What do you think?
Rate this book
I Married My Mother-In-Law: And Other Tales of In-laws We can't Live With--and Can't Live Without
A provocative anthology of seventeen original essays in the tradition of The Bitch in the House includes contributions by such figures as Michael Chabon, Kathryn Harrison, and Martha McPhee. Reprint. 30,000 first printing.
- GenresNonfiction
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
1 person is currently reading
37 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 30, 2008
I read this on Amtrak on the way from visiting my mom in Sacto to my mother-in-law's house in Fresno (where I am currently living while my husband goes through chemo.) It is a series of essays about in-laws that various authors contributed. Overall, I thought that the editor's voice was too pronounced. You could hear the same voice throughout the stories; I literally had to flip back a couple of times to make sure that I was actually reading a different author. I don't like that. I want the individual author's voice to really shine, not the editor's voice.
Some of the essays were about wonderful in-laws, some about difficult in-laws. It was an easy read and kept me entertained for a couple of hours. All in all, I feel cheated out of time that I could have spent reading a more engaging book.
Some of the essays were about wonderful in-laws, some about difficult in-laws. It was an easy read and kept me entertained for a couple of hours. All in all, I feel cheated out of time that I could have spent reading a more engaging book.
April 24, 2017
I've never been married, but I was close enough to it at one point that I essentially had in-laws. so, when I saw that someone had assembled an anthology of stories from those brave enough to speak about their own in-laws, I pounced. (I'm not sure what this says about me, but perhaps my failing to get along with my own not-quite-in-laws has something to do with how excitedly I tore into this book.)
It was the farthest thing from what I expected, however. There is very little spite or bitterness to be found in these pages. Some, like Sarah Jenkins, simply didn't know what they were getting into, and once they realized it, they cut loose. (Indeed, Sarah's story mirrored my own in so many disturbing ways that it made me glad all over again that I awoke long before she had.) Others, like Dani Shapiro, loved their in-laws dearly and had far more struggles with their biological parents. Still others, like Anthony Giardina, seemed to write less about their in-laws and more about life itself. It's a deeply literary, introspective collection, that sometimes dazzled (thank you, Sarah Jenkins), and sometimes, well, bored me. There were several gems in this book, but many others, while being solid pieces of writing, failed to speak to me on any but the most basic level.
I noticed a particular lack of diversity in the book. It seemed as though many of the contributors had similar upbringings and voices, such that I'd occasionally forget which author's life I was exploring. Jewishness figures highly, so that it can actually be called a subtheme of the anthology, but otherwise it felt fairly uniform.
I conclude that, while there is some truly masterful writing in this collection, and the concept itself is an excellent one, this is a book I would borrow, not buy.
It was the farthest thing from what I expected, however. There is very little spite or bitterness to be found in these pages. Some, like Sarah Jenkins, simply didn't know what they were getting into, and once they realized it, they cut loose. (Indeed, Sarah's story mirrored my own in so many disturbing ways that it made me glad all over again that I awoke long before she had.) Others, like Dani Shapiro, loved their in-laws dearly and had far more struggles with their biological parents. Still others, like Anthony Giardina, seemed to write less about their in-laws and more about life itself. It's a deeply literary, introspective collection, that sometimes dazzled (thank you, Sarah Jenkins), and sometimes, well, bored me. There were several gems in this book, but many others, while being solid pieces of writing, failed to speak to me on any but the most basic level.
I noticed a particular lack of diversity in the book. It seemed as though many of the contributors had similar upbringings and voices, such that I'd occasionally forget which author's life I was exploring. Jewishness figures highly, so that it can actually be called a subtheme of the anthology, but otherwise it felt fairly uniform.
I conclude that, while there is some truly masterful writing in this collection, and the concept itself is an excellent one, this is a book I would borrow, not buy.
August 15, 2010
It seemed appropriate to finally read this the week that my own in-laws are coming for their first post-wedding visit (we're 1600 miles apart). I've already read The Bitch in the House and The Bastard on the Couch and a few additional similar essay collections, and this volume stays within that vein. It is more serious, however, which is unsurprising. There's just too much inherent conflict in the topic. You also lose some of the annoyance of only hearing from NY/LA freelance yuppies because at least their in-laws come in a wide variety of types. Although there's still an awful lot of Jew vs WASP.
Many classic disagreements are mysteriously missing -- how to raise the kids, dividing up holidays, money. (Then again, how many writers would dare? Even under a pseudonym, your spouse will still know.) Instead, it's mostly death, divorce, and generally getting acquainted. There are two sets of his/her essays, which is clever enough, although there's nothing in the pieces themselves to reveal the connection.
I particularly enjoyed the pieces by Michael Chabon, Susan Straight, and especially Barbara Jones. The sole pseudonymous piece was well-written but I was too distracted by the mystery of her incredibly crappy-from-the-get-go choice of husband to really absorb it.
I have no idea whether I will get anything personally useful from reading this. I'm not six months into my marriage. But it was a pleasant, thoughtful read regardless.
Many classic disagreements are mysteriously missing -- how to raise the kids, dividing up holidays, money. (Then again, how many writers would dare? Even under a pseudonym, your spouse will still know.) Instead, it's mostly death, divorce, and generally getting acquainted. There are two sets of his/her essays, which is clever enough, although there's nothing in the pieces themselves to reveal the connection.
I particularly enjoyed the pieces by Michael Chabon, Susan Straight, and especially Barbara Jones. The sole pseudonymous piece was well-written but I was too distracted by the mystery of her incredibly crappy-from-the-get-go choice of husband to really absorb it.
I have no idea whether I will get anything personally useful from reading this. I'm not six months into my marriage. But it was a pleasant, thoughtful read regardless.
January 9, 2008
For better or for worse, when you get married, you inherit a whole new family.
For some this is a great thing. A new set of people to love; they are after all, your spouse’s parents.
For others, this is not so great. A new set of people they have to fight and compete with.
That’s the subject of I Married My Mother-In-Law: And Other Tales of In-Laws We Can’t Live With and – and Can’t Live Without.
Editor Ilena Silverman begged, prodded, and convinced several writers to pen stories about their in-laws.
You’ve got to respect each of these authors for laying it on the line and inviting God and everyone into their inner-most thoughts about their in-laws.
So far, I’ve found the book to speak a lot of truth; about the importance of these relationships, about the flaws, and about the uniqueness. These relationships are almost always complex and most of the tales I’ve read so far touch on that complexity.
Regardless of how you feel about your in-laws, you should at least sample this book. Each short story flows easily into the next, leaving you wanting to read more. I’ve found it difficult to put down.
http://thehive.modbee.com/lostmyplace
For some this is a great thing. A new set of people to love; they are after all, your spouse’s parents.
For others, this is not so great. A new set of people they have to fight and compete with.
That’s the subject of I Married My Mother-In-Law: And Other Tales of In-Laws We Can’t Live With and – and Can’t Live Without.
Editor Ilena Silverman begged, prodded, and convinced several writers to pen stories about their in-laws.
You’ve got to respect each of these authors for laying it on the line and inviting God and everyone into their inner-most thoughts about their in-laws.
So far, I’ve found the book to speak a lot of truth; about the importance of these relationships, about the flaws, and about the uniqueness. These relationships are almost always complex and most of the tales I’ve read so far touch on that complexity.
Regardless of how you feel about your in-laws, you should at least sample this book. Each short story flows easily into the next, leaving you wanting to read more. I’ve found it difficult to put down.
http://thehive.modbee.com/lostmyplace
April 16, 2008
I expected it to be more like The Bastard on the Couch and Bitch in the House - funny and witty. This was just boring.
November 29, 2008
Cute...not anything spectacular, but good before-bed reading. I'll pass it along to my sister in law.
August 2, 2013
Read it for the writing and don't worry about the content. Well worth it.
January 21, 2016
Great stories with mixes of heartwarming and funny stories, but when they are sad, they were rip my heart out and set it on fire sad.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews