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racyspacy's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this and it was a smooth read but so tragic and painful in parts; although written in that self depreciating way that Woody Allen does. I'm glad I read it but I'm not now busting to read his fictional works.
jennieleigh's review
3.0
didn't finish it. was perfectly charming but my mind just drifted too often.
jslive's review against another edition
4.0
Hilarious and sweet, but there were long stretches where I had a hard time caring.
lindzlovesreading's review against another edition
4.0
This is my favourite kind of memoir. Raw, exaggerated, neurotic, funny with an arragance that only a severely depressed narrative can achieve. Why do people write memoirs anyway? Because they can, because they have the confidence that their story usually of being the under dog deserves to be told. And yes the fact that this book is brilliantly written makes it so much more delicious.
Shteyngart portrays himself as the loveable loser, the immigrant red hamster in the middle of shiny big shouldered U.S of A. Forever fumbling, forever the son of very Jewish Russian parents. I love his descriptions of Soviet St Petersburg just before its collapse, where waiting in line for eggplant for three hours could lead to a zen like meditative state that most yoga junkies crave.
For me this was a book for Shteyngart trying to understand his harsh sometimes abusive mismatched parents. Trying to find out where they came from, and why he ended up the slightly bald, author that he did. Even though a lot of the time, this is a family that is often disconnected it is still very recognisably human.
Which should be the achievement of every good memoir.
Shteyngart portrays himself as the loveable loser, the immigrant red hamster in the middle of shiny big shouldered U.S of A. Forever fumbling, forever the son of very Jewish Russian parents. I love his descriptions of Soviet St Petersburg just before its collapse, where waiting in line for eggplant for three hours could lead to a zen like meditative state that most yoga junkies crave.
For me this was a book for Shteyngart trying to understand his harsh sometimes abusive mismatched parents. Trying to find out where they came from, and why he ended up the slightly bald, author that he did. Even though a lot of the time, this is a family that is often disconnected it is still very recognisably human.
Which should be the achievement of every good memoir.
sevenlefts's review against another edition
4.0
A colleague at work mentioned this and it sparked a memory of having read a review, so I thought I'd give it a try. Glad I did! Shteyngart is just a few years younger than me, and it seems odd writing a memoir from a relatively young age. But it's so right. His descriptions of his nostalgia for (and fear of) his homeland are so moving. I love how he uses Russian and Hebrew phrases to describe events and feelings. And he uses English like a sculptor's tool. Such a pleasure to read. I need to take the time to read some of his fiction.
The experience of immigrating to America is pretty far from my reality, but this gave me a new perspective on the stresses such a move can cause.
The experience of immigrating to America is pretty far from my reality, but this gave me a new perspective on the stresses such a move can cause.
jdgerlach's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
blairmahoney's review against another edition
4.0
It took me a while to warm to this, despite the frequent humour that was familiar to me from Absurdistan and Super Sad True Love Story. But I appreciated through the last half in particular how much craft had gone into this and it ended up being very moving.
constancelee's review
4.0
4.5 stars. Very entertaining, and quite funny. I would have finished a lot sooner, but I got hit with several ARCs at once, plus the holidays. The writing was incredible. I just kept thinking how I wish I could write so well. It’s not cutesy or trying to be overly clever, just very natural—and so true! I am roughly the same age as the author so it was interesting reading about the pop culture of my youth as seen through the eyes of a coming-of-age immigrant. The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars was because my interest waned a little towards the end, as I found it hard to relate to the author’s party days at Oberlin College.
I have wanted to read The Russian Debutante's Handbook
since I first heard of it, and I'd picked up Absurdistan at a book sale a couple years back but have yet to read it. I will definitely be bumping those up my TBR list after reading this book!
I received a complimentary copy via the Goodreads “first reads” program.
I have wanted to read The Russian Debutante's Handbook
since I first heard of it, and I'd picked up Absurdistan at a book sale a couple years back but have yet to read it. I will definitely be bumping those up my TBR list after reading this book!
I received a complimentary copy via the Goodreads “first reads” program.
buttercupita's review against another edition
3.0
Big thanks to my very perceptive sister-in-law who gave me this for Xmas (How did she know that I loved, loved, loved his Love story and every interview I've heard him give on this book?) I vacillate between 3 and 4 stars -- there were moments of this book where I laughed out loud, and moments where I cringed in recognition of a child's disappointment with immigrant relatives and their inability to fit neatly into an American paradigm (only to understand this pettiness as an adult.) My frustration was that he dwelled too long and too often on his own failures, so it became an overly cynical read (and I do like my cynicism -- I guess just in smaller doses.) I guess I would have liked a few more little victories in Little Failure.