Let's Pretend This Never Happened

Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir by Jenny  Lawson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Sum it up in a sentence (or two): Jenny Lawson, "The Bloggess," details stories from her childhood and adulthood in her signature voice (over the top & riddled with tangents).

First thoughts: WE GET IT, YOUR FAMILY IS WEIRD. Lawson lays this sentiment on thick, and honestly I think she overestimates her family's weirdness in relation to other families - everyone thinks their family is the strangest. Yes, hers is up there, but rural Texas sounds a lot like rural Wisconsin and I wasn't as shocked as I think she expected her readers to be by her stories of a childhood filled with roadkill, animal carcasses, weird pets, and strange family routines. I think if she had just stuck to telling the story instead of telling me how weird and strange and random and unique her family was I'd be more entertained and less annoyed.

Favorite quote: "...you are defined not by life's important moments, but by your reaction to them....there is joy in embracing - rather than running screaming from - the utter absurdity of life." (from the Dedication/Epilogue)

Blog thoughts: I need to remember that I rarely like blogs-turned-books OR memoirs of people who aren't Elizabeth Gilbert. Even if this one was made up of new material, I just didn't really care about Lawson. I also haven't been able to get into her blog, though, so maybe this one's on me.

Final thoughts: If you are a dedicated fan of The Bloggess, read away. I ended up skimming the final stories and her clarifications got to be too much for me. I'm all for letting your freak flag fly, but you don't need to outright say that's what you're doing - just do it.


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