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nelush's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
5.0
acsaper's review against another edition
3.0
When middle-aged men begin wearing mustaches, it's their way of telling the world they're done mating. Or, at least, it's Hodgeman's way of doing so.
Vactaionland is a funny and relatively thoughtful reflection on one man's forties - facing the turmoil of multiple summer home ownership, minor fame, and unpredicted wealth. In short, what Hodgeman calls, privilege comedy.
I really did enjoy his musings on what it means to grow older, and become a dad, and remove one's self from the mating pool (for some reason, this mustache thing really stuck with me). And, of course, enjoyed the brief fantasizing about life in rural western Mass or coastal Maine. Sure, it'd be nice to be by the water, but compare those descriptions to the blue beaches of Florida and I begin to wonder, why? Then again, Hodgeman answers that pretty clearly, because Maine is where you go to stew - and there's no stewing around a coast that's not trying to kill you at all times.
The book offers a comforting glimpse of life in ten years, or, at least, life in ten years if I had a family, mild fame, and comfortable fortune. So, maybe more than anything, it just offers reassurance that we all face these fears, anxieties, and frustrations - no matter how cushy life ends up or how quasi-famous we are. And, in some way, I guess that's comforting to know.
Thanks for the bday book Mal and Jimi :)
Vactaionland is a funny and relatively thoughtful reflection on one man's forties - facing the turmoil of multiple summer home ownership, minor fame, and unpredicted wealth. In short, what Hodgeman calls, privilege comedy.
I really did enjoy his musings on what it means to grow older, and become a dad, and remove one's self from the mating pool (for some reason, this mustache thing really stuck with me). And, of course, enjoyed the brief fantasizing about life in rural western Mass or coastal Maine. Sure, it'd be nice to be by the water, but compare those descriptions to the blue beaches of Florida and I begin to wonder, why? Then again, Hodgeman answers that pretty clearly, because Maine is where you go to stew - and there's no stewing around a coast that's not trying to kill you at all times.
The book offers a comforting glimpse of life in ten years, or, at least, life in ten years if I had a family, mild fame, and comfortable fortune. So, maybe more than anything, it just offers reassurance that we all face these fears, anxieties, and frustrations - no matter how cushy life ends up or how quasi-famous we are. And, in some way, I guess that's comforting to know.
Thanks for the bday book Mal and Jimi :)
blankpagealex's review
5.0
What an excellent book. So many of Hodgman's stories hit me at just the right moment. The anecdote about trying to kill mice in his garage while paying hundreds of dollars to extend the life of his son's similarly sized hamster was hilariously poetic. His loving little digs at his own wife and children had me giggling. Most poignant, however, was the chapter about being a privileged white person witnessing racial injustice and not knowing how to respond in a meaningful and sensitive way.
Highly recommend this to anyone whether you are familiar with Hodgman's work or not.
Highly recommend this to anyone whether you are familiar with Hodgman's work or not.
crousecm's review against another edition
3.0
Some funny parts, lots about drugs. Made me want to go back to Maine.
klhitt's review against another edition
4.0
His fake knowledge books got old fast as they had no narrative, but these short stories based on his life are hilarious and touching and fun.
historysworstmonster's review
4.0
Hodgman is always great. Add to that touches on the stress and annoyance of owning a home x3, and that's all perfect for me.
sydkilgore's review
3.0
It was fine. John Hodgman is a good writer, even funny sometimes, but I found his brand of “privilege comedy” (as it is called by John Roderick, aka Bean Dad) to be grating. He goes on and on about his first-world problems and the ways he’s squandered his privilege, followed ALWAYS by a note about how he’s self-aware that his experiences are of a very charmed lifestyle. But those *truly* self-aware of their privilege would know how annoying it is to be constantly humble-bragging about owning 2 vacation houses, no matter how many disclaimers and self-deprecating jokes you succeed it with.
I was excited at first when I realized most of the book was about his time in western Massachusetts (where I go to school) and coastal Maine (which is basically like NH, but with water). But I think these settings are too familiar and close to my heart for me to really care about Hodgman’s takes on the area. Not that he doesn’t feel a genuine connection to them, because he clearly does! He’s a Boston suburbanite turned New Yorker, and even acknowledges how he is an outsider in the towns he spends vacations in. However, throughout the book, I couldn’t shake the snags of condescension in his tone. I get it, this book is for his other nerdy white city writer friends, and they might marvel along with Hodgman over having to take trash to the dump instead of having it collected. But most of these commonalities of rural New England were just too obvious to me, making me feel more like the butt of the joke than being ‘in’ on it, like I might feel if a native rural New Englander had made the same joke instead.
Still some genuinely funny and heartfelt stories though! And a really nice cover!
I was excited at first when I realized most of the book was about his time in western Massachusetts (where I go to school) and coastal Maine (which is basically like NH, but with water). But I think these settings are too familiar and close to my heart for me to really care about Hodgman’s takes on the area. Not that he doesn’t feel a genuine connection to them, because he clearly does! He’s a Boston suburbanite turned New Yorker, and even acknowledges how he is an outsider in the towns he spends vacations in. However, throughout the book, I couldn’t shake the snags of condescension in his tone. I get it, this book is for his other nerdy white city writer friends, and they might marvel along with Hodgman over having to take trash to the dump instead of having it collected. But most of these commonalities of rural New England were just too obvious to me, making me feel more like the butt of the joke than being ‘in’ on it, like I might feel if a native rural New Englander had made the same joke instead.
Still some genuinely funny and heartfelt stories though! And a really nice cover!
carokfulf's review
5.0
Pleasant and searching
The perfect read for a summer spent only briefly away from Brooklyn. Hodgman is sweet and measured and a better writer than he gets much credit for.
The perfect read for a summer spent only briefly away from Brooklyn. Hodgman is sweet and measured and a better writer than he gets much credit for.