Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
7th out of 15 books
—
2 voters
Mennonite in a Little Black Dress: A Memoir of Going Home
by
Rhoda Janzen
A hilarious and moving memoir—in the spirit of Anne Lamott and Nora Ephron—about a woman who returns home to her close-knit Mennonite family after a personal crisis
Not long after Rhoda Janzen turned forty, her world turned upside down. It was bad enough that her brilliant husband of fifteen years left her for Bob, a guy he met on Gay.com, but that same week a car accident...more
Not long after Rhoda Janzen turned forty, her world turned upside down. It was bad enough that her brilliant husband of fifteen years left her for Bob, a guy he met on Gay.com, but that same week a car accident...more
Paperback, 241 pages
Published
April 13th 2010
by St. Martin's Griffin
(first published October 13th 2009)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
All things considered what an upbeat & funny story. The way she chose to deal with her husband leaving her for a man, without excessive bitterness or vindictiveness showed a lot of class. She dealt with the Mennonite Community in the same way, providing clear & logical reasons for why she left the faith while refraining from taking cheap shots. When her life was crumbling around her they were there for her with steaming bowls of borscht. I fell in love with her mother:)
Good writer, witt...more
Good writer, witt...more
15 likes · like · see review
view all 22 comments
Sep 06, 2011
Petra X
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
biography-true-story
You can read this book in one of two ways: either as a straight memoir by an English professor who had several personal challenges including a bad car accident who went home to her Mennonite parents to recover and wrote this book. Very simplistic and fairly enjoyable, although as Mennonites are nowhere near as separated from modern society as the Amish, there are few interesting insights into a really different culture.
Or you can read this as a thinly-disguised hate book against her ex-husband...more
Or you can read this as a thinly-disguised hate book against her ex-husband...more
40 likes · like · see review
This is going to sound weird, but I up to page 184 and then just stopped (and there are only 241 pages in the book). I think I kept reading because I had no other book to read. Finally, I came to a realization: "I don't like this book and I have ZERO interest in what might occur in the final forty pages."
I disliked the author's voice. I'm not sure how to explain the voice, but the best description I can give is that it sounds like she's trying too hard to be breezy and funny and witty...and I fo...more
I disliked the author's voice. I'm not sure how to explain the voice, but the best description I can give is that it sounds like she's trying too hard to be breezy and funny and witty...and I fo...more
14 likes · like · see review
I read the first 60 pages of this book one night when I couldn't sleep. It had me laughing hysterically many times in that 60 pages. The kind of laughter where you're glad no one else is around because you're honking and braying and sucking in air like some kind of asthmatic donkey.
Sad to say, she pretty much used up her good material in that first 60 pages. The rest of the book is well-written enough. (She is, after all, an English prof.) But it consists mostly of long, rambling shaggy-dog sto...more
Sad to say, she pretty much used up her good material in that first 60 pages. The rest of the book is well-written enough. (She is, after all, an English prof.) But it consists mostly of long, rambling shaggy-dog sto...more
29 likes · like · see review
This book is an example of turning lemons into lemonade as only a skilled writer can do. Have you ever noticed that some of the most interesting stories we tell others are those personal experiences where everything went wrong? Well, Rhoda Janzen has written about a time in her life when everything that could go wrong happened. Her skilled writing has turned her memories into an entertaining, often humorous, memoir. Contrary to Thomas Wolfe's novel, "You Can't Go Home Again," Rhoda went home to...more
16 likes · like · see review
I continued reading past the first chapter only by accident. I had set up the book on my nursing stand, and each time I finished nursing, I was too distracted with the baby to remember to change out the book. But if I'd had free hands, I'd have thrown it against the wall.
In this book, Rhoda Janzen commits the following crimes:
--she makes fun of her family members for being backwards hicks -- in mean ways
--she makes snarky comments about almost everyone and everything -- snarky comments which she...more
In this book, Rhoda Janzen commits the following crimes:
--she makes fun of her family members for being backwards hicks -- in mean ways
--she makes snarky comments about almost everyone and everything -- snarky comments which she...more
29 likes · like · see review
This is one of those memoirs that came from the "Everyone has a story to tell" memoir fad. I love memoirs. I don't love memoirs that seem to be the author writing to see the words in print (sort of like people who talk to hear their own voices). Janzen has a talent for storytelling, but I didn't see much value in the story itself. Maybe I'm too far removed from the situation to appreciate the story.
The writing was fun and the book is an easy read. I hoped for something a little more. I understo...more
The writing was fun and the book is an easy read. I hoped for something a little more. I understo...more
A very, very funny memoir, especially towards the beginning. Her life in free-fall after her husband of fifteen years leaves her for a man he met on Gay.com, Ms. Janzen goes home to live with her Mennonite parents. At 43, Janzen had strayed from her conservative upbringing: she wears Manolo Blahniks, sports a PhD in literature from UCLA and keeps her last name when she marries. So when she gets post-divorce dating advice from her mother that involves dating her first cousin Waldemar, I laughed....more
This book had so much potential, but was mostly a let down. The funniest bits were the blurb on the back, the first scene, and an epilogue written for the P.S. edition. The rest of Rhoda Janzen's memoir are largely disjointed, meandering reminiscences, some of which are mildly amusing and few of which are cohesive.
This novel was not disjointed enough to be considered a series of short writings on a theme, like Me Talk Pretty One Day or A Wolf At The Table, yet it was too episodic and meandering...more
This novel was not disjointed enough to be considered a series of short writings on a theme, like Me Talk Pretty One Day or A Wolf At The Table, yet it was too episodic and meandering...more
Yes, this book was “laugh out loud” funny in many places and Rhoda Janzen’s humorous tone made it a quick and easy read, but I was puzzled by why she chose the path she did and kept looking for more than this book contained.
Throughout the reading of this entire book, I kept wondering one question. Why?...WHY did Rhoda so totally throw off the religion of her youth in her 20’s? Why did she seem almost hell bent to cast off every vestige of Christianity and Mennonitism in particular? WHY did she m...more
Throughout the reading of this entire book, I kept wondering one question. Why?...WHY did Rhoda so totally throw off the religion of her youth in her 20’s? Why did she seem almost hell bent to cast off every vestige of Christianity and Mennonitism in particular? WHY did she m...more
10 likes · like · see review
I was disappointed with this but to be fair, it was partly because I thought it was going to be something it wasn't. I expected to learn about the Mennonite religion and community in a serious way along with the jokes, but that didn't happen. Even in the appendix where there is a section on Mennonite history there was very little that I didn't already know, and I'm not exactly knowledgeable on the subject.
But enough of what this isn't. What it is, is an irreverent look at Rhoda Janzen's family a...more
But enough of what this isn't. What it is, is an irreverent look at Rhoda Janzen's family a...more
3 likes · like · see review
I don't often go for memoirs, but this one was of personal interest to me, and turned out to be really well done. Though some of the Russian Mennonite references were unfamiliar to me, with my Swiss/German (and primarily Midwestern) Mennonite heritage, a lot of it hit close to home. Such as this passage about the conflict between the author's Mennonite upbringing and her professional career and adult life:
"Consider how impossible it is, for example, to aspire to the role of virtuous woman when p...more
"Consider how impossible it is, for example, to aspire to the role of virtuous woman when p...more
If you liked David Sedaris, or if you liked Elizabeth Gilbert, then you should add Rhoda Janzen to your reading list. Janzen, who holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles, is the kind of educated author who we should all aspire to, and here’s why:
Janzen’s niche isn’t that her husband left her for a dude he met on Gay.com, or that her family is so Mennonite they used to send her to elementary school with a thermos full of Borscht (although both are equally traumatic enough to...more
Janzen’s niche isn’t that her husband left her for a dude he met on Gay.com, or that her family is so Mennonite they used to send her to elementary school with a thermos full of Borscht (although both are equally traumatic enough to...more
I wish there was a star rating that meant "I laughed out loud several times, had to look up a few words in the dictionary, and regularly swore I could hear the voice of one of my dearest friends narrating to me from this warm, welcoming, funny, painful, strange familiar story".
Or maybe, to paraphase the words of Steve Martin, something along the lines of "it reached down, grabbed my heart and squoze it."
Yeah. That would do.
Or maybe, to paraphase the words of Steve Martin, something along the lines of "it reached down, grabbed my heart and squoze it."
Yeah. That would do.
I liked reading about the author's journey from a rather low point in her life, her husband of 15 years left her for "a guy named Bob from gay.com" and recovering from a serious car accident, back home to her roots. She had to come to terms with her choices and even her prejudices. It was enlightening and thought provoking.
It was also laugh out loud funny. The author's humor was ever present, even while addressing the destruction of her marriage. I found that admirable. There was not a time that...more
It was also laugh out loud funny. The author's humor was ever present, even while addressing the destruction of her marriage. I found that admirable. There was not a time that...more
2 likes · like · see review
A perfectly fluffy hospital read. Janzen, after a series of disasters (a botched hysterectomy, a cheating husband, and a catastrophic car accident) moves in with her parents for financial and medical reasons, and reflects on the wild discrepancies between her life as a cosmopolitan poet/ academic and their lives as strictly observant Mennonites. Janzen has trouble hitting exactly the right tone -- at times she's making fun of her sister-in-law in rather vicious excess, at times she's sweetly com...more
A raw yet amusing story of a woman reconnecting with her roots
Having been a lapsed Baptist for many years, I found a lot in common with Rhoda, the author of this memoir.Like the author,I found myself questioning and at odds with the narrow discipline that goes hand in hand with the evangelical faiths.And not surprising,she jumps out on her own when given the opportunity.
But Ms. Janzen finds herself back in the fold of the Mennonite community when her long troubled husband unceremoniously dumps her for another man.Without a second thought her family comes...more
But Ms. Janzen finds herself back in the fold of the Mennonite community when her long troubled husband unceremoniously dumps her for another man.Without a second thought her family comes...more
1 like · like · see review
I really enjoyed this! Although many of her stories are specific to Mennonites, there are a good number of her experiences that are similar to immigrant's children, generic conservative Christian families, and also families with stay-at-home-moms. "Shame-based foods", for example, was something I was just discussing the other day with a group of girlfriends, and believe me; I had 'em! No one would trade lunches with me when I had a peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwich :(
This author could take p...more
This author could take p...more
1 like · like · see review
What I liked: A peek into a modern Mennonite's life, a woman who has left the community and examines how that foundation formed her. Some truly funny moments. The author is insightful--to a certain measure--and puts herself 100% out there in terms of vulnerability, which I admire.
What I didn't like: I felt the author was mean and crass and disrespectful to her loving, and amazingly tolerant, parents. I can handle sarcasm and love dry wit, but it has to be balanced (a la Anne Lamott). I empathize...more
What I didn't like: I felt the author was mean and crass and disrespectful to her loving, and amazingly tolerant, parents. I can handle sarcasm and love dry wit, but it has to be balanced (a la Anne Lamott). I empathize...more
10 likes · like · see review
Ugh.... This book was such a terd. If I could give it 0 stars, I would.
The main problem I had with this book was that I felt like Jenzen was trying to write three separate books in one:
the first being how HILARIOUSLY outrageous her family is (eye roll);
the second being how her husband, who was physically, verbally and mentally abusive to her for their entire 15 yr marriage, suddenly left her for Bob, who he met on Gay.com (does that website even exist?), EVEN THOUGH her husband was openly bisex...more
The main problem I had with this book was that I felt like Jenzen was trying to write three separate books in one:
the first being how HILARIOUSLY outrageous her family is (eye roll);
the second being how her husband, who was physically, verbally and mentally abusive to her for their entire 15 yr marriage, suddenly left her for Bob, who he met on Gay.com (does that website even exist?), EVEN THOUGH her husband was openly bisex...more
1 like · like · see review
This was an eye-opener. I thought the book was fiction but then when I read that the main character had had surgery and her husband was taking care of her while she was recovering by changing her pee bag, I thought Wow! What courage to write about such a strange subject! It was then that I realized someone would not write fiction about such a serious matter. It was real. And that same caring guy left her after falling for another guy he met on gay.com! Very courageous lady to turn her back on ho...more
1 like · like · see review
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I loathed this book. Don't think I am exaggerating. Near the end of the book the author talks about books she hates, but is compelled to finish. Chalk this book up in that category. I am no Mennonite, but I was completely offended by her foul language. I was always told only people limited in their vocabulary must resort to vulgar language. As a creative writing professor, I am surprised at her lack of creativity in communicating her anger, shock, humiliation, surprise, and other emotions. Clear...more
An interesting memoir written by a woman who grew up as a Mennonite and returns to her roots after her husband leaves her for a man. It was hilarious at times and certainly well-written (she's an English professor). My only criticism is that the flow of it didn't always make sense to me. It jumped around a lot, and I never did figure out the pattern. I was interested enough to want to know more about her and her life at the end-- always a good sign. I wish she'd met someone new, but really, that...more
The perfect combination of some laugh out loud moments paired with sobering life can kick our butts moments. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
Jun 09, 2013
Penny McGill
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
book-club-favourites
I read this book a few years ago for my fun bookclub. I can't remember who chose this book but it doesn't matter because all of the people in that club are fun and they tend to pick fun books. At first glance this title might be a bit to crazy to appeal to me, I would prefer something that didn't shout across the bookstore "I'm zany - you will love reading me" but it was a choice in the book club so I dove in.
Rhoda Janzen's book does have some of that typical, outlandish flare to it, describing...more
Rhoda Janzen's book does have some of that typical, outlandish flare to it, describing...more
Toward the end of her 2006 bestseller Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert describes a date with Felipe, the man with whom she would eventually fall in love and marry. She writes: "We talk about our marriages, our divorces. Not in a petty way, but just to commiserate . . . We drink wine and eat well together and we tell each other the nicest stories we can remember about former spouses, just to take the sting out of all that conversation about loss." (277)
In Mennonite, Janzen takes the nice stor...more
In Mennonite, Janzen takes the nice stor...more
Rhoda Janzen, an American poet and professor of English and Creative Writing at Hope College has written a terrifically fun memoir full of humor and wit.
She returns to her (very Mennonite) parents' home in Fresno, California to recuperate both physically, after a horrible car accident and mentally, after her husband of 15 years left her for a guy named Bob that he met on gay.com (a tidbit she mentions often throughout the book).
Food plays a leading role in the book. We are introduced to the culi...more
She returns to her (very Mennonite) parents' home in Fresno, California to recuperate both physically, after a horrible car accident and mentally, after her husband of 15 years left her for a guy named Bob that he met on gay.com (a tidbit she mentions often throughout the book).
Food plays a leading role in the book. We are introduced to the culi...more
What do you do if your husband of 15 years, brilliant, bi-polar, verbally abusive, and not much of a financial contributor decides to leave you for a guy named Bob that he met on gay.com? If you're Rhoda Janzen, you return to the warm borscht-laden arms of your Mennonite parents for some perspective and spiritual renewal. Mennonite in a LBD is a humorous memoir of the collapse of Rhoda's modern marriage juxtaposed against the uplifting and positive disposition of her mom, sister, and friends. A...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Did anyone like the author? | 23 | 171 | Mar 03, 2013 12:05pm | |
| menonite in little black dress | 7 | 61 | Jul 23, 2012 08:35am |
Rhoda Janzen is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Mennonite in a Little Black Dress and the poetry collection Babel’s Stair. She teaches English and creative writing at Hope College in Holland, Michigan.
More about Rhoda Janzen...
Rhoda Janzen holds a PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she was the University of California Poet Laureate in 1994 and 1997. She is the author of Babel's Stair,
...more
Share This Book
10 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
“In my opinion, sexiness comes down to three things: chemistry, sense of humor, and treatment of waitstaff at restaurants.”
—
38 people liked it
“I think maybe I'd still nod and smile and have lunch with him. I think maybe I'd still go to the Noam Chomsky documentary later that evening. And maybe I'd even marry him a couple of weeks later. Is it ever really a waste of time to love someone, truly and deeply, with everything you have?”
—
5 people liked it
More quotes…
