Recynd's review
Mortified: Real Words. Real People. Real Pathetic. by David Nadelberg
Recynd's review
rating:
bookshelves: light-reading, memoirs-bios, nonfiction, short-stories-or-essays
status: Read in December, 2007 — I have a copy to sell/swap
rating:
bookshelves: light-reading, memoirs-bios, nonfiction, short-stories-or-essays
status: Read in December, 2007 — I have a copy to sell/swap
Contrary to the author-editor's disclaimer in the introduction, the best part of this book is, in fact, the little pokes of nostalgia scattered throughout...and though the tidbits are refreshingly genuine (each diary entry has, purportedly, been left unaltered)...not contrived like nostalgic retrospectives...there are fewer of those pokes than one might hope.
A collection of diary excerpts submitted by folks both humbled in the face of their own immaturity, and those not so much, it's mostly the former; and while there are a few entries from survivors of the 90s, most came of age the same time I did: the mid-to-late 80s. Regardless of era, though, I think just about every one of us can relate to the angst, the crippling insecurity, and the complete lack of perspective that each entry illustrates.
That said...it gets old, quick.
I did notice a couple of things:
1. Though there are a couple of entries written by insufferably smug (yet deliciously earnest) Born-Again Christ...more
A collection of diary excerpts submitted by folks both humbled in the face of their own immaturity, and those not so much, it's mostly the former; and while there are a few entries from survivors of the 90s, most came of age the same time I did: the mid-to-late 80s. Regardless of era, though, I think just about every one of us can relate to the angst, the crippling insecurity, and the complete lack of perspective that each entry illustrates.
That said...it gets old, quick.
I did notice a couple of things:
1. Though there are a couple of entries written by insufferably smug (yet deliciously earnest) Born-Again Christ...more
We Jews are a pretty opinionated, hot-headed bunch, so I imagine that translates into the teenage world as well.
You think more so than others? I was thinking maybe journals were a hot item at Bar/Bat Mitzvahs. Or maybe since Jews (forgive the generalizations!!) tend to value education, the kids actually know how to write?
Anyway, I hope I didn't come across offensively; it certainly wasn't meant to be...
ha, I wasn't offended, no worries. (but thanks for the concern, Recynd!)
I DO think that there is some truth to the education bit. Although I know plenty of jewish folk that don't do much reading, in the jewish culture as a whole, a lot of reading is done.
People who read a lot are bound to be more articulate. On Facebook, for example, there are a whole variety of group discussion threads.. and the only ones that have any semblance of coherence are the ones that relate to reading. or at least that's the way it feels!
