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mrsfligs's review against another edition
4.0
I read Anne Lamott's book about her son Sam's first year of life (Operating Instructions) back during my first year of motherhood. So, in some twisted and narcissistic way, I had it in my head that her son Sam was about the same age as my son—as that is when I became aware of him. (It could also have been a persistent "mommy brain" notion that never quite left me.) So it was with a bit of a shock when I saw Lamott's new memoir, Some Assembly Required: A Journal of My Son's First Son. "How could little Sam possibly have a child?" I marveled to myself. Of course, Sam isn't 7 like my son. He is 19. (Still pretty young to be a father but certainly within the realm of believability.) Always wanting to find out "how things turned out" in any story, I eagerly started the book—excited to catch up with Anne and Sam's life since we last spent time together.
Within a few pages, I was reminded of just why I love Anne Lamott. She has a brutal honesty about herself and her life that is both self-depreciating, amusing and authentic. She writes from her heart, and she isn't afraid to show us all aspects of herself—from her neurotic and selfish sides to the spiritual and open searching soul she works on so assiduously. Her writing is never fancy or condescending. Rather, it is heartfelt yet with a sly irreverence and joking tone that always lets you know she is aware of her frailties and flaws. I'd love to have her as a friend.
The subject of her son's first son is fraught with all kinds of emotional minefields that challenge Anne in a myriad of different ways. Not only does she struggle with the idea becoming a grandmother at the age of 55, but her son's complex and volatile relationship with his girlfriend Amy adds a tricky new dimension to Anne's relationship with her grandchild Jax. Anne falls hard and fast for Jax and has clear ideas about how things can and should be for this young couple. Yet Amy is a strong-willed young woman who decided to have Jax regardless of what anyone else felt ... and she has her own ideas about how things will be. Worse yet, Amy's roots are not in the San Francisco area where Anne and Sam are deeply ensconced. As Amy struggles with her identity as a mother and her need to be with her own family, this threat of Jax being "taken away" hangs over Anne's (and Sam's) head like a piano held by the thinnest of threads.
When a young couple who are not established in the world or with each other (Sam is still in art school when Jax is born and Amy is staying with Sam in his tiny apartment; they have a volatile relationship and had broken up several times before Amy became pregnant) decide to have a child together, it isn't easy for a mother (including one who pays many of the bills) to simply step aside and watch them. Throughout the book, Anne struggles with how involved to get, how much she can say, how much support to offer. It is a tricky balancing act that requires all of Anne's spiritual maturity to sort through—and even then she is plagued with moments of needing to control things that overwhelm her and threaten to engulf the precarious new relationships developing between everyone. Yet with her considerable support system, Anne manages to work through her new identity as grandmother and forge a kind of peace with the role.
In addition to getting Anne's point of view (which includes everything that is going on in her life during this year, including a trip to India and a book tour), the book also includes sections written by Sam Lamott about how he is viewing fatherhood at the tender age of 19. It was enlightening and heartening to get a glimpse inside Sam's psyche and his obvious delight and love for Jax. It is very clear that Anne and Sam have a mother-son bond that is solid and tightly woven with strands of love, understanding and respect.
Anne Lamott has led an interesting life (having overcome alcoholism, family dysfunction and taken on single motherhood when she was financially and emotionally unprepared) and managed to come through with grace and good spirit. I love how she is utterly herself (including her trademark dreadlocks) but is so completely relatable that you feel like you know her already. Her writing has a directness and beauty to it that is characteristic of someone who is writing from their authentic self. Besides this book, I'd also recommend Operating Instructions and her excellent writing book, Bird by Bird. Her memoirs on her spiritual journey (although Traveling Mercies is the only one I've read so far) are also well done. Although I've read two of her novels, and found that I prefer her memoirs more.
Within a few pages, I was reminded of just why I love Anne Lamott. She has a brutal honesty about herself and her life that is both self-depreciating, amusing and authentic. She writes from her heart, and she isn't afraid to show us all aspects of herself—from her neurotic and selfish sides to the spiritual and open searching soul she works on so assiduously. Her writing is never fancy or condescending. Rather, it is heartfelt yet with a sly irreverence and joking tone that always lets you know she is aware of her frailties and flaws. I'd love to have her as a friend.
The subject of her son's first son is fraught with all kinds of emotional minefields that challenge Anne in a myriad of different ways. Not only does she struggle with the idea becoming a grandmother at the age of 55, but her son's complex and volatile relationship with his girlfriend Amy adds a tricky new dimension to Anne's relationship with her grandchild Jax. Anne falls hard and fast for Jax and has clear ideas about how things can and should be for this young couple. Yet Amy is a strong-willed young woman who decided to have Jax regardless of what anyone else felt ... and she has her own ideas about how things will be. Worse yet, Amy's roots are not in the San Francisco area where Anne and Sam are deeply ensconced. As Amy struggles with her identity as a mother and her need to be with her own family, this threat of Jax being "taken away" hangs over Anne's (and Sam's) head like a piano held by the thinnest of threads.
When a young couple who are not established in the world or with each other (Sam is still in art school when Jax is born and Amy is staying with Sam in his tiny apartment; they have a volatile relationship and had broken up several times before Amy became pregnant) decide to have a child together, it isn't easy for a mother (including one who pays many of the bills) to simply step aside and watch them. Throughout the book, Anne struggles with how involved to get, how much she can say, how much support to offer. It is a tricky balancing act that requires all of Anne's spiritual maturity to sort through—and even then she is plagued with moments of needing to control things that overwhelm her and threaten to engulf the precarious new relationships developing between everyone. Yet with her considerable support system, Anne manages to work through her new identity as grandmother and forge a kind of peace with the role.
In addition to getting Anne's point of view (which includes everything that is going on in her life during this year, including a trip to India and a book tour), the book also includes sections written by Sam Lamott about how he is viewing fatherhood at the tender age of 19. It was enlightening and heartening to get a glimpse inside Sam's psyche and his obvious delight and love for Jax. It is very clear that Anne and Sam have a mother-son bond that is solid and tightly woven with strands of love, understanding and respect.
Anne Lamott has led an interesting life (having overcome alcoholism, family dysfunction and taken on single motherhood when she was financially and emotionally unprepared) and managed to come through with grace and good spirit. I love how she is utterly herself (including her trademark dreadlocks) but is so completely relatable that you feel like you know her already. Her writing has a directness and beauty to it that is characteristic of someone who is writing from their authentic self. Besides this book, I'd also recommend Operating Instructions and her excellent writing book, Bird by Bird. Her memoirs on her spiritual journey (although Traveling Mercies is the only one I've read so far) are also well done. Although I've read two of her novels, and found that I prefer her memoirs more.
ladydoubtless's review against another edition
1.0
particularly self absorbed and rambling with little insight
katiebrumbelow's review against another edition
3.0
I really loved "Operating Instructions" so I was excited to see a "sequel" in a sense and was interested to read about Sam as a grown up. But, this books didn't have the raw emotion/feeling that i was hoping for that i felt connected to in "Operating Instructions." And, near the end, I felt almost annoyed at Anne for being a nudgy grandmom even though in interviews she said the book is about a person learning to loosen the reigns and relinquish control.
kricketa's review against another edition
4.0
the extremely fabulous anne lamott shares her journals from the first year of her grandson jax's life. it's an interesting parallel to 'operating instructions' (the first year of jax's father, sam's life) but in some ways it didn't work as well. for one thing, annie is a bit of a meddling grandmother. granted, she admits to this readily and is working on it, but it's a leeeetle stressful to read about. and then, in the middle of the book, anne goes on a trip to india. i know she was doing the "this is the first year of jax's life" thing, and that she missed jax while she was in india, but i felt like that section really stuck out as having nothing to do with the rest of the book.
but, as lindsay and i have discussed, we are willing to forgive anne lamott just about anything, because we love her so much. she still has such beautiful little wisdoms and i read them and think "oh, anne. yes. that's true." also, it's fun to read the sections that sam wrote, because i feel like i watched him grow up. (even though he's only 7 years younger than i am.) also, sam is a total cutie! did you see that author photo?
and so i will add my copy of "some assembly required" to my very special anne lamott bookshelf, and probably read a bunch of her other books over again now.
but, as lindsay and i have discussed, we are willing to forgive anne lamott just about anything, because we love her so much. she still has such beautiful little wisdoms and i read them and think "oh, anne. yes. that's true." also, it's fun to read the sections that sam wrote, because i feel like i watched him grow up. (even though he's only 7 years younger than i am.) also, sam is a total cutie! did you see that author photo?
and so i will add my copy of "some assembly required" to my very special anne lamott bookshelf, and probably read a bunch of her other books over again now.
sambooklove's review against another edition
4.0
It was so good to hear a new word from Anne, plus Sam, too. Sam really seems like such an articulate, thoughtful young man - hard to believe he's all grown up. A book full of love and funny moments and hard ones, too.
heatherbermingham's review against another edition
4.0
I'd give this four and a half stars if I could. A sequel of sorts to "Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year," this book documents the first year of Lamott's grandson Jax's first year of life. I just love Anne Lamott. I want to be her friend. Among other things, she writes about faith in a way that is true and honest, capturing all the doubts and imperfections along the way.
sde's review against another edition
3.0
I don't know if I would have enjoyed this book if I hadn't read Lamott's previous books, especially Operating Instructions. I felt like she was writing a series of letters to friends - us, the readers - and that we were supposed to know about her background - raising son alone, her church community, extended family, etc. I DID know all this because I have read all her non-fiction, but I'm not sure how well the book would work as a stand-alone if I hadn't.
I didn't like this book as much as Operating Instructions. She is more sappy and less irreverant in this book, which is what I suppose a grandmother is like. Parts of it read like the typical grandmother gushing over her first grandchild, and I skimmed those parts. I am a mother, but not a grandmother, so maybe if I read this book when (if) I become a grandmother, it will be more meaningful.
I actually enjoyed the section on her visit to India the most, which had little to do with the main plot. Perhaps this is because my daughter is planning a trip to India, so I found the details helpful, but maybe it's also the spot where she does the least amount of gushing.
This book, like all her books, contains self-effacing humor, which is always enjoyable. I also appreciate her incorporating her spirituality into the text of her everyday life. It is a nice change from overly pious memoirs where religious people don't even seem real. Lamott shows that you can be devout and still be multi-faceted.
I didn't like this book as much as Operating Instructions. She is more sappy and less irreverant in this book, which is what I suppose a grandmother is like. Parts of it read like the typical grandmother gushing over her first grandchild, and I skimmed those parts. I am a mother, but not a grandmother, so maybe if I read this book when (if) I become a grandmother, it will be more meaningful.
I actually enjoyed the section on her visit to India the most, which had little to do with the main plot. Perhaps this is because my daughter is planning a trip to India, so I found the details helpful, but maybe it's also the spot where she does the least amount of gushing.
This book, like all her books, contains self-effacing humor, which is always enjoyable. I also appreciate her incorporating her spirituality into the text of her everyday life. It is a nice change from overly pious memoirs where religious people don't even seem real. Lamott shows that you can be devout and still be multi-faceted.
mandimsadler's review against another edition
3.0
I loved this journal-style account of a hilarious first year! The audio book was fun to listen to.
lisaeirene's review
2.0
Not my favorite of hers. I was expecting something different, I guess. This read more like her private journal. Instead of insights about parenting, motherhood and grandmotherhood, it was more about her neuroses and her difficulty in not meddling in her son's life as he tried to raise his son.