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One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter
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A collection of essays about growing up the daughter of Indian immigrants in Canada, "a land of ice and casual racism," by the cultural observer, Scaachi Koul.
In One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter, Scaachi deploys her razor-sharp humour to share her fears, outrages and mortifying experiences as an outsider growing up in Canada. Her subjects range from s ...more
In One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter, Scaachi deploys her razor-sharp humour to share her fears, outrages and mortifying experiences as an outsider growing up in Canada. Her subjects range from s ...more
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This book covered a lot of relevant topics, but didn’t add anything new to existing discourse that I’ve already read, and therefore doesn't stand out to me. I think this book would be better enjoyed by someone who is new to racial & feminist discourse.
...more
Any writer promised to bear similarities to either Mindy Kaling or Roxane Gay will have my immediate interest in the palm of their hand. And Scaachi Koul did not disappoint with her wry humor and telling insights on a plethora of subjects. Dealing with fear, anxiety, grief, parenting, insecurities, racial discrimination, racial advantage, shadism, white privilege, sexism, feminism, online harassment, sexual harassment, diversity in media, and so much more. Koul won my heart over almost instantly
...more
This was delightfully funny and surprisingly heartfelt. The first essay really got to me, which I wasn't expecting. She's a talented writer and storyteller, and she tackles some pretty serious themes—sexual assault, race, gender dynamics, and cultural difference. But I did feel like they lacked a bit of substance and could've done with a bit more reflection rather than simple narrative. That's not to say that there aren't really strong points and important lessons in this collection; I can see t
...more
3.5 stars. One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter is an engaging collection of personal essays. The author is a young Canadian woman who's family is originally from India. She grew up in Calgary and lives in Toronto. Her personal essays deal with, amongst other topics, family, relationships, race, body image, hair, drinking, family weddings and her parents' reaction to her older white boyfriend. Her essays feel young, irreverent, angry and honest -- at times bordering on a bit to
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I mostly just found this profoundly...eh. So I'm not going to review it, probably.
...more
There's nothing earth-shattering here, just some fun, and (mostly) funny essays by a young Canadian writer who describes herself as a woman who somehow manages to get both of her hands stuck in two different salsa jars at the same time.
Koul covers a range of topics from romance to hair removal. She really won my heart with her essay about clothing, and the hopes we women pin on finding just the right shirt, skirt, or jeans.
It's happening, I thought. The item, the big item that changes the way I ...more
Koul covers a range of topics from romance to hair removal. She really won my heart with her essay about clothing, and the hopes we women pin on finding just the right shirt, skirt, or jeans.
It's happening, I thought. The item, the big item that changes the way I ...more
Perfect for fans of Lindy West, Roxane Gay, and Jenny Lawson. With the added commentary on skin color in India vs. Canada, I felt like I was gaining one more perspective on what it means to have brown skin and how that changes based on where you are (and her surprising excursions into privilege.) The parenting emails made me laugh, her compassion towards her parents was impressive in that she could see the humor while also being annoyed. I will definitely be recommending this to other readers wh
...more
Sep 24, 2017
Julie Ehlers
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
essay-collections
I was initially going to give this two stars, but now that I have some distance from it, I like it even less. I'm just going to one-star it and not waste any more time thinking about it.
...more
One of my favorite genres that I read a ton of is autobiographies. So of course when I saw the really unique title of this autobiography I had to read it. Well, this one was nothing special. It wasn't funny. It did dig deep. This was just an "okay" book. One that since I started it I might as well finish.
This book collection of essays about Scaachi Koul growing up with Indian immigrants in Canada. Then moving halfway across the world for college.
Like I said, nothing special. No need to read thi ...more
This book collection of essays about Scaachi Koul growing up with Indian immigrants in Canada. Then moving halfway across the world for college.
Like I said, nothing special. No need to read thi ...more
1.5 stars. I really wanted to like this, and I hate writing negative reviews, but I really struggled. I just couldn't figure out why I was reading the personal essays of a young 20-something who hasn't done anything. The most interesting parts happened to other people, like the Indian wedding, or her friend in college who struggled with alcoholism. But nothing happened! We don't even have a resolution to the alcoholic's story- she never explained what happened to him, only about how she was mad
...more
(4-4.5 stars, rounded up because Scaachi Koul is smart and funny as hell)
I interviewed the author this morning, which is why I think I'm qualified to say, yes, she really is smart and funny. This collection of essays tackles issues like racism, sexism, body image, and rape culture, while also infusing each one with personal stories and a generous dollop of humor. My favorite essays were "Fair and Lovely" and "Mister Beast Man to You, Randor," but there wasn't an essay I didn't enjoy. Scaachi Kou ...more
I interviewed the author this morning, which is why I think I'm qualified to say, yes, she really is smart and funny. This collection of essays tackles issues like racism, sexism, body image, and rape culture, while also infusing each one with personal stories and a generous dollop of humor. My favorite essays were "Fair and Lovely" and "Mister Beast Man to You, Randor," but there wasn't an essay I didn't enjoy. Scaachi Kou ...more
May 28, 2017
Nenia ✨️ I yeet my books back and forth ✨️ Campbell
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
nonfiction,
mem-wars
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I was notified recently that my library just added a ton of books that I recommended, including several memoirs written by people of color and YA about LGBT+ characters. One of those books was ONE DAY WE'LL ALL BE DEAD AND NONE OF THIS WILL MATTER by Scaachi Koul, a culture writer for BuzzFeed Canada.
I'd been looking forward to this book for a while. I love BuzzFeed and I had heard that this book was going to address many topics like fe ...more
Scaachi's voice is wholly unique. She is cringingly funny (in a good way, I swear) but I found myself tearing up quite often. This isn't a treatise on millennial Indian women or a manifesto on the first-gen immigrant story or some bullshit like that.She makes no attempts to tell a universal story and I so appreciate that. She just offers her own story and it is more than enough.
...more
Apr 01, 2017
Book of the Month
added it
Personal Essays That Are Equal Parts LOL and WTF
By Judge Kevin Nguyen
An essay collection hinges entirely on the voice of its author, so let me characterize Scaachi Koul's: rude, angry, sometimes crass, always fiercely intelligent and hilarious. In her debut, Koul tackles regular essay collection stuff—meditations on relationships, family, identity – but the best part of it is that she’s funny as sh*t.
I laughed out loud on a dozen occasions throughout this book, from her descriptions of a torturo ...more
By Judge Kevin Nguyen
An essay collection hinges entirely on the voice of its author, so let me characterize Scaachi Koul's: rude, angry, sometimes crass, always fiercely intelligent and hilarious. In her debut, Koul tackles regular essay collection stuff—meditations on relationships, family, identity – but the best part of it is that she’s funny as sh*t.
I laughed out loud on a dozen occasions throughout this book, from her descriptions of a torturo ...more
I found myself laughing out loud as I read. I enjoyed Scaachi Koul's take on her family, misogyny, the conflict between being a good daughter and finding her own way in life. There were some points at which I found myself saying, "Yup, I know EXACTLY what you mean!" when she described the often ridiculous and sometimes crushing expectations foisted on Indian daughters.
...more
Wonderful memoir from Buzzfeed senior writer Scaachi Koul. She is a first-generation daughter of Indian immigrants and in the book she discusses her experiences growing up in Canada, racism she faced, body image issues, day-dreaming fantasies, hair issues, and her relationships. Specially interesting is the relationship with her parents, I found hilarious some of the interactions she had with them. I could relate to some of her experiences and enjoyed reading her essays.
I listened to the audio b ...more
I listened to the audio b ...more
One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter: Essays definitely attracted me with the title. I mean, who wouldn't want to read this book - it just got me hooked.
I've also been on like a non-fiction kind of binge lately and when I saw that this was available at my library I just had to have it! Scaachi is a blessing in disguise. I loved everything about this book. She talks about a whole range of things within this thing, like: dealing with fear, grief, parenting, insecurities, discrimi ...more
I've also been on like a non-fiction kind of binge lately and when I saw that this was available at my library I just had to have it! Scaachi is a blessing in disguise. I loved everything about this book. She talks about a whole range of things within this thing, like: dealing with fear, grief, parenting, insecurities, discrimi ...more
THERE were one or two essays in here that I really enjoyed. I would say that 'Fair and Lovely' was my favourite because it was interesting and funny and just great overall. The book as a whole left me feeling a little underwhelmed. I did really enjoy it but not nearly as much as I'd expected to. The essays were quite funny which I enjoyed but they were too casual a lot of the time and didn't always hit the message home. There were some great anecdotes and I'm glad I read this book. I just think
...more
I never heard of this book or author, Scaachi Koul, until a free copy landed in my lucky lap.
It’s not the sort of book that would have been on my radar to search for at the local library. I do love surprises though, especially books that catch me off guard.
And this was one of those lovely surprises!
Where do I begin…
Well, this book was very funny. Scaachi Koul doesn’t hold back - she describes her life experiences with candor and honesty (don’t hold back tell us what you really really think typ ...more
It’s not the sort of book that would have been on my radar to search for at the local library. I do love surprises though, especially books that catch me off guard.
And this was one of those lovely surprises!
Where do I begin…
Well, this book was very funny. Scaachi Koul doesn’t hold back - she describes her life experiences with candor and honesty (don’t hold back tell us what you really really think typ ...more
About halfway through this book I became obsessed with Scaachi Koul. I delved deep into her twitter, going one - two - years back, laughing at and with her and her unique take on life. Scaachi is Indian, lives in Toronto, and is a Buzzfeed writer. This book touches on race, gender roles, privilege - all thoughtful and not always tasteful (but hilarious and charming nonetheless). My favourite parts, though, were the very real and honest accounts of her family life, how it shapes us, how we become
...more
I’d give it 3.5 stars. This book is a collection of personal essays by Scaachi Koul. The book is funny and at the same time insightful. She tells her experiences in story telling writing in sensitive subjects like sexism, racism and discrimination. I could relate to many of her stories and see the complications she and her parents had in finding themselves between two different worlds/homes.
I'm so glad I picked this book up.
I don't read a lot of non-fiction but this is one of the best non-fiction books I've ever read. I loved it from the very first page and I never wanted to put it down. I thought it was incredibly funny and a few of the stories Scaachi told had me laughing out loud.
There was also a good deal of serious stories about Scaachi's experiences as an Indian women with immigrant parents. I really appreciate the opportunity to read about Scaachi's perspective and for her ...more
I don't read a lot of non-fiction but this is one of the best non-fiction books I've ever read. I loved it from the very first page and I never wanted to put it down. I thought it was incredibly funny and a few of the stories Scaachi told had me laughing out loud.
There was also a good deal of serious stories about Scaachi's experiences as an Indian women with immigrant parents. I really appreciate the opportunity to read about Scaachi's perspective and for her ...more
4.75
This book was great. It was hilarious and insightful and I was able to relate to so much more of it than I would have ever thought. I laughed out loud many times, Koul was able to put into perfect words so many thoughts I've had in my life. I didn't always feel as if the essays flowed well from one to the other to make the most cohesive collection but maybe they weren't supposed to. Loved this, definitely recommend it. ...more
This book was great. It was hilarious and insightful and I was able to relate to so much more of it than I would have ever thought. I laughed out loud many times, Koul was able to put into perfect words so many thoughts I've had in my life. I didn't always feel as if the essays flowed well from one to the other to make the most cohesive collection but maybe they weren't supposed to. Loved this, definitely recommend it. ...more
I can't even begin to describe how much I loved this book. Everyone I know is going to get it for their birthday for the next five years. My dad will probably be a little confused at first but whatever.
...more
Honest review of ARC (Goodreads Giveaway):
I hoped to like this book, but didn't anticipate just how much I would love it. I knew a bit about Scaachi Koul from some of her Buzzfeed essays, but didn't quite know what I was in for with this book. Yet, from the very first essay, I was emotionally hooked. Koul weaves a kind of intimacy through these essays that is sometimes absent in other memoir essay collections (sorry, Mindy Kaling and Ellen DeGeneres).
Despite having had very different upbringin ...more
I hoped to like this book, but didn't anticipate just how much I would love it. I knew a bit about Scaachi Koul from some of her Buzzfeed essays, but didn't quite know what I was in for with this book. Yet, from the very first essay, I was emotionally hooked. Koul weaves a kind of intimacy through these essays that is sometimes absent in other memoir essay collections (sorry, Mindy Kaling and Ellen DeGeneres).
Despite having had very different upbringin ...more
A funny, interesting and heartfelt collection. Loved the parts about the author and her father. I do think it lacks a bit of depth and reflection, but it's worth the read.
...more
This was hands down probably the worst book I have read all year.. and that's saying something. Suffice to say that the title has practially nothing to do with the book and the whining and complaining is what made it through edit to be mass produced. They are so many better books that deserved the chance that this got. Needless to say this was not worth the time it took to read, and thank goodness it wasn't longer, I wasn't sure if I was going to make it to the end.
...more
While Canada purports to be multicultural, Toronto in particular, a place where everyone is holding hands and cops are handing out ice cream cones instead of, say, shooting black men, our inability to talk about race and its complexities actually means our racism is arguably more insidious. We rarely acknowledge it, and when we do, we're punished, as if we're speaking badly of an elderly relative who can't help but make fun of the Irish.
With One Day We'll All Be Dead And None Of This Will Ma ...more
It's nearly 1 AM, but it felt important to get this down in the moment. It's been a while since I've finished a book in the middle of the night, and when I closed this book after reading the last few pages of acknowledgements, I cried. Heavy, hot, mysterious tears, my sinuses stinging.
I can't pin point why I'm weeping. Maybe it's because I too grew up as the child of first-generation immigrant parents who worked hard, harder than they should've ever had to. Parents who loved me the best way they ...more
I can't pin point why I'm weeping. Maybe it's because I too grew up as the child of first-generation immigrant parents who worked hard, harder than they should've ever had to. Parents who loved me the best way they ...more
This is a collection of essays from 26-year old Scaachi Koul, a Canadian-born daughter of Indian immigrants who currently writes for Buzzfeed Canada. The essays cover a wide range of topics including family relationships, dating, internet trolls, alcoholism, rape, anxiety, race, and culture. I think my favorite sections of the book are about Koul's family. Oh, how I wish her dad had a Twitter account...
The book is entertaining and youthful, but also surprisingly thoughtful. I appreciated Koul's ...more
The book is entertaining and youthful, but also surprisingly thoughtful. I appreciated Koul's ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Around South/East...: A book by an Indian author | 1 | 5 | Jul 05, 2020 07:59PM | |
| Goodreads Choice ...: One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This will Matter - August 2018 | 2 | 53 | Aug 11, 2018 12:40AM | |
| SCPL Online NonFi...: The final word | 1 | 6 | May 31, 2018 01:48PM | |
| SCPL Online NonFi...: Family Traditions | 10 | 8 | May 30, 2018 01:08PM | |
| SCPL Online NonFi...: Surveillance Culture | 1 | 4 | May 29, 2018 01:01PM |
Readers also enjoyed
Scaachi Koul is a culture writer at BuzzFeed Canada. She is the author of a book of essays One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter. Koul attended the journalism school at Ryerson University.
Before BuzzFeed, Scaachi worked at Penguin Random House Canada, the acquiring publisher of 'One Day'. Before that she was an intern at Maclean's Magazine and The Huffington Post. Her journalism h ...more
Before BuzzFeed, Scaachi worked at Penguin Random House Canada, the acquiring publisher of 'One Day'. Before that she was an intern at Maclean's Magazine and The Huffington Post. Her journalism h ...more
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