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fkshg8465's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
1.25
Wanted the book to be funnier based on the summary. Actually, expected more humor. Instead, it was a giant ramble.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Racism, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
just_one_more_paige's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I read Thomas' Here for It a few years ago and *loved* it. One of my favorite humor collections ever, up there with samantha irby's essays (we are never meeting in real life, wow no thank you and quietly hostile). I listened to that as well, and it was narrated by Thomas himself, who did a phenomenal job. So I chose to listen to this newest collection as well and it was definitely the right choice. He reads his words to perfection. So much personality; it really brings the essays to life.
In this second collection, Thomas brings all his signature observational and personal humor back to the page, but this time, there is also a more affecting layer of the heartfelt and profound as well. And he balances it fantastically. He tackles some incredibly intense and socially salient topics that hit the public in 2020 (and remain with us still, of course) like the pandemic, being a Black man in America (in general and specifically in the context of the most recent iteration of racial reckoning), and some more individual experiences with overcoming difficult memories and dealing with the death of a loved one (in a supporting role). And then there are essays about his twenty year high school reunion, a bloody dramatic (both in the sense of individual adjectives and in the British intensity qualifier sense) injury leading to a emergency room visit, how to "win" therapy, how freaking hard it is to make friends as an adult, and the ridiculous realities that are home-ownership (infestations of frogs in heat, neighbor shit, HOAs, and the never ending aspirational outdoor projects, among other things).
I want to point out one specific essay, because he revisits the "I want to die early in an apocalypse situation" commentary from his first collection. And that is one of my favorite essays of all time. I am not great at remembering specifics of what I've read, but I have told so many people about that essay because I identified with his POV so much. So, first, I was thrilled that that was one he chose to come back to. And while I still do identify with it on the whole, I also appreciated that he re-examined the concept with a more critical eye after the very real apocalypse-like feel of living through 2020 and Jan 6, 2021 and how much, when faced with that situation, he took actual steps to survive (clearly indicating he wasn't ready to die as quickly as he thought he'd be). I respect the re-frame, as it did feel necessary, and am glad he kept that essay quite funny as well (allowing me to be critical, while still retaining my love for the original piece).
I'd also like to give a quick nod to how succinct, but profound, his commentary is on the importance and necessity of focusing on the narrative and political value of the “other” beyond their trauma stories.
Thomas' voice is comfortingly familiar in a millennial humor way and that “everyday person” insightful absurdity is recognizable in such a cozy way - it's a survival mechanism that has been made into a generational characteristic that I really identify with and enjoy seeing reflected back at me. It's also so amazing how he is able to make the recognizable this enjoyable (because how can something you lived/experienced yourself be made that interesting; you already know it for yourself, right?).
I laughed. I was somber. I finished the collection deeply impressed with what Thomas was able to do, combining those reactions of poignant and funny, in a way that felt real and full so that neither were cheapened by the other. The straightforward simplicity of emotion in the more serious moments contrasted to the theatrical quality of the humor of the rest in exactly the right way. A freaking fantastic collection.
“The psychiatrist asked me how I wanted to feel, and I said 'Better?' but what was true was that I wanted to feel like I believed that better was possible.”
“I am not made smaller by the big feelings. They are the things that remind me that I am alive. They are the things that, when I'm in darkness, remind me that I'm searching for the light. They aren't always the things that I need, but I think tht inside them - the happiness, the sadness, the joy, the grief - there is truth. I just want to get to the truth.”
"With a constant reminder that no matter my sense of self, there was only one story for me as a Black person in America, I withdrew more and more until there was nothing left but a hard, jagged stone of rage sitting in our apartment. No dreams. Just dread.”
“If I’m not heading toward a place where I can feel joy, then hope in the present has nothing to hold on to.”
“How much of your life is a mundane mystery to other people?”
“No one tells you how to live the next part. How to get started. It's up to you; the future rolls out endlessly, but how to step into it? [...] But it occurred to me is that an experience of life is that you keep encountering new versions of it, with less and less external instruction about what to do.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Police brutality
ladythana's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Racism, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Homophobia
sammies_shelf's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Blood, Death of parent, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Police brutality
caseythereader's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Thanks to Random House for the free copy of this book.
- There's no sophomore slump for R. Eric Thomas with CONGRATULATIONS, THE BEST IS OVER! Thomas continues to be over the top funny while maintaining heart and thoughtfulness.
- I think this collection shows that Thomas is not just a gimmicky columnist, but an essayist with staying power. His ruminations on trying to build the life you want while reckoning with your past are so personal and still widely relatable.
- Honestly, where else are you going to find essays about being Black in America and about inadvertently hosting gay frogs in your yard in the same book? Nowhere else, that's where.
- I do also recommend the audiobook (thanks @prhaudio!) if you read via audio. Thomas does the narration and it's a delight.
- There's no sophomore slump for R. Eric Thomas with CONGRATULATIONS, THE BEST IS OVER! Thomas continues to be over the top funny while maintaining heart and thoughtfulness.
- I think this collection shows that Thomas is not just a gimmicky columnist, but an essayist with staying power. His ruminations on trying to build the life you want while reckoning with your past are so personal and still widely relatable.
- Honestly, where else are you going to find essays about being Black in America and about inadvertently hosting gay frogs in your yard in the same book? Nowhere else, that's where.
- I do also recommend the audiobook (thanks @prhaudio!) if you read via audio. Thomas does the narration and it's a delight.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Homophobia and Racism
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