My favorite thing to do before getting on a plane is to visit the airport bookstore and add an extra book to my carry-on bag. Before boarding for our Rio trip, I picked up Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?. Since Mindy is a comedian and the reviews spoke of the book as very funny, I went into it expecting an autobiographical comedy - maybe of the Chelsea Handler variety.
Confession: I didn't really find it that funny. It is definitely autobiographical, but rather than funny, it read more like a collection of quaint, amusing memories. It's a light, quick read. However, after putting the book down there is really only one chapter that sticks on my mind.
Warning: I am going to share a bit of a spoiler. I was disappointed that she opened the book with a chapter about being overweight. She talks about being bullied as a child, and then accepting that "being fat" (which isn't how I would describe her) is part of who she is. The chapter reads like a justification for her decision to remain at a certain weight. It made me think of the pressures placed on women to conform to weight standards, and the extremes to which that happens in the entertainment business. At the end, I felt bad for her. I felt bad that she even felt the need to address her weight in her book, let alone the very first sentence. Sadly, this was the most memorable portion of the book to me.
Have you read this book? I would absolutely love to hear other opinions on it!
The pile on my bedside table - so many books, so little time.
No comments:
Post a Comment