comrademonkey's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.0
monty_reads's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars.
I was diagnosed with asthma when I was 12. I started losing my hair in my 20s. I’ve dealt with body dysmorphia for much of my life and suffered from various eating disorders until I settled on running obsessively to keep my weight down. My head is a perpetual knot of anxiety and dread. And a couple months ago I went through a battery of tests to figure out why I was dealing with heart palpitations.
.
In short, my body is not my friend.
.
So it was with some eagerness that I picked up Michael Ian Black’s second memoir, Navel Gazing. I gravitate toward entertainers who tend to be as neurotic as I am because reading about their own struggles makes me feel better about my own. In that regard, Navel Gazing doesn’t disappoint.
.
If you know Black from his comedic work (The State, Stella, Wet Hot American Summer, Ed, etc.), you’ll know what tone to expect. It’s sarcastic and sardonic, and statements that initially come across as pure ego actually mask a deep well of self deprecation. Funny stuff, to be sure, but what I really didn’t expect was the way in which these laugh-out-loud-funny vignettes were shot through with a rich vein of sincere introspection.
.
See, the book is both a meditation on all those superficial things we hate about our own bodies as well as a more earnest chronicle of his mom’s struggle with cancer. So we get chapters that explore Black’s own obsession with running, his annoyance at his physical shortcomings, his hatred for the gym, and his gross toes. But we also get chapters where Black tries to come to terms with his mother’s illness, his own mortality, and the legacy he’s leaving to his children.
.
Even though I’ve been a fan of Black’s for more than 25 years, Navel Gazing made me appreciate him even more. I always feel weird rating (or even endorsing) celebrity memoirs. Unless I’m already a fan, I’m not likely to read them, no matter how well-written they are (sorry, Jessica Simpson). If that describes you, too, I’m still going to encourage you to give this one a try. It brings the funny, but it’s also a balm for all those neuroses we just can’t escape.
I was diagnosed with asthma when I was 12. I started losing my hair in my 20s. I’ve dealt with body dysmorphia for much of my life and suffered from various eating disorders until I settled on running obsessively to keep my weight down. My head is a perpetual knot of anxiety and dread. And a couple months ago I went through a battery of tests to figure out why I was dealing with heart palpitations.
.
In short, my body is not my friend.
.
So it was with some eagerness that I picked up Michael Ian Black’s second memoir, Navel Gazing. I gravitate toward entertainers who tend to be as neurotic as I am because reading about their own struggles makes me feel better about my own. In that regard, Navel Gazing doesn’t disappoint.
.
If you know Black from his comedic work (The State, Stella, Wet Hot American Summer, Ed, etc.), you’ll know what tone to expect. It’s sarcastic and sardonic, and statements that initially come across as pure ego actually mask a deep well of self deprecation. Funny stuff, to be sure, but what I really didn’t expect was the way in which these laugh-out-loud-funny vignettes were shot through with a rich vein of sincere introspection.
.
See, the book is both a meditation on all those superficial things we hate about our own bodies as well as a more earnest chronicle of his mom’s struggle with cancer. So we get chapters that explore Black’s own obsession with running, his annoyance at his physical shortcomings, his hatred for the gym, and his gross toes. But we also get chapters where Black tries to come to terms with his mother’s illness, his own mortality, and the legacy he’s leaving to his children.
.
Even though I’ve been a fan of Black’s for more than 25 years, Navel Gazing made me appreciate him even more. I always feel weird rating (or even endorsing) celebrity memoirs. Unless I’m already a fan, I’m not likely to read them, no matter how well-written they are (sorry, Jessica Simpson). If that describes you, too, I’m still going to encourage you to give this one a try. It brings the funny, but it’s also a balm for all those neuroses we just can’t escape.
glitterandtwang's review
5.0
I read You're Doing It Wrong back in grad school and really enjoyed it, as it was both hilarious and heartfelt. I found much the same here. Black makes some poignant observations on the fragility and various failings of the human body, but manages to do so with an undercurrent of humor so cutting you barely notice that the book is, essentially, about his mother's failing health. I was half expecting her to be dead by book's end, and quite glad when she wasn't.
hollycandlerhiggins's review
4.0
I was introduced to Michael Ian Black from vh1, followed him to shows like Stella and Another Period, but these days I mostly enjoy watching him fighting right-wing trolls on Twitter.
I enjoyed his first two books, so listened to the audio of this one over two monotonous work days. Relatable and got a few audible laughs out of me. Surprisingly poignant.
I enjoyed his first two books, so listened to the audio of this one over two monotonous work days. Relatable and got a few audible laughs out of me. Surprisingly poignant.
ehawk's review against another edition
4.0
Michael Ian Black is my kind of people. He's probably the only person who's managed to make running make any kind of sense to me. So many comments and headnods and laughs with this one, definitely brightened up my day.
librarylandlisa's review against another edition
4.0
I appreciated this book as I am a fan of Michael Ian Black, but it was much more serious than I thought it would be. This book gave me some smiles and frowns but it is a worthwhile read and good to know that more people are willing to talk about their personal and family issues.
blkmymorris's review
3.0
It's a very dry book about aging. His mother's failing health made him think about his own aging. It's pretty dry and I could see why it did not appeal to everyone. The chapter rambles and the essays circle around to the point well, but it meanders in the middle.
nikkibd4033's review
5.0
There's a chapter in this book called "I need some reassurance that everything is going to be okay."
I have no church. I have no faith. My mother is falling apart in pieces and my children are growing up and I am getting old and I need some reassurance that everything is going to be okay.
So, I could relate to this book. My mother spent the last year and a half of her life falling to pieces. And while I'm a few scant years younger than Michael Ian Black (not quiiiiite 40 yet), my body is showing its age. I hate to work out, but recognize the need to do it, especially to show my kids it can be done, and I feel guilty for not doing it more often when my mother was so limited there at the end.
Much like his last book (You're Not Doing it Right) Michael Ian Black is incredibly easy to relate to, and he never EVER sugarcoats anything. He gets everything right, including the urgent need to let your kids know how much you love them, how much working out sucks, and how futile it is to want to be remembered for anything.
Highly recommended to anyone nearing or just over forty, any adult who's seen a parent through an illness, and any parent who is terrified of their kids growing up.
I have no church. I have no faith. My mother is falling apart in pieces and my children are growing up and I am getting old and I need some reassurance that everything is going to be okay.
So, I could relate to this book. My mother spent the last year and a half of her life falling to pieces. And while I'm a few scant years younger than Michael Ian Black (not quiiiiite 40 yet), my body is showing its age. I hate to work out, but recognize the need to do it, especially to show my kids it can be done, and I feel guilty for not doing it more often when my mother was so limited there at the end.
Much like his last book (You're Not Doing it Right) Michael Ian Black is incredibly easy to relate to, and he never EVER sugarcoats anything. He gets everything right, including the urgent need to let your kids know how much you love them, how much working out sucks, and how futile it is to want to be remembered for anything.
Highly recommended to anyone nearing or just over forty, any adult who's seen a parent through an illness, and any parent who is terrified of their kids growing up.