Disaster Preparedness: A Memoir (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
I liked this! When I was in high school, I liked Heather Havrilesky's tv writing, and now I like her advice columns or whatever else pops up on the internet. In the same way, I liked this book. What I did NOT like was the part where she confesses everything that's wrong with her to her future husband and he's like, "so you're a woman." Harhar. NO, WTF! I don't expect everyone to be a lesbian feminist (this might be a lie) but yeesh! Just sub "human" for "woman" and everything would be fine. 3.5Havrilesky's essays are honest and interesting and work in a sort of haphazard way. What at first may seem like a bunch of slightly unrelated tidbits and short tales all tie together in the end to work toward one greater meaning or concept. This goes for both individual essays and for the entirety of the book. The essays presented here take us from childhood and all the things that scared or concerned her to her adulthood and how she has come to cope or not cope. From hearing her parents fight as a kid to losing her virginity to trying to make sense of her own life as a mom, Havrilesky isn't afraid to cover anything and often does so in an amusing and honest way. Given the steadfast (though successful) pattern of her writing, one or two essays may seem to ramble on a bit long or make you sigh and think "I've got it already," but I think this is partly due to an attempt to read the book straight through instead of stopping to contemplate between each piece. Overall a good read and an amusingly real outlook on life and all that frightens or concerns us.
What do You think about Disaster Preparedness: A Memoir (2010)?
Amusing comic essays, but ultimately nothing really memorable. Good quick escapist read.
—kris
All this did was make me even more homesick. Thanks a lot.
—alisha
