livnewman's review
5.0
Lucy Ellmann is pissed and I am here for it. In this collection, she goes in on obvious targets: capitalism, climate change, misogyny, and Trump (who she describes artfully, amongst many other things, as a "lying liar"), but she also tackles airlines, travellers, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Hitchcock movies, morning routine vlogs, the whole genre of crime fiction, the titular 'things', and...all men. While I did not agree with everything she says, I don't think you're meant to, and I took the point she was making every time.
This collection is caustic, it's vitriolic, it's whip-smart, and it's laugh-out-loud funny. In particular, America being described as "the worst boy scout jamboree in history. Or jerk circle,” made me die. The best essay for me was the titular essay 'Things Are Against Us', which I loved for its poetic style and all the hot takes. I also adored the searing critique of teenage morning routine vloggers, whom Ellman rightly points out are vapid and a result of monstrous capitalism.
In the description of the author at the end, Ellmann admits she hates filling out forms and cries when she doesn't get her way, and that resonated with me deep in my soul.
This collection is caustic, it's vitriolic, it's whip-smart, and it's laugh-out-loud funny. In particular, America being described as "the worst boy scout jamboree in history. Or jerk circle,” made me die. The best essay for me was the titular essay 'Things Are Against Us', which I loved for its poetic style and all the hot takes. I also adored the searing critique of teenage morning routine vloggers, whom Ellman rightly points out are vapid and a result of monstrous capitalism.
In the description of the author at the end, Ellmann admits she hates filling out forms and cries when she doesn't get her way, and that resonated with me deep in my soul.
windbreak's review
challenging
funny
4.25
SOME OF THESE ESSAYS ARE SO BRILLIANT AND FUNNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! im obsessed with this woman really
katiesendlesstbr's review against another edition
challenging
funny
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
THINGS that a lot of people are annoyed by: Complaining, exaggeration, repetition.
THINGS in this book Lucy Ellmann could be accused of: Complaining, exaggeration, repetition.
THINGS that I love: Complaining, exaggeration, repetition.
So yeah, I loved it. Lucy Ellmann has quite the way with words, and is mad as hell. But, as someone who is also mad as hell about the state of the world, it was cathartic to read her opinions, even if some felt uncomfortable because of their radical stances. I think the biggest downside would be that there are a few essays that are all about essentially the same thing, but when you realize that they were not written for this collection but rather gathered from past publications, you can forgive it and enjoy the new wordplays that she puts into the essays to make them stand apart from each other and have a newfound wish for her to write a whole new collection of essays. I can understand why a lot of this may turn off other readers, and it may be hard to recommend, but it was perfect for me.
THINGS in this book Lucy Ellmann could be accused of: Complaining, exaggeration, repetition.
THINGS that I love: Complaining, exaggeration, repetition.
So yeah, I loved it. Lucy Ellmann has quite the way with words, and is mad as hell. But, as someone who is also mad as hell about the state of the world, it was cathartic to read her opinions, even if some felt uncomfortable because of their radical stances. I think the biggest downside would be that there are a few essays that are all about essentially the same thing, but when you realize that they were not written for this collection but rather gathered from past publications, you can forgive it and enjoy the new wordplays that she puts into the essays to make them stand apart from each other and have a newfound wish for her to write a whole new collection of essays. I can understand why a lot of this may turn off other readers, and it may be hard to recommend, but it was perfect for me.