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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
I love Duchess Goldblatt. I am far less enamored of her non-fictional alter ego. I expected this memoir to be more Goldblattian in execution, which may not have been fair to the author. Instead, we get fairly shallow glimpses of the author's troubled childhood and later marital problems. The author's divorce and subsequent issues with friends and work are presented as things that just happened to her, which she bears no responsibility for. Maybe that truly is the case, but there's no sense that she's given any thought to it beyond "poor me". She apparently has the most precocious "old soul" child who is prone to making pronouncements (at the age of 4) such as "If I look inside myself, I can see my soul. It's a never-ending spark" and "As long as we tell the truth of our hearts, even when you're in heaven, we'll talk". But mostly what we get is Lyle Lovett love. A lot of Lyle Lovett love. Reading about other people's obsession is rarely engaging, so if you don't share the LL love you may want to stick with Duchess's Twitter feed.
I was interested in reading this book even though I am not personally familiar with DG (or at least I wasn’t!). it feels like an earlier time online, although it isn’t so clear to me. I do think I’d prefer this memoir written in the author’s perspective. So many glimpses of interesting and challenging times. I’m glad she found this character and outlet. I wish her nothing but success and peace!
This is written anonymously. The author had been recently divorced by her husband and learning to live with sharing their son back and forth. In the divorce, she lost all of her friends and found herself alone and struggling in every way. One day she asks her coworker to show her how Facebook works. She decides to go on anonymously and uses her friend’s “stripper name” as her name. She enjoys watching from the distance and making funny, insightful comments. She ends up a) with a following and b) with an entire story around Duchess Goldblatt. After a time, she switches platforms to Twitter and meets all kinds of interesting people both online and in person, including Lyle Lovett. It was an interesting and endearing read as the author finds a way forward in her own life the Duchess. I had heard it was a fabulous audiobook and can see how it would be fun to listen to.
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
I am finding it challenging to really review this because I feel as though the author’s story is so incredibly sad but I’m also fascinated by her coping mechanisms. I also think Duchess Goldblatt as a fictional character on social media gives the reader an interesting look at parasocial relationships. What is a “real” friend? How much grace should we truly provide people who continually hurt us? When someone is hurting, how can we care for them as a community?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent
Bothe clever and moving. I love how she blends her real circumstances with the emergence of the Duchess and her community. And Lyle Lovett somehow being in the mix too (and Benjamin Dreyer) just makes it a better book.
I knew nothing about this book or Duchess before reading so I definitely learned a lot! I found it to be interesting but not fully, 100% formed. I did enjoy it overall. 3.5 stars.
Finishing the year with a healthy serving of loving kindness. The world needs more Duchess Goldblatt. I want to press a copy of this book into the hands of everyone I know. Sweet, funny, and overflowing with love.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide
This is the most delightful (and also mournful? but hopeful?) book I have read in a long, long time.
And I can't believe that in this pandemic year of our lord, 2022 (or 2021, rather), someone is able to publish a book frigging anonymously, and people rather let her live her life and enjoy Duchess Goldblatt instead of having some gross TMZ or something unearth the author's identity.
It's sort of like... literary Sia. Although I know who Sia is. But there's something wonderfully non-today about a person wanting to bring joy to strangers and not giving a rat's ass about attaching their name to the project, or take a piece of that fame and adoration that Duchess Goldblatt is experiencing. (Except maybe for the part where the author does truly become Lyle Lovett's good friend! Ack, it's all just so wonderful).
I actually went back on Twitter just to add Duchess Goldblatt to my reading list. I have exactly one tweet, and I have no desire to be active there. But I am now endeared to Duchess Goldblatt and she's only on Twitter. And in the pages of this book.
I wanted to continue reading and reading and hanging out with the author, so Twitter will be the next best thing, I think!
And I can't believe that in this pandemic year of our lord, 2022 (or 2021, rather), someone is able to publish a book frigging anonymously, and people rather let her live her life and enjoy Duchess Goldblatt instead of having some gross TMZ or something unearth the author's identity.
It's sort of like... literary Sia. Although I know who Sia is. But there's something wonderfully non-today about a person wanting to bring joy to strangers and not giving a rat's ass about attaching their name to the project, or take a piece of that fame and adoration that Duchess Goldblatt is experiencing. (Except maybe for the part where the author does truly become Lyle Lovett's good friend! Ack, it's all just so wonderful).
I actually went back on Twitter just to add Duchess Goldblatt to my reading list. I have exactly one tweet, and I have no desire to be active there. But I am now endeared to Duchess Goldblatt and she's only on Twitter. And in the pages of this book.
I wanted to continue reading and reading and hanging out with the author, so Twitter will be the next best thing, I think!