(Originally Published 2012, Paperback Edition 366 pages)
I was not familiar with Ms. Lawson or her blog until the book popped up
on the New York Times Bestseller List. Sweet mother of mercy! The cute
cover with the mouse on it belies a very warped mind. It took a few
chapters to get used to her rambling writing style. I found the
beginning of the book somewhat tiresome until the fourth chapter about
Stanley the talking squirrel. From that point, I was hooked and not
disappointed. She wasn't kidding in her introduction when she said some
of the stuff would offend readers.
Her material is not only profanity-laced but covers a wide variety of misadventures. Beyond the talking squirrel, they include such things as her taxidermist dad and Czech-immigrant grandparents, dropping acid, meeting her future in-laws, working in Human Resources, socially awkward get-togethers, arguments with her husband Victor, undergoing acupuncture, her miscarriages, losing weight, and the unexpected death of a beloved pet. Surprisingly, she effectively mines this material for humor. All these episodes occur in Texas. Ms. Lawson's chapter about battling with vultures as well as scorpions made me glad I live in Maine. There's even an explanation of the mouse wearing a cape on the book cover.
Ms. Lawson's is an extremely funny, odd bird. The lady displays a level of paranoia that, if true, is breathtaking in its excess. She also seems unable to stay focused on any one topic without veering off on some tangent. This also makes for very funny episodes, but only for people who are not offended by profanity or off-color humor. I wonder what color the sky is in her world? It was well worth reading.
Her material is not only profanity-laced but covers a wide variety of misadventures. Beyond the talking squirrel, they include such things as her taxidermist dad and Czech-immigrant grandparents, dropping acid, meeting her future in-laws, working in Human Resources, socially awkward get-togethers, arguments with her husband Victor, undergoing acupuncture, her miscarriages, losing weight, and the unexpected death of a beloved pet. Surprisingly, she effectively mines this material for humor. All these episodes occur in Texas. Ms. Lawson's chapter about battling with vultures as well as scorpions made me glad I live in Maine. There's even an explanation of the mouse wearing a cape on the book cover.
Ms. Lawson's is an extremely funny, odd bird. The lady displays a level of paranoia that, if true, is breathtaking in its excess. She also seems unable to stay focused on any one topic without veering off on some tangent. This also makes for very funny episodes, but only for people who are not offended by profanity or off-color humor. I wonder what color the sky is in her world? It was well worth reading.
(Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #387)
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