I Cant Compain All Too Personal Essays By Elinor Lipman (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
I suppose I could complain about this book of tales by Elinor Lipman, but I would be fooling myself because I really enjoyed each of her anecdotal stories with her wry humor. Within the four sections, she elaborates on her family, career, relationships, and moving forward throughout the thirty one short essays. In the first story "Julia's Child" she acknowledges that she lied about her age when someone asks when she got married, using a lower number. She owns up to her flaws and enjoys her strengths since she seems to have hardly anything to hide. In "My Soap Opera Journal", Lipman elaborates on her history with the soaps from 1939 (before she was born!) through 2003 citing virtually every soap on tv. "Sex and the City" has a starring role in Lipman's career section when the Boston Globe's Art Director asked her if she would write a piece guessing on how this iconic television series would end. Four years later, she met Sarah Jessica Parker at the movie premiere of "Then She Found Me" (based on Lipman's novel) featuring Parker's husband Matthew Broderick. The most poignant segments are the ones about her family members. She holds nothing back while telling it like it is. Some of these stories are quite humorous while others are more demure. In both good and bad times, Lipman tells it like she sees it so you really can't complain about that. I'm quite a Lipman fan, particularly of certain of her works. I enjoyed reading these personal essays but had the same reaction as to some other collections, such as Nora Ephon's last published collection. These essays were written for specific audiences and would have been much delightful when served the first time. Many of these pieces are from the Boston Globe's Coupling column. Two stand-outs in the first section concerned Lipman's mother. Her piece on her husband that was featured in Modern Love is the most powerful in the book. Especially for someone who needs to read in little bursts these would be a delightful introduction to Lipman.
What do You think about I Cant Compain All Too Personal Essays By Elinor Lipman (2013)?
Lipman is one of my favorite authors. I really enjoyed her book of personal essays.
—jj3161
Essays aren't always my favorite reading but these are a delight.
—Carmenchew
I really liked this book. Quick essays about life.
—Chrissy
