by Cathy Burnham Martin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 21, 2017
Amusing but uneven reflections on relationships.
A volume of anecdotes, lists, quotes, and jokes seeks to illuminate the complexities of gender politics and romance.
Voice-over artist Martin (A Dangerous Book for Dogs, 2016, etc.) decided to embark on this book because of a brief, abusive marriage that, she writes, “helped me relate to a wide variety of people with sincerity, empathy, and compassion.” Despite that somber spur, however, this is a frequently funny book about male/female typecasting and the relationship challenges everyone faces. “Life is often laughable, even when marked with pathos,” Martin insists, so she encourages readers to laugh at themselves by seeing the kinds of mistakes they make, like public gaffes, spoonerisms, and “bimbo moments.” She starts by breaking down some gender stereotypes—including a standout story about surprising an author by reading his tome on cold fusion overnight before interviewing him—and discussing how everyone can choose a positive attitude toward aging and life’s “stresspools.” Over half of the book is devoted to romantic relationships: everything from understanding emotions and communication failures to signs that a spouse is cheating (“Avoidance of contact, both physical and intellectual”; “Distances himself from you emotionally”; “Stops confiding in you”; “Avoids being alone with you”). Chapters on building empathy, dousing anger, and exploring different types of intimacy are highlights. But the author’s strategy throughout is to deliver lots of information in the form of lists, which can be overwhelming. For instance, one page of signs that an individual is a control freak might well be entertaining and helpful, but seven is far too much. The same goes for extended inventories of male versus female stereotypes and celebrity couples who broke up due to adultery—much of the former is self-evident, and the latter is repetitive. Strings of witticisms and popular sayings about the battle of the sexes and old age have a somewhat generic feel. Overall, the book is an unusual mixture of received wisdom—the sorts of jokes and quotations one might store in the bathroom for an occasional laugh—and serious relationship advice to keep by the bedside for everyday consultation. Those purposes need not necessarily be at odds, but the genre confusion might limit the work’s appeal.
Amusing but uneven reflections on relationships.Pub Date: Jan. 21, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-939220-39-4
Page Count: 262
Publisher: Quiet Thunder Publishing
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
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by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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