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A review by aaylajanelle
It's Hard Not to Hate You: A Memoir by Valerie Frankel
3.0
If we could give half-star ratings on this site, I would give 3.5 instead of 4. As it is, it'll have to stay at 3.
Overall, I truly enjoyed this book. The best part about Frankel's voice (as you can probably tell from the title) is that this story is all about being honest with yourself and saying the things that you're really thinking (and let's face it, we're all thinking it as well). I loved that she comes out and says what we all want to say and lets consequence lie where it must. If I had half the guts, I'd start doing the same thing right away.
For a pseudo-memoir of sorts, this book has a great balance between humor (think: unrestrained jealousy, irritation, hatred, and petty moments) and insight (I actually stopped to think about my own personality quite often while reading this).
The one thing that I didn't like was the unclear message throughout. She talks about embracing your rage, but then she visits a Zen Buddhism center, tries a week without complaining, and learns to stifle her outbursts and let grudges dissolve. She had a nice conclusion, but sometimes it was difficult to tell what practices she was actually condoning.
I would probably recommend this to someone else, if asked; not wholeheartedly as my favorite book of all time, but as one that has a few good bits of wisdom.
Overall, I truly enjoyed this book. The best part about Frankel's voice (as you can probably tell from the title) is that this story is all about being honest with yourself and saying the things that you're really thinking (and let's face it, we're all thinking it as well). I loved that she comes out and says what we all want to say and lets consequence lie where it must. If I had half the guts, I'd start doing the same thing right away.
For a pseudo-memoir of sorts, this book has a great balance between humor (think: unrestrained jealousy, irritation, hatred, and petty moments) and insight (I actually stopped to think about my own personality quite often while reading this).
The one thing that I didn't like was the unclear message throughout. She talks about embracing your rage, but then she visits a Zen Buddhism center, tries a week without complaining, and learns to stifle her outbursts and let grudges dissolve. She had a nice conclusion, but sometimes it was difficult to tell what practices she was actually condoning.
I would probably recommend this to someone else, if asked; not wholeheartedly as my favorite book of all time, but as one that has a few good bits of wisdom.