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mollybonovskyanderson's review
3.0
It's funny. I thought I had high anxiety, but next to Roz Chast, I'm a free-wheeling clown.
kaelino's review
3.0
I like Roz Chast's style as far as her drawings go, but this lacked punch for me. Mildly funny at times, and relatable, but kind of unclear how humorous or serious she is intending to be throughout. 2.5 stars.
mrsfligs's review
4.0
Book Description
Roz Chast has been creating cartoons for the New Yorker since 1978. Right there, you know you'll get a combination of funny and smart. The book is exactly what the title says it is: a list of things that Roz Chast hates from A to Z. Each letter gets two pages. On the left side is some text (usually very short) describing exactly why Chast hates a particular thing. On the right side is a full-page drawing that illustrates the reasons further. Both the text and the drawings complement each other beautifully; I wouldn't have wanted one without the other. Perhaps the best way to appreciate the book is with some examples. (Unfortunately, I don't can't include photos in this review.)
My Thoughts
This book is simultaneously hilarious and terrifying. As I read, I found that Roz Chast's fears were slowly becoming my own fears. "Hmmm," I'd think to myself, "I never really thought about tunnels in that way before." And I confess to thinking the exact same thing she does when the lights dim in the theater. And, thanks to this book, I now view balloons as nothing more than "imminent explosions."
My only complaint is that the book is far too short. I'm positive that someone as anxious as Roz Chast could have done a dictionary and had multiple entries for each letter. The book was over far too soon. I definitely plan on checking out other Roz Chast books.
Recommended For: Roz Chast fans, readers looking for a mix of funny and terrifying. However, it is NOT recommended for people with anxiety issues or hypochondria; nothing good would come of that. HAHA!
Roz Chast has been creating cartoons for the New Yorker since 1978. Right there, you know you'll get a combination of funny and smart. The book is exactly what the title says it is: a list of things that Roz Chast hates from A to Z. Each letter gets two pages. On the left side is some text (usually very short) describing exactly why Chast hates a particular thing. On the right side is a full-page drawing that illustrates the reasons further. Both the text and the drawings complement each other beautifully; I wouldn't have wanted one without the other. Perhaps the best way to appreciate the book is with some examples. (Unfortunately, I don't can't include photos in this review.)
My Thoughts
This book is simultaneously hilarious and terrifying. As I read, I found that Roz Chast's fears were slowly becoming my own fears. "Hmmm," I'd think to myself, "I never really thought about tunnels in that way before." And I confess to thinking the exact same thing she does when the lights dim in the theater. And, thanks to this book, I now view balloons as nothing more than "imminent explosions."
My only complaint is that the book is far too short. I'm positive that someone as anxious as Roz Chast could have done a dictionary and had multiple entries for each letter. The book was over far too soon. I definitely plan on checking out other Roz Chast books.
Recommended For: Roz Chast fans, readers looking for a mix of funny and terrifying. However, it is NOT recommended for people with anxiety issues or hypochondria; nothing good would come of that. HAHA!
rebeccacider's review
This book has an odd schadenfreude quality, because while I am fairly neurotic, turns out I am neurotic about totally different things than Roz Chast and it was honestly kind of pleasant to inhabit someone else's anxieties for a while.
(The one exception is the jello, which I remember vividly despite reading this book months ago. OH GOD, THE HORROR.)
(There is actually a word for this aversion, trypophobia, or fear of things with tiny holes. Whatever you do, DON'T GOOGLE IT.)
(Did you google it? I'm sorry, except not really. See "schadenfreude" above.)
(The one exception is the jello, which I remember vividly despite reading this book months ago. OH GOD, THE HORROR.)
(There is actually a word for this aversion, trypophobia, or fear of things with tiny holes. Whatever you do, DON'T GOOGLE IT.)
(Did you google it? I'm sorry, except not really. See "schadenfreude" above.)