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What I learned from men
- GenresChick Lit
151 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
About the author
Jenell Hollett
3 books6 followersMy writing and speaking center on relationships, with particular emphasis on men's hidden struggles.
The plot of my first novel, What I Learned From Men, follows the maturation of a 28-year-old woman as she utilizes the lessons she's learned from male friends and family to navigate a family crisis centering on male depression. My second book, The Pain Behind The Portrait, focuses on the seldom-discussed problem of verbal abuse toward men, and the challenges abuse victims face as they cope and heal.
My blog "Thanks To Good Men" provides a way to affirm the role of good men in society and encourage open discussion about their inner struggles. It's at http://jenellhollett.wordpress.com.
My husband Joe and I live in the San Diego area. We have four grown children, two wonderful sons-in-law, and one adorable granddaughter.
The plot of my first novel, What I Learned From Men, follows the maturation of a 28-year-old woman as she utilizes the lessons she's learned from male friends and family to navigate a family crisis centering on male depression. My second book, The Pain Behind The Portrait, focuses on the seldom-discussed problem of verbal abuse toward men, and the challenges abuse victims face as they cope and heal.
My blog "Thanks To Good Men" provides a way to affirm the role of good men in society and encourage open discussion about their inner struggles. It's at http://jenellhollett.wordpress.com.
My husband Joe and I live in the San Diego area. We have four grown children, two wonderful sons-in-law, and one adorable granddaughter.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 7, 2013
Great Read! I'm a guy so when I read the premise about a woman who wrote a book about men that didn't do a WWF Slam with a choke hold, I bought it. Actually she nailed it on a lot of levels. Most guys I know have a lot of experiences and capabilities we'd love to share and that make us more complex beings than a walking hard-on. Jenell captures this elegantly in the context of a normal family that suddenly finds itself in extraordinary straits. Her writing conveys a wide breadth of emotions elegantly yet without becoming slave to them. Each of the main characters is a likable person with carefully drawn recognizable personalities yet she describes their growth path in a way that gently pulls the reader into the world of her female protagonist. This is not a peon to men or a whitewash of their (our) more irritating characteristics but it portrays the men in the protagonist's life as real beings with good things to offer, complex internal lives and a way of looking at situations that were different and at times triggering key insights in the protagonist at junctures of her life.
The story and characters, and their description was so real, that I choked up in a couple of places (yep, me a guy admitting this in print) yet it did not wallow in maudlin details, and ultimately it conveys an optimistic message. Jenell's writing is sweet, full of telling detail, keen observations yet moves easily and quickly. I felt a part of the journey which made reading What I Learned From Men a well worthwhile trip. Highly recommended.
The story and characters, and their description was so real, that I choked up in a couple of places (yep, me a guy admitting this in print) yet it did not wallow in maudlin details, and ultimately it conveys an optimistic message. Jenell's writing is sweet, full of telling detail, keen observations yet moves easily and quickly. I felt a part of the journey which made reading What I Learned From Men a well worthwhile trip. Highly recommended.
November 17, 2014
synopsis:
the narrator is trying to navigate the dating world. she's collecting advice from her guy friends, from her father, from her brother in law and from her own dating experiences.
what i liked: the premise. i also liked that the topic of depression was talked about in a serious way, both with regards to how it affects the person with depression and the people surrounding that person. depression can be an ever downward spiral, that, unless you're actually experiencing it, doesn't make sense to the world outside of you, and i thought that the reactions of all concerned were very realistic.
what i didn't like: the narrator seemed like an overgrown child, who let petty thoughts and preconceived notions get in the way of actually learning something about men. not only that, but the things that were supposedly "guy" things felt more like a woman trying to think like she thinks a guy should think.
the narrator is trying to navigate the dating world. she's collecting advice from her guy friends, from her father, from her brother in law and from her own dating experiences.
what i liked: the premise. i also liked that the topic of depression was talked about in a serious way, both with regards to how it affects the person with depression and the people surrounding that person. depression can be an ever downward spiral, that, unless you're actually experiencing it, doesn't make sense to the world outside of you, and i thought that the reactions of all concerned were very realistic.
what i didn't like: the narrator seemed like an overgrown child, who let petty thoughts and preconceived notions get in the way of actually learning something about men. not only that, but the things that were supposedly "guy" things felt more like a woman trying to think like she thinks a guy should think.
August 22, 2013
I feel the author brought you into the book on a light-hearted idea that this book was going to be fluff about dating and more of a comedy. in reality she took us on an unexpectedly thought provoking journey about everything from self reflection to pre-judging the basic core ideas that many were raised believing about the male/female roles in a relationship. I think she kept it light where it needed to be to keep me interested yet expanded the important points enough without losing my focus. in her conclusion of the book she rounded out the loose ends well to make the story feel very complete.
January 5, 2013
This book was not what I was expecting from the Title. It addresses a subject not talked about, and really makes you think about your relationships. You can easily read it in one sitting. A good story.
April 14, 2013
A very engaging look at the life of a woamn who couild have ended up in a Bridget Jones clone were it not for th efact that she trusted in, and allowed herself to be influenced by the advice she received from men thorug her life, On the whole - EXCELLENT!
Refreshingly Non-Feminazi
Refreshingly Non-Feminazi
September 15, 2012
Not what I was expecting. It was insightful while being a fun, enjoyable read. Got me thinking and hopefully I'll start listening more.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews