Reviews

Trivial Grievances: On the Contradictions, Myths and Misery of Your 30s by Bridie Jabour

twicetheamountofsparetime's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.0

tildahlia's review

3.0

Millennials will see a lot of themselves in this book in ways similar to reading Jia Tolentino. Jabour does manage to strike at the heart of things that we sorta think about a lot but don't REALLY think about and then dissect and unpack them in ways that make it seem simple and obvious. I admired quite a bit in the book, but as some other reviews pointed out, it can be a bitter pill to get an analysis of modern-day millennial anxiety and struggle from someone who has managed to nonetheless secure all the trappings that so many covet (again, kinda like Tolentino). Not everything has to be relateable to be good and she obviously shouldn't shy away from her own life and success, but in this context I think it helps to have a perspective a bit more from the trenches. Maybe I have internalised tall poppy syndrome.

mvdd1's review

funny hopeful informative

4.5

camerongib's review

3.0

Not a particularly groundbreaking perspective but a comforting observation of the subject: you are not special. Bridie is frank; our struggles aren’t that deep, but they are valid. She explores the mundane questions millennials face as they approach 30 – Do I want kids? Do I want my partner? Am I fulfilled by my career? Do I need to be fulfilled by my career? How much did my mother make me who I am? Is social media ruining my life? – and offers the answer: no, but also yes, not as much as you think, but also quite a bit, but not really.
While she seemed to get a little side tracked during the final few chapters, writing personal essays about family and motherhood, I particularly enjoyed the very last chapter titled ‘How to like your life’ in which she takes her book and smacks you on the back of the head with it as a loving, optimistic reality check. I also dog-eared the chapter ‘Travel will not make you a better person’, see: wherever you go, there you are.
3.5.
-
“It turns out you can’t just get a book deal and be happy. You can’t just realise long-held career ambitions. You have to actually ‘work’ on ‘yourself’, not just external markers of success.”

misshclose's review

funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

3.5

kirbs_'s review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

3.0

fboscameow's review

Reads like a journal entry from a very specific perspective (affluent, white) that has been generalized to an entire generation rather than informative, well-researched opinions.
No different to conversations you are most likely having with your friends and family.

egwescombe's review against another edition

lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.0

I really enjoyed this! I somehow didn't realize it was memoir/advice until I started reading but was pleasantly surprised nonetheless. Jabour has a fantastic tone in her writing which is a testament to her skill as a journo. It was engaging, funny and sincere and a refreshing change to the self help books that make you feel bad about not being an incredibly productive and perfect member of society! 

rachkel's review

reflective medium-paced

2.5

Had moments where I hated it and then moments where it felt quite profound. Not sure how to feel about it. 

ms_dzt's review

5.0

I really loved this book. It is very brave to defend the indefensible - people, especially women, in their thirties. But Bridie has done so beautifully, sharing huge amounts of research woven in with her own experiences.

It is a time of paradox and she explained so perfectly why.