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theconstantreader's review against another edition
3.0
A quick, easy read, this book was light & entertaining. It felt like an older sister reminiscing about her 20's.
Vashti's writing style was good & the book flowed well. The theme of having a dress to represent each year & the memories surrounding it was clever & tied the chapters together nicely.
It did become a bit repetitive though & at times her inability to get things together grew tired. So although a probably realistic account, it wasn't the most entertaining approach.
I also found the end annoying because it felt like whenever Vashti realised she wasn't going to get something she'd already justified to herself that she actually no longer wanted it which seemed immature.
A nice, light beach read all the same.
Vashti's writing style was good & the book flowed well. The theme of having a dress to represent each year & the memories surrounding it was clever & tied the chapters together nicely.
It did become a bit repetitive though & at times her inability to get things together grew tired. So although a probably realistic account, it wasn't the most entertaining approach.
I also found the end annoying because it felt like whenever Vashti realised she wasn't going to get something she'd already justified to herself that she actually no longer wanted it which seemed immature.
A nice, light beach read all the same.
wtb_michael's review
4.0
A memoir that will resonate with thirty-somethings from Brisbane who now live in Melbourne (e.g. me). The hook - linking particular stories with dresses that embody moments or periods in the author's life - is nicely done (although not quite as effective as the story snippets on Lorelei's original blog. The memoir charts the highs and lows of Vashti's twenties and teeters on the brink of being angst-ridden but somehow manages to keep its balance, resulting in a funny, sad, warm and eminently readable book.
toomanytomes's review
3.0
This book really hit a nerve with me. While Vashti had vastly different experiences to me, I understand the feeling of not knowing where you're going with your life while also wanting to be creative and successful.
The book comprises 10 chapters which each tell a different story from Lorelei's life at different ages through her twenties. Lorelei's collection of dresses features through each story, as a sort of touch-point.
I would have liked to see the photos of each dress at the beginning of the relevant chapter. The photos were grouped together in the middle of the book and as I was reading each chapter, I had to flip back and forth between the story and the photo so I would know what each dress looked like. I understand that this is more a printing and binding issue, but it would have made for a pleasanter reading experience.
I also feel like that the connection between some stories and dresses was a bit tenuous and came across as more of an after-thought on Lorelei Vashti's part. I would've liked a bit more of a description of how each dress figured in each story.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. Each story was reasonably self-contained but also linked back to other stories, in terms of Lorelei's relationships. I also really enjoyed the concept of a 'life in dresses'. So many of us take our clothes for granted, and it was nice to see an example of how clothes can be a significant part of our lives, our travels and our relationships.
The book comprises 10 chapters which each tell a different story from Lorelei's life at different ages through her twenties. Lorelei's collection of dresses features through each story, as a sort of touch-point.
I would have liked to see the photos of each dress at the beginning of the relevant chapter. The photos were grouped together in the middle of the book and as I was reading each chapter, I had to flip back and forth between the story and the photo so I would know what each dress looked like. I understand that this is more a printing and binding issue, but it would have made for a pleasanter reading experience.
I also feel like that the connection between some stories and dresses was a bit tenuous and came across as more of an after-thought on Lorelei Vashti's part. I would've liked a bit more of a description of how each dress figured in each story.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. Each story was reasonably self-contained but also linked back to other stories, in terms of Lorelei's relationships. I also really enjoyed the concept of a 'life in dresses'. So many of us take our clothes for granted, and it was nice to see an example of how clothes can be a significant part of our lives, our travels and our relationships.