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In Praise Of Messy Lives: Essays (2012)

by Katie Roiphe(Favorite Author)

3.29 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0812992822 (ISBN13: 9780812992823)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

The Dial Press

review 1: Knowing that there is a distinct segment of "Roiphe-haters" out there, I wanted to like this book a lot more than I actually did. I didn't find many of her viewpoints or essays unique or broadening--in fact her topics and opinions were pretty predictable after a while. The most enjoyable one was actually about her travel to Vietnam with her then-husband (viewed through an interesting lens on gender, transactions, etc.). Can't say I'm a Roiphe-hater, but definitely felt underwhelmed by the collection overall.
review 2: Roiphe is a stylish writer, who understands nuance and cultural implication when it comes to language. However, this book might as well have been called "In Praise of Myself." Her unabashed narcissism is so child-like and oblivious, that it underm... moreines any type of cultural criticism she attempts. When she argues a thesis, most of the evidence is drawn from personal anecdotes or slapdash summaries of articles that she neglects to cite by author or title. In comparison, the few narrative essays included here feel truer and more elegant. less

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