spiderfelt's review against another edition
2.0
Listened to the first half of this short audiobook while walking my dog. By the time we made it home two hours later, I'd decided this 'darkly comic' book of short stories was not for me. I seem to be the only person in the interwebs who thinks it is anything short of brilliant witty satire, so if you like your satire biting and your housewives vicious, then you may enjoy it immensely.
damnthereiam's review against another edition
5.0
Oh my goodnesss, this was great! I loved all of the stories except for Dumpster Diving with the Stars, I found that one to not hold my attention. There were many that I would LOVE to have read an entire novel about! I highly recommend this quick read for some chuckles. It's eccentric and twisted and really makes you think.
joannabooks23's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent book club pick. Super entertaining and spirited!
erinsampson91's review against another edition
2.0
Only one of the stories in American Housewife struck a cord with me, while the others felt forced and lacked depth. I would expect a collection of stories focusing on American housewives to dive deeper into the different kinds of women that make up the label of "housewife". Unfortunately, all of Ellis' characters were the same; several were writers and were part of the upper middle class. If Ellis is trying to send a Feminist message, it doesn't get through.
andrea_rebekah42's review
4.0
I loved every single story in this collection. This book was delightful from beginning to end.
yak_attak's review against another edition
3.0
On a sentence by sentence level, this a cracking series of stories, with witty phrasing, insightful moments, hilarious and dark situations, in this strange, absurd, horror ala normalia that's delightful as it is chilling. A couple of the stories are mere sketches, or are nearly copies of each other, but ah well.
But it's based on this weird-ass housewife stereotype that feels dated? Or removed from reality? I don't doubt that these people might still exist, but as is, the characters don't seem to me to be painting this scathing takedown of modern womanhood so much as a self-loathing, or hatred towards a perceived reality that may not have been a thing since like the 90's. I dunno. Maybe that's a silly complaint - it's still a blast to read, but...why these stories now? Doesn't make sense to me.
But it's based on this weird-ass housewife stereotype that feels dated? Or removed from reality? I don't doubt that these people might still exist, but as is, the characters don't seem to me to be painting this scathing takedown of modern womanhood so much as a self-loathing, or hatred towards a perceived reality that may not have been a thing since like the 90's. I dunno. Maybe that's a silly complaint - it's still a blast to read, but...why these stories now? Doesn't make sense to me.
gloryfink's review against another edition
4.0
I suspect the book is a series of love letters to other frustrated female writers. It's like reading short stories composed of my off the wall daydreams about my mundane life.
The short story "How to be a Patron of the Arts" is when I learned how to clean while trying desperately to avoid becoming a successful writer đź‘Ť
If you've ever watched the movie "Amazon Women on the Moon" these short stories remind me of the first time I watched that movie as an 11 yr old late at night, wide eyed and in awe that such a thing exists.
These short stories are filled with strong women in difficult situations who see the humor and absurdity but aren't about to give up and give in.
This is not necessarily a book that will appeal to readers who are currently chasing their perfect life. Once your dreams of perfection crashes and burns, you've realized you've played most of your cards and you still have bumpkiss, you might be ready for this book
The short story "How to be a Patron of the Arts" is when I learned how to clean while trying desperately to avoid becoming a successful writer đź‘Ť
If you've ever watched the movie "Amazon Women on the Moon" these short stories remind me of the first time I watched that movie as an 11 yr old late at night, wide eyed and in awe that such a thing exists.
These short stories are filled with strong women in difficult situations who see the humor and absurdity but aren't about to give up and give in.
This is not necessarily a book that will appeal to readers who are currently chasing their perfect life. Once your dreams of perfection crashes and burns, you've realized you've played most of your cards and you still have bumpkiss, you might be ready for this book
meredithw20's review against another edition
5.0
Oh, my god. Abject horror. Total delight. Why are there not more.
May 2018: Reread. Hahaha, christ, I love this book.
May 2018: Reread. Hahaha, christ, I love this book.
sslinkard's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
I rate within the genre, and this is the first set of short stories I’ve rated. I found the writing enjoyable and actually laughed out loud (but not obnoxiously) a few times, which is rare for me. I loved the variety of stories, even though there was a common thread (housewives). I think my favorite story is Dumpster Diving with the Stars! The story “sponsored by Tampax” was… kinda crazy, but I was hooked and wanted to know what would happen! Would definitely read more from this author.