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A review by savvylit
Little Weirds by Jenny Slate
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
My experience reading this was a little weird (ha!) I found myself quite hot and cold towards these essays as a whole. To start with, here's what I liked: so much of Slate's writing is tender, raw, and honest. I genuinely adore and admire her signature silliness and exuberance. Written after her divorce, Little Weirds follows Slate on a difficult emotional journey. She learns to be content and in love with her solo life, even in the face of so much turmoil. It was a joy to join her on that journey.
Several of these essays frustrated me, however. I think it's because Slate's signature humor doesn't translate as well into the written word. At times, her self infantilization was just too much to read about. A little too twee. The amount of times that she referred to herself or her body parts as little drove me absolutely insane. Slate saying that she's small in the sense of being vulnerable -- that makes sense. But a lot of the smallness was literal and physical. I also found it frustrating that she would simultaneously muse on (basic) ideas of feminism while clearly being obsessed with her own performative femininity. (i.e. I'm so small, quirky, and dainty etc., etc.).
Additionally, some of the passages in Little Weirds about Slate's childhood were jarring thanks to her lack of self-awareness regarding her own privilege. She has one essay in particular where she offhandedly refers to the clay tennis court on her family's property. As if that's not an incredibly unusual and elite real estate feature! That distracted me from the subject matter so much that I can barely recall the rest of that essay.
All that being said, though, I probably would have loved this more had I listened to the audiobook. I think that may be the best way to experience Little Weirds. After I finished this book, my partner and I re-watched Stage Fright, her Netflix special. Her humor is much more entertaining when you hear her voice and see her hilarious gestures & expressions. Stage Fright also has similar content to Little Weirds, so I'd highly recommend watching it as a companion piece!
Several of these essays frustrated me, however. I think it's because Slate's signature humor doesn't translate as well into the written word. At times, her self infantilization was just too much to read about. A little too twee. The amount of times that she referred to herself or her body parts as little drove me absolutely insane. Slate saying that she's small in the sense of being vulnerable -- that makes sense. But a lot of the smallness was literal and physical. I also found it frustrating that she would simultaneously muse on (basic) ideas of feminism while clearly being obsessed with her own performative femininity. (i.e. I'm so small, quirky, and dainty etc., etc.).
Additionally, some of the passages in Little Weirds about Slate's childhood were jarring thanks to her lack of self-awareness regarding her own privilege. She has one essay in particular where she offhandedly refers to the clay tennis court on her family's property. As if that's not an incredibly unusual and elite real estate feature! That distracted me from the subject matter so much that I can barely recall the rest of that essay.
All that being said, though, I probably would have loved this more had I listened to the audiobook. I think that may be the best way to experience Little Weirds. After I finished this book, my partner and I re-watched Stage Fright, her Netflix special. Her humor is much more entertaining when you hear her voice and see her hilarious gestures & expressions. Stage Fright also has similar content to Little Weirds, so I'd highly recommend watching it as a companion piece!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief