An advice book that too frequently relies on outdated gender stereotypes.
A debut relationship guide for women looking for men who will treat them like princesses.
This self-help relationship book is divided into 36 short chapters covering such diverse topics as “Do you wear your sexy underwear for you or your man?” and “Divorce—the slow fading of your bond to each other.” Each chapter is divided into two sections titled “Personal” and “Professional” to separate the advice the author has gleaned from life experience (she’s been married to her current husband for 10 years, and was married to her first husband for 16 before she was widowed) and the knowledge she has gained through her career as a psychologist. The sections are so similar, however, that readers may find that this distinction feels needlessly complicated. The overall conceit that the book “contains real stories and allusions to common fairy tales we know from our childhood” also feels a bit threadbare; James frequently refers to women as “princesses” (“Just remember, he married you because you are his princess and you have to be sure to be like a princess”), but the only story she specifically references is “Cinderella.” Most of the advice is grounded in generalizations about men and women that seem old-fashioned: “Equal rights does not mean it’s permissible to ask a man for a date, to call a man, tell off color jokes, get drunk, or use profane language.” The author frequently addresses readers as “Girlfriend,” but she may not come across as particularly relatable, as most of her personal stories are about how wonderful her current relationship is. It might have been helpful to balance these observations with harder lessons she’s learned, but the book instead presents romantic relationships in broad, impersonal terms. Her chapter about divorce, for example, includes the assertion that “it is easy to get out of a marriage”—something that many divorcees might disagree with.
An advice book that too frequently relies on outdated gender stereotypes.Pub Date: Nov. 28, 2013
ISBN: 978-1492926825
Page Count: 182
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Dec. 30, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
