Status
Available
Publication
Grand Central Publishing (2016), Edition: First Edition, 304 pages
Description
Biography & Autobiography. Performing Arts. Nonfiction. Humor (Nonfiction.) HTML:From Emmy award-winning comedy writer Jessi Klein, You'll Grow Out of It hilariously and candidly explores the journey of the 21st-century woman. As both a tomboy and a late bloomer, comedian Jessi Klein grew up feeling more like an outsider than a participant in the rites of modern femininity. In You'll Grow Out of It, Klein offers - through an incisive collection of real-life stories - a relentlessly funny yet poignant take on a variety of topics she has experienced along her strange journey to womanhood and beyond. These include her "transformation from Pippi Longstocking-esque tomboy to are-you-a-lesbian-or-what tom man," attempting to find watchable porn, and identifying the difference between being called "ma'am" and "miss" ("miss sounds like you weigh 99 pounds"). Raw, relatable, and consistently hilarious, You'll Grow Out of It is a one-of-a-kind book by a singular and irresistible comic voice.… (more)
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User reviews
LibraryThing member mckait
Deadly dull and boring. I was promised amusement, but found none. There is a lot of droning on about the authors life, which isn't particularly funny. Run away
LibraryThing member ASKelmore
I believe I first became aware of Ms. Klein when she would appear on Best Week Ever. I loved that show. I have always been someone who goes to be early, so I would miss the first airing on Friday nights, and (if I’m remembering it correctly) catch the weekend rerun. Because when you go to bed
I also recall squealing a bit when I saw Ms. Klein briefly on camera during Inside Amy Schumer. So when I learned she had a book out – obviously I was going to buy it.
This book is delightful. I might use that word a bit too much, but I don’t care, because that’s the perfect word to describe this book. It’s funny. It’s sweet but not sickeningly so. It feels intimate and honest but I didn’t read anything where I thought was over the top. Above all, I found it to be extremely relatable. Not because I, too, am an Emmy-award winning writer and comedian. But because the stories she tells can connect back to feelings that I think a lot of us have had.
Like that moment where you can almost observe yourself doing the absolutely wrong thing when it comes to an ex? (If you don’t have at least one of those moments, I’d love to know your secret but also, I’m kind of wondering if you’re a cyborg.) Or perhaps the moment when, just for maybe a few hours, or a weekend, you decide to go totally sincere, and just enjoy an experience without letting your cynical side take over completely. Look, she goes to what is essentially a fancy hippie spa, and has a moment, and even though I will never go to said fancy hippie spa, the feelings Ms. Klein is able to share through her exquisite writing transcend the environment and get to the soul of the emotions.
But, again, there’s also a ton of humor. Every chapter – including the final one that deals with infertility – is full of clever asides or one-liners that effortlessly raise the tone. And the footnotes! Ah, I love a good footnote, and this book is full of them.
So go! Reserve your copy at the library, or download it, or, my preference, buy a copy and read it and then gift it to a friend.
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early on Friday, you obviously are up in time to watch a show at 9AM on Saturday. I also recall squealing a bit when I saw Ms. Klein briefly on camera during Inside Amy Schumer. So when I learned she had a book out – obviously I was going to buy it.
This book is delightful. I might use that word a bit too much, but I don’t care, because that’s the perfect word to describe this book. It’s funny. It’s sweet but not sickeningly so. It feels intimate and honest but I didn’t read anything where I thought was over the top. Above all, I found it to be extremely relatable. Not because I, too, am an Emmy-award winning writer and comedian. But because the stories she tells can connect back to feelings that I think a lot of us have had.
Like that moment where you can almost observe yourself doing the absolutely wrong thing when it comes to an ex? (If you don’t have at least one of those moments, I’d love to know your secret but also, I’m kind of wondering if you’re a cyborg.) Or perhaps the moment when, just for maybe a few hours, or a weekend, you decide to go totally sincere, and just enjoy an experience without letting your cynical side take over completely. Look, she goes to what is essentially a fancy hippie spa, and has a moment, and even though I will never go to said fancy hippie spa, the feelings Ms. Klein is able to share through her exquisite writing transcend the environment and get to the soul of the emotions.
But, again, there’s also a ton of humor. Every chapter – including the final one that deals with infertility – is full of clever asides or one-liners that effortlessly raise the tone. And the footnotes! Ah, I love a good footnote, and this book is full of them.
So go! Reserve your copy at the library, or download it, or, my preference, buy a copy and read it and then gift it to a friend.
Show Less
LibraryThing member ijustgetbored
Full disclosure: the only reason I finished every word of this book is that I was stuck in a doctor's office for an ungodly amount of time and had nothing else to read.
I don't know how the title relates to the content. It's not a coming-of-age memoir. There's no sense of progression of any sort
What's the book about? Largely, the trials and tribulations of being wealthy. In addition to not being funny by any metric, the sob stories involving not being able to appreciate having a Lexus at your service at a luxury resort (really) are alienating. It reminded me somewhat of Lena Dunham's Not that Kind of Girl, and I do not mean that kindly.
The book needed heavier editing. The chief problem is chronology in later parts. Klein references different ages, having or not having a child, and all this jumps around maddeningly. I appreciate that this was apparently a book some years in the making, but that fact could have been expressed in a way that didn't present personal history as time out of joint.
I've heard people explain their reaction to memoirs by simply asking whether or not they'd like to have a drink with that person. By that measure, my answer is absolutely not-- but I'd probably start drinking heavily if her conversation is like her writing.
I don't know how the title relates to the content. It's not a coming-of-age memoir. There's no sense of progression of any sort
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(maturity, increased acceptance, anything). I don't know what it's really supposed to be, and I couldn't possibly guess what Klein hoped to express with this memoir.What's the book about? Largely, the trials and tribulations of being wealthy. In addition to not being funny by any metric, the sob stories involving not being able to appreciate having a Lexus at your service at a luxury resort (really) are alienating. It reminded me somewhat of Lena Dunham's Not that Kind of Girl, and I do not mean that kindly.
The book needed heavier editing. The chief problem is chronology in later parts. Klein references different ages, having or not having a child, and all this jumps around maddeningly. I appreciate that this was apparently a book some years in the making, but that fact could have been expressed in a way that didn't present personal history as time out of joint.
I've heard people explain their reaction to memoirs by simply asking whether or not they'd like to have a drink with that person. By that measure, my answer is absolutely not-- but I'd probably start drinking heavily if her conversation is like her writing.
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LibraryThing member wagner.sarah35
*I received a copy of this book through the publisher.*
Jessi Klein is clearly a gifted comedian and presents her story with sharp humor and lively stories about being a woman in a confusing era. I wasn't certain I would enjoy this book, as Jessi Klein admits to being a tomboy earlier on and I have
Jessi Klein is clearly a gifted comedian and presents her story with sharp humor and lively stories about being a woman in a confusing era. I wasn't certain I would enjoy this book, as Jessi Klein admits to being a tomboy earlier on and I have
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always been a rather girly girl, but this book is easy to relate to and I would recommend it to any young woman. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookchickdi
Jessi Klein is the head writer and executive producer of the very funny Comedy Central show Inside Amy Schumer. For that reason alone I wanted to read her book, You'll Grow Out Of It.
The book is a series of essays about how Jessi got to be where and who she is. The first essay, The Tom Man,
She didn't care much what she looked like, wearing "her dad's old button-down cowboy shirts with enormous shapeless jeans and combat boots" in high school. When she got a real office job, she still dresses " a smidge like a rodeo clown" and thought that Hanes Her Way bikini underwear was the height of sexiness.
Finally, when she met a girlfriend at a bar, and her friend told her that she loved her, but her maroon backpack overflowing with papers and books hurt her feelings, she got the message. Jessi decided that if she wanted to date a Grown Man then she'd have to make an attempt to look like a Grown Woman.
"But when I looked at what it would mean to become a woman- one of those standard grown-up ladies, like the ones from commercials for gum or soda or shampoo- it all seemed to involve shrinking rather than growing."
Klein's observations are thoughtful, like in her essay The Bath, about how women loves baths because for women, the bath is "where you go when you run out of options", when you don't have a room of your own to go to.
"This is why Virginia Woolf stressed the importance of having a room of one's own. If you don't fight for it, don't insist on it, don't sacrifice for it, you might end in that increasingly tepid water, pruning and sweating while you dream of other things."
Klein is a comedy writer, so there are many funny lines in here, like describing a woman who was "just rounding third from medium drunk to very drunk." (I'm a sucker for a baseball metaphor.)
In talking about attending a Bar Method exercise class, she observes that "women have problem areas in a way that men don't. We have big hips and muffin tops. Men just have the thing where they create wars and wreak havoc all over the globe."
In The Cad, she advises that "when you encounter a man wearing loafers with no socks, run. I once heard that the late Tim Russert also believed that a sockless man is not to be trusted, which means that it is definitively true."
One of her funniest essays is Types, where she describes the different types of men she likes and their celebrity inspiration. I don't normally read anything about the TV show The Bachelor, but her take on it made me think, as did her essay on porn.
The one essay that spoke to me the most was Ma'am, abut that time in all our lives when we move from being called miss to being called ma'am by department store clerks, waiters, bank tellers, etc. I just kept saying "amen" throughout this essay, like Klein was a preacher in church and I was agreeing wholeheartedly with her sermon.
The book ends with Klein preparing to attend the Emmy Awards, just a few weeks after giving birth to her son. She was panicked about choosing a dress, and when her friend told her that the one Jessi liked best made her look like Mrs. Roper, she nearly gave up hope. Anyone who likes the backstory on Hollywood will love that essay.
You'll Grow Out Of It made me laugh and made me think, just like when I watch Amy Schumer's show. It's a little Tina Fey mixed with Amy Poehler mixed with Nora Ephron, and it's a great gift to give to a young woman just starting out in life. I recommend it.
The book is a series of essays about how Jessi got to be where and who she is. The first essay, The Tom Man,
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recounts what happens when a tomboy grows up. People like tomboys, tom men not so much.She didn't care much what she looked like, wearing "her dad's old button-down cowboy shirts with enormous shapeless jeans and combat boots" in high school. When she got a real office job, she still dresses " a smidge like a rodeo clown" and thought that Hanes Her Way bikini underwear was the height of sexiness.
Finally, when she met a girlfriend at a bar, and her friend told her that she loved her, but her maroon backpack overflowing with papers and books hurt her feelings, she got the message. Jessi decided that if she wanted to date a Grown Man then she'd have to make an attempt to look like a Grown Woman.
"But when I looked at what it would mean to become a woman- one of those standard grown-up ladies, like the ones from commercials for gum or soda or shampoo- it all seemed to involve shrinking rather than growing."
Klein's observations are thoughtful, like in her essay The Bath, about how women loves baths because for women, the bath is "where you go when you run out of options", when you don't have a room of your own to go to.
"This is why Virginia Woolf stressed the importance of having a room of one's own. If you don't fight for it, don't insist on it, don't sacrifice for it, you might end in that increasingly tepid water, pruning and sweating while you dream of other things."
Klein is a comedy writer, so there are many funny lines in here, like describing a woman who was "just rounding third from medium drunk to very drunk." (I'm a sucker for a baseball metaphor.)
In talking about attending a Bar Method exercise class, she observes that "women have problem areas in a way that men don't. We have big hips and muffin tops. Men just have the thing where they create wars and wreak havoc all over the globe."
In The Cad, she advises that "when you encounter a man wearing loafers with no socks, run. I once heard that the late Tim Russert also believed that a sockless man is not to be trusted, which means that it is definitively true."
One of her funniest essays is Types, where she describes the different types of men she likes and their celebrity inspiration. I don't normally read anything about the TV show The Bachelor, but her take on it made me think, as did her essay on porn.
The one essay that spoke to me the most was Ma'am, abut that time in all our lives when we move from being called miss to being called ma'am by department store clerks, waiters, bank tellers, etc. I just kept saying "amen" throughout this essay, like Klein was a preacher in church and I was agreeing wholeheartedly with her sermon.
The book ends with Klein preparing to attend the Emmy Awards, just a few weeks after giving birth to her son. She was panicked about choosing a dress, and when her friend told her that the one Jessi liked best made her look like Mrs. Roper, she nearly gave up hope. Anyone who likes the backstory on Hollywood will love that essay.
You'll Grow Out Of It made me laugh and made me think, just like when I watch Amy Schumer's show. It's a little Tina Fey mixed with Amy Poehler mixed with Nora Ephron, and it's a great gift to give to a young woman just starting out in life. I recommend it.
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LibraryThing member nivramkoorb
Jessi Klein's book is a great change of pace from my usual "literary fiction". She does remind me a lot of Nora Ephron and Sloane Crosley. Her essays about her life growing up and her development into her current role as the executive producer and head writer for Amy Schumer were both funny and
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very insightful. I especially liked "get the epidural" which clearly shows the different approaches we take toward men and women when it comes to medical procedures. Would you ask a man to get a "natural" vasectomy? As a comedian, there are lots of one liners and she is very funny. I have since watched some of her stand up on youtube and she is worth checking out. If you like Tina Fey and Nora Ephron then you will like this. Show Less
LibraryThing member muddyboy
A bright, fresh memoir about young adulthood through the eyes of the comedic mind of Ms. Klein. She looks at gender relationships, dating, engagement and pregnancy among other topics. One thing (as a man) that I particularly enjoyed was her classification of women into two camps - wolves and
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poodles (lots of truths here). Poodles are confident and always wear matching underwear. Wolves can't deal with thongs and sweat a lot. For these and many more insights and unique perspectives read this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookwyrmm
Being the memoirs of a comedy writer, I expected this to be funny. The words, themselves are, but the narration, but the author herself, rather than fun and conversational, is dry and whiny, which actually make the whole audiobook just depressing. I recommend reading this one instead of listening.
LibraryThing member Alliebadger
Read it read it read it. Jessi Klein is the voice in the back of my head, but actually funny.
LibraryThing member Gingermama
Parts of this are laugh-out-loud funny so be careful where you read it.
LibraryThing member lycomayflower
DNF:
A good many memoirs are completely effective without the reader needing to connect with or like the narrator. But for You'll Grow Out of It, I found myself struggling with the book precisely because I felt so alienated from the narrator. The book's back material talks a lot about Klein being a
A good many memoirs are completely effective without the reader needing to connect with or like the narrator. But for You'll Grow Out of It, I found myself struggling with the book precisely because I felt so alienated from the narrator. The book's back material talks a lot about Klein being a
Show More
tomboy as a child, and the first essay or so discuss her confusion about what it was to be feminine and whether she wanted to be that/why it didn't feel "natural" to her to perform femininity. And I thought, "Cool, this is going to be a funny, relatable discussion of being a woman in 21st century America, and how we sometimes feel at odds with what that's supposed to mean even while still wanting to do it 'right.'" And then it just kind of went off the rails for me. The funny bits seemed way more dark or depressing or mean than funny. And as Klein moved on from discussing her childhood, a lot of statements (that I guess were supposed to be funny?) started creeping in that undermine the idea that we can pick and choose which bits of femininity feel right to each of us (or reject them all) and that's fine and good and right. At one point, while discussing buying really expensive makeup, she says, "This despite the fact that I. . . still have trouble buying socks that don't come in a bag because I just can't believe a singe pair costs more than six bucks" (p. 31). There's some implication in there that there's something wrong with buying socks that way, that the "feminine" thing (or adult thing?) to do is definitely not buying the kinds of socks that come six to a pack. And the thing is just peppered with these little "funny" moments that make it clear what behaviors are doing it wrong. She makes a similar comment at some point about the time when she was still wearing cotton underwear and not grooming her lady bits. Like becoming an adult women means, you, what, wear silk next to the skin and get waxed twice a month? I mean, come on. Femininity is a complicated subject, yes, and it means different things to different people and what some of us would never be caught dead doing is something others of us couldn't imagine leaving the house without having done. I thought that's what this book was going to be about. Maybe it gets there? But to the point I got (~87 pages in), I was done with the assumptions about the "right" ways to do things and the urg feeling the book was giving me. YMMV. Show Less
LibraryThing member Narshkite
I don't have a lot to say about this. Funny, smart, deeply honest. A truly enjoyable and thought provoking read (or rather, listen.)
LibraryThing member KimMeyer
I like this! I'm not a huge fan of these types of books but find them to be fun occasionally, and this collection of essays doesn't read nearly as "trying too hard" as many in the genre do.
LibraryThing member Starla_Aurora
Pretty interesting read- similar to the other female comedian biographies.
LibraryThing member alanna1122
I listened to this on audio book and it was really enjoyable. Sometimes the content is a little on the fringe on what was comfortable for me to listen to - but most of it was really funny and relatable. It went by very quickly for me and I thought it was really well and tightly written.
LibraryThing member nancyjean19
I laughed out loud in public places many times while reading this book. I also enjoyed her honest reflections on various feelings and experiences, especially her trials with the performance of being a woman.
LibraryThing member Smokler
Screamingly funny. Try to read without falling over. I failed about 183 times.
LibraryThing member carolfoisset
Fun listen - Klein reads it so its almost like a stand up show.
LibraryThing member ssperson
3.5 stars
Random thoughts that came to me as I was listening to this:
- I'll never think the same way about baths again.
- Wolves vs. Poodles. Among other things, Wolves wear underwear; Poodles wear lingerie.
- What kind of monster keeps chocolate in the fridge?
- This book is narrated by the author
- GET THE EPIDURAL!!! (That's from both the author and myself.)
Random thoughts that came to me as I was listening to this:
- I'll never think the same way about baths again.
- Wolves vs. Poodles. Among other things, Wolves wear underwear; Poodles wear lingerie.
- What kind of monster keeps chocolate in the fridge?
- This book is narrated by the author
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and, while I thought she did a bang-up job in general, I thought it was odd that she pronounced "princess" and "prinzess." I've never heard a "c" pronounced as a "z" in English.- GET THE EPIDURAL!!! (That's from both the author and myself.)
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Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — Humor — 2017)
NPR: Books We Love (2016)
The New York Times Notable Books of the Year (Nonfiction — 2016)
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
304 p.; 6 inches
ISBN
1455531189 / 9781455531189