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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
A charming and surreal little book. Not only is it weird as hell, but the weirdness gives way to some incredibly thoughtful and profound ideas. At times, I sensed the book was trying a little TOO hard to be profound and obscure, but perhaps that's just the inner-workings of Jenny Slate's mind. What I loved most though is how different it is from anything else I've read. Even categorizing it is next to impossible. Are these essays? Humor? Magical realist non-fiction? I have no idea, but I suppose that's part of its quirky charm.
I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a pick-me-up from the universe. Slate's writing emanates pure and gentle kindness. She understands the universe on a level I'm not sure I ever will. At the very least, she understands my buried desire to abandon my human form and become a sweet little French croissant instead (I think this essay resonated with me the most).
I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a pick-me-up from the universe. Slate's writing emanates pure and gentle kindness. She understands the universe on a level I'm not sure I ever will. At the very least, she understands my buried desire to abandon my human form and become a sweet little French croissant instead (I think this essay resonated with me the most).
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
“What I didn’t say, because I selfishly wanted to keep the sweet sap of the moment swelling inside myself, undiluted, was “actually, more than anything, I would like my dog to have small blue flowers stuck to his small face as often as possible, and now that you mention it, I want this more than most things I want, but most of the things I want are like this thing, and it is a certain type of person who feels this way that I feel, and I’m proud to be one, and now I see that I must really not forget that the style of what I find beautiful is incredible to me, that it is incredible to feel lucky to want to want what one wants, to be able to see the rings of yourself this way"
Em partes incrível, em outras incrivelmente datado. Gosto muito da voz de Jenny quando ela acerta, como no capítulo “I Died: Bronze Tree”, em que me acabei de chorar.
3.5/5
Em partes incrível, em outras incrivelmente datado. Gosto muito da voz de Jenny quando ela acerta, como no capítulo “I Died: Bronze Tree”, em que me acabei de chorar.
3.5/5
4.5
i think this is the first time i'm reading nonfiction for fun, although this wasn't fun. this was visceral and profound and made me catch my breath a few times. right in the opening of this book, its prologue, so to speak, jenny slate describes her wish to be perceived as parisian woman; she wants to be consumed as a croissant. it was this, more than anything else, that my mind kept returning to. somehow, in her own idiosyncratic way, jenny found the words to voice a feeling i've been having for the better part of my life - and i could never have described it as accurately as she did. (yes, with a croissant comparison. just trust me - it was perfect.)
i think this is the first time i'm reading nonfiction for fun, although this wasn't fun. this was visceral and profound and made me catch my breath a few times. right in the opening of this book, its prologue, so to speak, jenny slate describes her wish to be perceived as parisian woman; she wants to be consumed as a croissant. it was this, more than anything else, that my mind kept returning to. somehow, in her own idiosyncratic way, jenny found the words to voice a feeling i've been having for the better part of my life - and i could never have described it as accurately as she did. (yes, with a croissant comparison. just trust me - it was perfect.)
I feel very uncool and maybe borderline like I'm indulging my internalized misogyny for not liking this book, but I just really didn't like it. I think I probably didn't like it for the same reasons I don't like hearing other people's dreams... they seem deep and meaningful only to the person who had the dream. Jenny Slate is a person who I admire and who has a good grip on the English language, but this book made me think she's the type of person who wouldn't ask you about yourself on a date.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
I was utterly charmed by these essays. I loved seeing this play between whimsy and pragmatism. It was like a new kind of magical realism to me, even though I don’t think that’s at all what’s happening in the content. But the way my brain had to expand to capture this felt like the way magical realism also is able to expand my mind.
I felt both giggly and incredibly touched to see the world this way with Jenny Slate.
I felt both giggly and incredibly touched to see the world this way with Jenny Slate.