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A review by mrsthrift
Happy Accidents by Jane Lynch
3.0
Jane Lynch says in this interview that she was inspired to write this book by the It Gets Better project, and it shows. This book delves into some of the darker moments of Jane's life, but also takes the reader to the heights of a strangely successful career. From her struggles with alcoholism, her extended period spent in the closet of self-denial, and dysfunctional romantic relationships that continued well into her adulthood, Jane Lynch delivers the kind of alienated, lonely, disturbing story we've come to expect from the Gay Childhood and Adolescence. And then, hold onto your hats, because she starts befriending important people, experience career success and working through her personal issues. It's really a peaks and valleys kind of story, but lacks the juicy gossip, personal secrets and insane revelations that make memoirs really great. This book is a sanitized version of the story told from a very happy place. Good for Jane Lynch, but there's a certain depth that's missing here. She literally has nothing bad to say about anyone who is currently in her life.
If you have never known someone who struggled with their sexual orientation through their adolescence and young adulthood, Jane's struggles might be enlighten you, but if you've had (or been) a self-loathing, drunk, gay friend, this will seem overwrought.
Regardless, this is a quick and easy read. Jane Lynch is a funny person. I appreciated that Jane delineated between her gender presentation and sexual orientation, exploring the ways that masculinity is constructed in contemporary media through her own experiences and career. Although she does not use academic theories and jargon to explore these issues, she mentions multiple times how many roles she has landed that were written for men and how she got those roles with her hard-ass, arrogant, over-confident faux bravado (fauxvado! that should be a word.). She questions why being confident and self-assured are masculine traits, and what it takes to "make it" as a funny lady. Her failures to get (and keep) the girl are kind of awkward and painful, but hey, we've all been there.
I struggled with how many stars to give this book -- I like Jane, and this is a perfectly fine book, but it's really just "okay" to me. 2.5 stars.
If you have never known someone who struggled with their sexual orientation through their adolescence and young adulthood, Jane's struggles might be enlighten you, but if you've had (or been) a self-loathing, drunk, gay friend, this will seem overwrought.
Regardless, this is a quick and easy read. Jane Lynch is a funny person. I appreciated that Jane delineated between her gender presentation and sexual orientation, exploring the ways that masculinity is constructed in contemporary media through her own experiences and career. Although she does not use academic theories and jargon to explore these issues, she mentions multiple times how many roles she has landed that were written for men and how she got those roles with her hard-ass, arrogant, over-confident faux bravado (fauxvado! that should be a word.). She questions why being confident and self-assured are masculine traits, and what it takes to "make it" as a funny lady. Her failures to get (and keep) the girl are kind of awkward and painful, but hey, we've all been there.
I struggled with how many stars to give this book -- I like Jane, and this is a perfectly fine book, but it's really just "okay" to me. 2.5 stars.