remember well. Good read for sure.
OMG what does it say about me that I LOVE Nellie Olsen and Allison Arngrim . . ..I always watched Little House but it was for Nellie and that says something about me doesn't it??? I guess I'm a Praire Bitch too :D
This was everything I hoped it would be. Alison Arngrim is a great storyteller and included a perfect mix of Little House stories and personal background. I'm incredibly curious about Melissa Sue Anderson now though - who knew Mary was so cold? Yikes.
I moved to the prairie three years ago and am on a perpetual quest to understand these people. Midwestern culture fascinates me, so I picked this up mostly because of the title. I saw a few Little House episodes here and there as a kid, but I wasn't by any means a regular fan of the show. As it turns out, that is absolutely not necessary to enjoying this book.
Arngrim is absolutely hilarious. I found myself retelling the stories in this book to friends and family because they are so funny that I couldn't sit on them alone any longer. Seeing behind the scenes of America's canonical myth about itself was truly awesome, but ultimately it's Arngrim's story of how being Nellie Oleson empowered her to survive personally that makes this a must-read. Nellie Oleson shrieked and schemed and cried and lied and basically did everything girls are socialized not to do. Arngrim tells the story of being actually attacked by a horde of schoolchildren when appearing in public in her Nellie getup, and to this day regularly has people treat her like the little bitch that Nellie was. Instead of complaining about being misunderstood, Arngrim explains how Nellie's chutzpah set her free to survive a tough set of circumstances, including sexual abuse.
As it turns out, being America's anti-sweetheart can be pretty damn awesome. I do a lot of thinking and experience plenty of anxiety about the what-ifs of social interaction-- especially in the Midwest where Minnesota Nice means that you can offend someone accidentally and they will never let on-- but never forget. It's tremendously refreshing to hear that you can be who you really are, even someone as awful as Nellie, and thrive.
Arngrim is absolutely hilarious. I found myself retelling the stories in this book to friends and family because they are so funny that I couldn't sit on them alone any longer. Seeing behind the scenes of America's canonical myth about itself was truly awesome, but ultimately it's Arngrim's story of how being Nellie Oleson empowered her to survive personally that makes this a must-read. Nellie Oleson shrieked and schemed and cried and lied and basically did everything girls are socialized not to do. Arngrim tells the story of being actually attacked by a horde of schoolchildren when appearing in public in her Nellie getup, and to this day regularly has people treat her like the little bitch that Nellie was. Instead of complaining about being misunderstood, Arngrim explains how Nellie's chutzpah set her free to survive a tough set of circumstances, including sexual abuse.
As it turns out, being America's anti-sweetheart can be pretty damn awesome. I do a lot of thinking and experience plenty of anxiety about the what-ifs of social interaction-- especially in the Midwest where Minnesota Nice means that you can offend someone accidentally and they will never let on-- but never forget. It's tremendously refreshing to hear that you can be who you really are, even someone as awful as Nellie, and thrive.