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A review by davygibbs
Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches by John Hodgman
4.0
Genuinely enjoyable -- that rare book that can make people who say "I rarely laugh out loud when I'm reading" laugh out loud when they're reading. It's a bit scattered, sure, and I'm not sure if I could really tell you what it's about...but then again, it's about Hodgman writing about stuff. That's what it's about. And he's funny. And thoughtful. And entertaining. So that makes this book a pleasure.
I did feel like -- towards the end -- there's this push towards elevating the book to something else, maybe. Or at least smoothing over the things about it that are a little cringe-y. To be honest, I could've done without the white privilege apologizing. He's totally right, of course. This is white privilege humor ... but calling it that doesn't solve any problems, it just makes the book feel unnecessary and a little awkward.
I did feel like -- towards the end -- there's this push towards elevating the book to something else, maybe. Or at least smoothing over the things about it that are a little cringe-y. To be honest, I could've done without the white privilege apologizing. He's totally right, of course. This is white privilege humor ... but calling it that doesn't solve any problems, it just makes the book feel unnecessary and a little awkward.