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lenorayoder's review
3.0
Good, and I like how this was structured. The title is misleading, this is more of a short autobiography mixed with anecdotes about the author's experiences working in the Personals.
This would have been 4 stars if not for some of the punching down. I understand a lot of the meanness, it fits the tone and perspective of the book, but some of it just wasn't for me.
This would have been 4 stars if not for some of the punching down. I understand a lot of the meanness, it fits the tone and perspective of the book, but some of it just wasn't for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
frogcostume's review
3.0
Probably closer to 2.5 stars, but there were portions that I enjoyed much more than I expected.
I was given this book when I was 15 by someone that I was crushing on at a point where my self esteem was very very low. You know how infatuation works. I took it as a sign and absolutely tore through the book. It's been twelve years, and this has been sitting on my bookshelf/windowsill off and on for that entire time. It's sun faded, water damaged, and yellowed.
I decided that it was finally time for me to get rid of the book (dropping it off in Logan Square's Little Free Library), but before doing that I wanted to read it one more time to see what's changed in a decade.
It's clear that Beaumier is a contributor to This American Life, and I was unsurprised to find a dedication to Sedaris in the back. It reads like a TAL story, so if you're looking for more of that, check the Little Free Library this weekend to nab my copy.
I was given this book when I was 15 by someone that I was crushing on at a point where my self esteem was very very low. You know how infatuation works. I took it as a sign and absolutely tore through the book. It's been twelve years, and this has been sitting on my bookshelf/windowsill off and on for that entire time. It's sun faded, water damaged, and yellowed.
I decided that it was finally time for me to get rid of the book (dropping it off in Logan Square's Little Free Library), but before doing that I wanted to read it one more time to see what's changed in a decade.
It's clear that Beaumier is a contributor to This American Life, and I was unsurprised to find a dedication to Sedaris in the back. It reads like a TAL story, so if you're looking for more of that, check the Little Free Library this weekend to nab my copy.
magnetgrrl's review
2.0
I think I read this more in the summertime, but I am just now adding every book I've read this year to Goodreads because I haven't been keeping up.
I remember being mildly disappointed in these. There was one or two gems in the bunch, but overall, something like Postsecret mixed with the Best of Craigslist was what I was hoping for, and that's not what this is.
Great concept, but I sort of hope someone else tries their hand at it again because I feel a lot was left unexplored, and I wasn't particularly moved by what was explored here.
I remember being mildly disappointed in these. There was one or two gems in the bunch, but overall, something like Postsecret mixed with the Best of Craigslist was what I was hoping for, and that's not what this is.
Great concept, but I sort of hope someone else tries their hand at it again because I feel a lot was left unexplored, and I wasn't particularly moved by what was explored here.
wealhtheow's review
3.0
Funny tales from writing the personals. It's a kinder, more empathic look at the world than Dan Savage's, but if you like his writing (or, um, humorous things in general) you'll undoubtedly enjoy this.
moondance120's review
2.0
In the days before the interenet, there was the personals. Scary, sad, sweet, delusional. A big slice of crazy. 3 stars
jenspageturners's review
3.0
I needed a break from all the heavy stuff I was reading and had this one sitting on my shelf for awhile. It did the trick. It was entertaining to read and interesting to see how much technology and dating has changed in just a short amount of time. Some of the stories were flat out funny and others were a little sad.
librarianelizabeth's review
3.0
A very strange memoir of a cynical misanthrope who edits personal ads for a weekly newspaper. Musings on love, compatibility, his own struggling and failing relationship, and life as part of a large dysfunctional Irish Catholic family
hollowspine's review
3.0
3.5
There were sections of this book that were 5 stars for sure. However, those amazing insights and poignant moments kept getting lost for me. I suppose it's kind of like a newspaper itself, having to sort through a lot of articles that don't reach me, yet still finding those pieces that do, and do so with a clutching that catches me and keeps me thinking.
There were times that Beaumier was able to transcend the de-personalized and connect me to those with whom he worked and times where I felt completely lost and wondered if where exactly what I was reading came from, sometimes it ran the line to fiction so closely that I found myself disbelieving. However, most of the time I was pretty much on board, I could tell that Beaumier was telling me true (if maybe a bit tall) tales.
The sections I enjoyed the most were those about his life and his family. In fact, I wish that he had concentrated more on those stories than the personals. Of course, I enjoyed reading about the Sumos, of course I enjoyed a good laugh at the guy who saw the love of his life sometimes twice in a week, yet could never approach these women outside of a personal ad. However, I more so enjoyed the rich and often humorous, sometimes sad, stories of his family life, growing up and his relationships with co-workers, friends and boyfriends.
I did wonder a bit how the Internet has affected this type of ad, but didn't go too much into that.
There were sections of this book that were 5 stars for sure. However, those amazing insights and poignant moments kept getting lost for me. I suppose it's kind of like a newspaper itself, having to sort through a lot of articles that don't reach me, yet still finding those pieces that do, and do so with a clutching that catches me and keeps me thinking.
There were times that Beaumier was able to transcend the de-personalized and connect me to those with whom he worked and times where I felt completely lost and wondered if where exactly what I was reading came from, sometimes it ran the line to fiction so closely that I found myself disbelieving. However, most of the time I was pretty much on board, I could tell that Beaumier was telling me true (if maybe a bit tall) tales.
The sections I enjoyed the most were those about his life and his family. In fact, I wish that he had concentrated more on those stories than the personals. Of course, I enjoyed reading about the Sumos, of course I enjoyed a good laugh at the guy who saw the love of his life sometimes twice in a week, yet could never approach these women outside of a personal ad. However, I more so enjoyed the rich and often humorous, sometimes sad, stories of his family life, growing up and his relationships with co-workers, friends and boyfriends.
I did wonder a bit how the Internet has affected this type of ad, but didn't go too much into that.