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nicolettae 's review for:
I'll Show Myself Out: Essays on Midlife and Motherhood
by Jessi Klein
2.5 rounded up to 3 stars.
I personally am not familiar with Klein, but I thought the description of her book sounded interesting when I was looking through my library’s catalog. I’m not a mother, but I always love to check out books that can help me expand my ability to empathize. While some essays were much stronger and more emotional than others, I’ll Show Myself Out, for the most part, left much to be desired.
Klein had moments where she encapsulated the tender experience of motherhood, growing older, and rediscovering oneself in a really sweet and funny way. Even as somebody who doesn’t have children, there were a few stories that really made me feel something.
But in full honesty, Klein oftentimes gave me heavy permissive parenting vibes. She obsessively helicopters and walks on eggshells to prevent her son from ever experiencing any remote sense of disappointment or discomfort, and when she is feeling disappointment and discomfort herself, she fully embodies the “wine mom” stereotype, dedicating a full chapter to how much she loves to drink and pop a Xanax. I literally have no room to judge—again, I’m not a mother. I have not experienced the pressure and stress of parenthood. But in my opinion, there is a huge difference between enjoying a glass of wine and dedicating an entire short story in your book to your love of alcohol.
There were also other moments that turned me off. In one story, Klein waxes poetic about how badly she hopes she is with a woman in her next relationship—writing about it in a way that makes it seem like same-sex relationships aren’t “real”; apparently, they are all just sunshine and rainbows and going to the farmers market together. I also found it hypocritical that right after writing about her dream lesbian relationship she would pursue if her husband ever left or passed, she goes on to write that if SHE ever passed she would never give her husband permission to remarry and would haunt him?!
I’ll Show Myself Out had some sweet and tender moments, some moments that didn’t feel based in reality, and so many moments that had me biting my tongue.
I personally am not familiar with Klein, but I thought the description of her book sounded interesting when I was looking through my library’s catalog. I’m not a mother, but I always love to check out books that can help me expand my ability to empathize. While some essays were much stronger and more emotional than others, I’ll Show Myself Out, for the most part, left much to be desired.
Klein had moments where she encapsulated the tender experience of motherhood, growing older, and rediscovering oneself in a really sweet and funny way. Even as somebody who doesn’t have children, there were a few stories that really made me feel something.
But in full honesty, Klein oftentimes gave me heavy permissive parenting vibes. She obsessively helicopters and walks on eggshells to prevent her son from ever experiencing any remote sense of disappointment or discomfort, and when she is feeling disappointment and discomfort herself, she fully embodies the “wine mom” stereotype, dedicating a full chapter to how much she loves to drink and pop a Xanax. I literally have no room to judge—again, I’m not a mother. I have not experienced the pressure and stress of parenthood. But in my opinion, there is a huge difference between enjoying a glass of wine and dedicating an entire short story in your book to your love of alcohol.
There were also other moments that turned me off. In one story, Klein waxes poetic about how badly she hopes she is with a woman in her next relationship—writing about it in a way that makes it seem like same-sex relationships aren’t “real”; apparently, they are all just sunshine and rainbows and going to the farmers market together. I also found it hypocritical that right after writing about her dream lesbian relationship she would pursue if her husband ever left or passed, she goes on to write that if SHE ever passed she would never give her husband permission to remarry and would haunt him?!
I’ll Show Myself Out had some sweet and tender moments, some moments that didn’t feel based in reality, and so many moments that had me biting my tongue.