sheryls's review against another edition
2.0
To be fair, I think she was funnier to her 1970s audience. She was one of my mother's favorite authors and we always had a book of hers in the house when I was growing up. I read some bits and pieces then when I was a teenager and thought she was funny. But now that I'm grown and went back and read this book, I couldn't relate to most of it, maybe because I never raised teenagers.
jswolf's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
5.0
cutecoil's review against another edition
4.0
The entire book reads like a stand up comedy act. A lot of it was dated, since the book is quite old, but most of it still rings true if you are a parent. The last chapter of the book was my favorite. It wasn't funny at all, but heartbreaking and all too real. Over all, a very enjoyable read!
mindsplinters's review against another edition
3.0
Much more approachable than the last one I read. The humor felt more timeless, the writing flowed more naturally for my brain, and there were unexpected points of bittersweet within the lines. Especially in the last set of essays. I damn near cried at the one describing the gradual role reversal of mother and child.
booksandbraids's review against another edition
Over the past year or so I have had 3 different people tell me to read Erma Bombeck for various reasons. For Christmas, my grandparents got me a couple of the books because they say that my letters remind them of her writing. I have been meaning to read her books since January 2020 but other books kept getting in the way. Finally this lined up perfectly with a BookishFirst Bingo board square, a book with food on the cover, giving me the push to finally commit.
I guess I can sort of see what my grandparents mean when they say my letters remind them of this writing... instead of writing about the woes of motherhood, I am writing about the woes of a full-time job during a pandemic.
A lot of this was outdated, but I was able to appreciate it regardless.
The ending chapter about the parent becoming the child was actually very serious for the most part and sort of sad-- it reminded me of my mother-in-law's experience with her mother.
I guess I can sort of see what my grandparents mean when they say my letters remind them of this writing... instead of writing about the woes of motherhood, I am writing about the woes of a full-time job during a pandemic.
A lot of this was outdated, but I was able to appreciate it regardless.
The ending chapter about the parent becoming the child was actually very serious for the most part and sort of sad-- it reminded me of my mother-in-law's experience with her mother.
debsuvra's review against another edition
4.0
The book is a collection of comic shorts, kind of like a compilation of stand up acts. The beauty of the text is in its fluency and the witty sarcasm that portray the nitty-gritties of life of a mother and housewife in the seventies. The author didn't try to take anything seriously and preach which would have turned it into a do-it-yourself motherhood book, but just shared her remarks on how the family life was treating her. It's a definite fun read, I don't see why a reader won't connect with it.