Things I've Learned From Women Who've Dumped Me
by Ben Karlin, Nick Hornby, Andy Selsberg
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Read in January, 2008
Anthologies can be kind of repetitive, with entry after entry harping on the same tired theme. The theme for Things I’ve Learned From Women Who’ve Dumped Me feels particularly uninspired, as the topic of men bitching about women is arguably the most prominent in the history of literature. But the credentials of editor Ben Karlin (co-editor of America: The Book) combined with the book’s impressive list of contributors (Andy Richter, Stephen Colbert, Neal Pollack, more) piqued ...more
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Read in February, 2008
"I married the one who dumped you, and you married the one who dumped me, but that's the story. Effectively we became the DVD of Elf that you ignore in the rental store at nine o'clock on a Friday night, on the presumption that there will be something better (or at least, something more fulfilling, more complex, and that you haven't seen twice before) on the shelves somewhere. And guess what you end up going home with?"
"Everything was focused on trying to get my romantic lif...more
"Everything was focused on trying to get my romantic lif...more
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Read in February, 2008
I know what you're thinking and no I am not and was not a lesbian, not that there is anything at all wrong with that. I picked up this book at ye old Costco, simply because of some of the writers names on the cover: Nick Hornby, Stephen Colbert, Bob Odenkirk, Andy Richter, and Dan Savage, to name a few. Also, I secretly wanted to know what relationships were like for men. As a straight woman, you never can tell. Men are simple in their thoughts and emotions - NOT SIMPLETONS - just not as complex...more
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Read in April, 2008
This "eh" of a book, weirdly, is a really good example of a particular, baffling sort of thing that pops up culturally from time to time: a thing, usually a "text," that the career feminists (on feministing.com, for instance) get really riled up about and assume that all thinking women must ipso facto deplore the execution, content, and existence of, but whose feminist significance I... just... totally... miss. I'm all ready to get rambunctious with them, as usual (Down with...more
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Read in March, 2008
considering the contributors' bios, i expected this to set a new standard in hilarity: comedians, sitcom writers, late show scripters. it's actually repetitious, half assed, and largely forgetable. now, scanning through names of the different chapters, i can't remember a lick about the story where the guy compares life with his wife to the time he dated a stripper or even the gist of todd hanson's essay "things more majestic and terrible than you could ever imagine."
on the other h...more
on the other h...more
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Read in March, 2008
The former executive producer of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report edits a collection of essays/stories that for the most part aren’t lessons so much as accounts of guys being stupid about sex and/or love. And for the most part, they’re pretty funny. Nick Hornby’s introduction had me laughing aloud, and there were plenty of other hilarious moments (although I was kind of disappointed by Stephen Colbert’s en...more
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My friend gave this book to me, today. His longterm girlfriend gave it to him as a foreshadowing tool, which is one of the funniest and saddest uses for a book that I've ever heard of.
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11 comments
Read in March, 2008
I was expecting much more from this book. Edited by Ben Karlin - former editor of The Onion, former executive producer of The Daily Show and co-creator of The Colbert Report - this book should have been a rip-roarin'-romp through male inadequacy and insecurity. It started out strong, but somewhere along the line it became the male version of chick lit: dick lit. And boring to boot.
At first, it was good for a few laughs. But then I laughed less. And got bored. And maybe started to skim a bit....more
At first, it was good for a few laughs. But then I laughed less. And got bored. And maybe started to skim a bit....more
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Read in February, 2008
recommends it for:
single guy friends, or any guy friends in general
This is a great read. The writing from most of the contributors is funny, interesting and enjoyable; I think there was only maybe one or two works that were sort of "meh" for me. On the whole, I found myself very engaged in the writing, having finished this book in two days (I took a break to watch the first disc of Pee-Wee's Playhouse).
The formatting of each essay/anecdote differs, including comic-strip contributions and and illustration (Marcel Dzama!). My favourite ent...more
The formatting of each essay/anecdote differs, including comic-strip contributions and and illustration (Marcel Dzama!). My favourite ent...more
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Read in March, 2008
A collection of short essays, mostly non-fiction (I guess), by dudes complaining about their ex-girlfriends. Fortunately, most of the contributors are comedians and funny guys. (For some reason, Senator Bob Kerrey also wrote a piece.) Guys I knew were funny (Andy Richter, Dan Savage, Patton Oswalt, and especially Bob Odenkirk) proved it. A couple missed their mark--notably Stephen Colbert and La...more
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Read in March, 2008
# That Wolfdogg will probably have his suggestion rights for Rock and Roll Bookclub revoked again. His rights were revoked sometime in June of 07 because he suggested A Boy Called Freebird, a book so heinous and unreadable that I didn’t make it past page 40.
# Just because someone writes something funny for TV (Will Forte, Stephen Colbert, Andy Richter, et. al.) does not mean they can write a funny, fresh, uncliched essay about dating or relationships.
# I really don’t like Neal Pollac...more
# Just because someone writes something funny for TV (Will Forte, Stephen Colbert, Andy Richter, et. al.) does not mean they can write a funny, fresh, uncliched essay about dating or relationships.
# I really don’t like Neal Pollac...more
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Read in March, 2008
for the most part great. mostly recollections of past loves and lessons learned from some famous and not so famous comedians and "industry people". some recounts were both extraordinarily funny and brought me to tears. patton oswalt as always is brilliant as is bob odenkirk. steven colbert unfortunately seems to have phoned it in. todd hanson who i just figured out is a big wig at the onion, is now understandably brilliant. there are a few that are overly maudlin, which is understanda...more
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Read in February, 2008
This was a fantastic book. Unfortunately, halfway through reading it I started seeing someone who I'm now in a relationship with, so the second half lost the same "bitter single man" allure as the first.... Still, an excellent book.
Sometimes sully-your-pantaloons funny, sometimes poignant, sometimes heartbreaking. Everyone from a high-school student humorist to a former U.S. Senator contributed a little something for this book. Looking back on past bad relationships, each author expo...more
Sometimes sully-your-pantaloons funny, sometimes poignant, sometimes heartbreaking. Everyone from a high-school student humorist to a former U.S. Senator contributed a little something for this book. Looking back on past bad relationships, each author expo...more
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Read in May, 2008
A collection of stories about the ends of relationships. The stories come in varying degrees of humor and insight, usually not quite enough of either. The default story is a middle-aged guy reminiscing on a girlfriend he had in college, bagging on himself a bit, and taking a shot or two at his ex.
The only female contributor is the editor's mother. Couldn't there have been at least one token story about a lesbian dumping?
Contributors include Patton Oswalt, Stephen Colbert, Bob Odenkirk a...more
The only female contributor is the editor's mother. Couldn't there have been at least one token story about a lesbian dumping?
Contributors include Patton Oswalt, Stephen Colbert, Bob Odenkirk a...more
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Really funny collection of essays, including, but not limited to: Bob Odenkirk's transcription of part of his seminar: "9 Years is Exactly the Right Amount of Time to be in a Bad Relationship," Stephen Colbert's would-be heart-warming story that is all but completely blacked out by his wife's marker to keep things private, Will Forte's reminiscence of a girlfriend who kept riding off on another guy's motorcycle but kept insisting they were "just friends," Patton Oswalt compar...more
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Read in March, 2008
recommended to Kim by:
found it on my ownThis review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
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The essays are not all great, but I enjoyed most of them. Patton Oswalt's "Nine Years Is The Exact Right Amount of Time to Be in a Bad Relationship" and "Dating A Stripper Is A Recipe for Perspective" are high points. "The Heart Is A Choking Hazard" by Stephen Colbert is great too--it made me want to reread I Am America (And So Can You!). Dan Savage's "I Am A Gay Man" has the most disgusting and (unfortunately) unforgettable metaphor for a vagina that I...more
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Read in February, 2008
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
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Read in February, 2008
recommends it for:
Mostly guys, but girls might enjoy it too
I'll make this short and sweet: this book spoke to me. I recognized so many of the situations these guys found themselves in, and so it was actually a quite therapeutic book to read. Some of the essays also made me laugh so hard I couldn't breathe, and that doesn't happen too often. From contributors that everyone has heard of (Stephen Colbert) to lesser known but seriously funny guys, this book hit the spot for me on a few levels. I heartily recommend it, if for nothing else than some really go...more
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Read in March, 2008
recommends it for:
girls who think guys don't actually care
Humorous collection of observations/rants/experiences from some of the funny men of our day. Stephen Colbert has a great essay that has been "sanitized" by his wife in permanent marker. Needless to say, hysterical and completely lacking any steamy information from Colbert's ex-flame. A bit repetitive, but a little insight into the minds of men post-relationship. One of my favorite essays was by a new father who has his heart broken when his daughter refuses to reciprocate his love....more
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