Call number
Publication
New York, New York : New American Library, [2015]
Pages
viii; 309
Description
"Washington Post columnist Alexandra Petri turns her satirical eye on her own life in this hilarious new memoir... Most twentysomethings spend a lot of time avoiding awkwardness. Not Alexandra Petri. Afraid of rejection? Alexandra Petri has auditioned for America's Next Top Model. Afraid of looking like an idiot? Alexandra Petri lost Jeopardy! by answering "Who is that dude?" on national TV. Afraid of bad jokes? Alexandra Petri won an international pun championship. Petri has been a debutante, reenacted the Civil War, and fended off suitors at a Star Wars convention while wearing a Jabba the Hutt suit. One time, she let some cult members she met on the street baptize her, just to be polite. She's a connoisseur of the kind of awkwardness that most people spend whole lifetimes trying to avoid. If John Hodgman and Amy Sedaris had a baby ... they would never let Petri babysit it. But Petri is here to tell you: Everything you fear is not so bad. Trust her. She's tried it. And in the course of her misadventures, she's learned that there are worse things out there than awkwardness-and that interesting things start to happen when you stop caring what people think. "--… (more)
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
viii, 309 p.; 8.6 inches
ISBN
9780451469601
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User reviews
LibraryThing member CherieReads
I don’t read a whole lot of non-fiction, and I especially don’t read a lot of short stories or essays. I usually find myself bored and missing an overarching plot-line. This book is an exception. I loved it. Alexandra Petri writes a series of essays chronicling the strange and awkward
"Like anyone growing up after 1980, I always had the dim, nagging sense that I was supposed to be famous for something. A certain measure of fame just seems like our birthright these days, next to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Food, shelter, Wi-Fi, and the sense that someone’s watching; these are the modern requirements for survival. The only thing more terrifying than the feeling you’re being watched is the feeling that you’re not. Privacy is just an uncomfortable reminder that you’re not a celebrity."
I am a shy person and the idea of putting myself out there – auditioning for Top Model or going on national television to compete on Jeopardy! makes me ill just thinking about it. I hate being in awkward social situations and go out of my way to avoid them. I do not enjoy meeting new people. Alexandra is my complete opposite. She puts herself out there risking embarrassment and ultimate humiliation just so that she’ll have something interesting to write about. Her experiences are hilarious and many times cringe worthy.
"I don’t know if anyone has ever attempted to kiss you through the mesh of a Jabba the Hutt suit, but it is definitely a unique experience. Let’s just say it’s impossible to make any headway. For better results, you could try to tongue-kiss a fully-dressed beekeeper."
Her writing style invites you into her head to experience all the emotions and anxieties that she did. The book reads like she’s your best friend and she’s relating her newest crazy experience to you. That makes the book so relatable. She doesn’t gloss things over and that makes her stories all the more real to the reader.
Despite her repeated humiliations, she offers a perspective on life that is inspiring. Who cares how silly you look? Who cares what the person watching you might think? If there’s something you want to do, do it! You just might become a pun star, or even a whistling champion. While humorous, her essays are also introspective and insightful without being preachy or pretentious.
"I suppose the strange selectivity of memory is half its charm. Our lives are burning houses, and we come running out with whatever we can carry."
Overall, I very much enjoyed this collection of essays. I laughed out loud throughout and she gave me some food for thought as well. This would be a fantastic beach read or palate cleanser between “heavier” reads. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Petri in the future.
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situations she gets herself into. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, entirely relateable and even thought-provoking."Like anyone growing up after 1980, I always had the dim, nagging sense that I was supposed to be famous for something. A certain measure of fame just seems like our birthright these days, next to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Food, shelter, Wi-Fi, and the sense that someone’s watching; these are the modern requirements for survival. The only thing more terrifying than the feeling you’re being watched is the feeling that you’re not. Privacy is just an uncomfortable reminder that you’re not a celebrity."
I am a shy person and the idea of putting myself out there – auditioning for Top Model or going on national television to compete on Jeopardy! makes me ill just thinking about it. I hate being in awkward social situations and go out of my way to avoid them. I do not enjoy meeting new people. Alexandra is my complete opposite. She puts herself out there risking embarrassment and ultimate humiliation just so that she’ll have something interesting to write about. Her experiences are hilarious and many times cringe worthy.
"I don’t know if anyone has ever attempted to kiss you through the mesh of a Jabba the Hutt suit, but it is definitely a unique experience. Let’s just say it’s impossible to make any headway. For better results, you could try to tongue-kiss a fully-dressed beekeeper."
Her writing style invites you into her head to experience all the emotions and anxieties that she did. The book reads like she’s your best friend and she’s relating her newest crazy experience to you. That makes the book so relatable. She doesn’t gloss things over and that makes her stories all the more real to the reader.
Despite her repeated humiliations, she offers a perspective on life that is inspiring. Who cares how silly you look? Who cares what the person watching you might think? If there’s something you want to do, do it! You just might become a pun star, or even a whistling champion. While humorous, her essays are also introspective and insightful without being preachy or pretentious.
"I suppose the strange selectivity of memory is half its charm. Our lives are burning houses, and we come running out with whatever we can carry."
Overall, I very much enjoyed this collection of essays. I laughed out loud throughout and she gave me some food for thought as well. This would be a fantastic beach read or palate cleanser between “heavier” reads. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Petri in the future.
Show Less
LibraryThing member musichick52
I gave this book an honest try, but after the first 100 pages, I got bogged down in the pun festival and had no more energy to give. Why, you ask? I live with a Master Punster, a wordsmith, a man who has the same twisted, dry sense of humor I think that I do. That's why I married him. I see humor
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in all situations. So does this author. Maybe we are long lost sisters from our parent's wild days. My father was in the Navy after all. DNA doesn't lie. Please enjoy this read, it just was not for me. My thanks to the author and the Penguin First to Read program for a complimentary copy. Show Less
LibraryThing member Amniot
A collection of humor essays that the twenty-something author frames as anecdotes about awkward things she has done. The premise doesn't ring quite true, as she is clearly both brilliant and successful (Harvard, Washington Post), and rarely silent. Therefore, much of it comes across as "humble
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bragging" - "it was so awkward that time I went on Jeopardy! at a very young age and did quite well!" Overall, very funny and well written, with some rough edges. Show Less
LibraryThing member Iambookish
Just didn't get the point, and other books were calling my name
LibraryThing member Dokfintong
I got this book from the local library after reading Alexandra Petri's hysterically funny piece on the Elon Musk and Ron DeSantis comedy hour in the 25 May Wash Post. The book isn't as good.
Collected funny essays are seldom as funny a humorous essay read as a stand alone so I don't blame Ms Petri
Definitely read the Musk DeSantis piece asap. This book can wait.
Collected funny essays are seldom as funny a humorous essay read as a stand alone so I don't blame Ms Petri
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or her editors. Some of the essays here are really funny. Others are just really long.Definitely read the Musk DeSantis piece asap. This book can wait.
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