Friendkeeping: A Field Guide To The People You Love, Hate, And Can't Live Without (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
This was a relatively quick read with mostly humorous anecdotes, but it was just "ok" and failed to hit the mark. The stories did not overcome the lack of true ideas in maintaining friendships. Some of the stories went too far, and made me grateful I don't know the author, for fear I might do something wrong and end up in her next book. Gosh, I hope this review doesn't put me on her bad side, either. i don't know. it was okay? a lot of the less positive review on goodreads say that it was fluffy & lacked substance. can't say i disagree! i was kind of relieved by that, because i have so little time or brainpower for reading thick, heavy books these days (i've been working on andrew solomon's "far from the tree" for literally months). so it was kind of pleasant to just tear through a book in a few hours, like i used to before i had a baby. but i just read it a couple of days ago & i already don't really remember anything about it. save for the fact that the "jancee" that is referenced so often is the author of another "humorous slice of life" book i read that i wasn't really so into, & "patty" is patricia marx, who writes the worst articles for "the new yorker". they're so bad, jared & i have been known to create spoofs of them for each other's amusement. (because somehow we're the kind of people who satirize "new yorker" articles for fun...who am i?)good for the author for having nice friends, i guess? but i can't say i necessarily learned anything from this book, which kind of cancels out the whole "field guide" aspect. it's really just stories about her & her friends, mixed with occasional advice that would be pretty difficult for anyone other than a relatively wealthy new yorker to take. like, in addressing long-distance friendships, she writes about the importance of sinking the time & money into spending time together at least once a year. but sometimes you are a broke couple with a baby & you can only really afford one out-of-state trip per year & the randparents expect it to be to where they live for christmas. which means you don't get to visit your best friend in detroit. or your partner's best friend in philly. even though you'd really like to. & you live in kansas, so forget anyone ever coming to visit you. but i guess maybe this book motivated me a little to make more effort with my friends. we'll see if it takes. arguably my favorite thing about this book is that another reviewer here on goodreads gave it a "1.8". that's so hilariously specific. but inquiring minds want to know...is it more of a 1.82 or are we talking 1.89?
What do You think about Friendkeeping: A Field Guide To The People You Love, Hate, And Can't Live Without (2012)?
Interesting but more of a personal memoir than something I found applicable to my own life.
—ilovemusic
We can all relate to this book. Love how the author writes the book and talks to you!!
—cindy
I loved the premise of this book, but it just was so... meh. I couldn't stay engaged.
—bn1974
Amusing, but not really any groundbreaking insights.
—email0043
*Recommended by reviewer Swapna Krishna.
—Ezrahill
