What a delightful, odd, heartfelt book. Many thanks to NTE for sending it my way.
I put this one on my to read list following watching Jenny Slate’s Netflix special Stage Fright which is a mix of a stand up and documentary. When I finished Stage Fright I was much more interested in Slate than I had been before. Having now finished Little Weirds which she wrote at about the same time, I feel as though I have had an interesting, if not entirely understandable, view into her mind. If only everyone wrote so honestly.
It is difficult to categorize this one, as Slate’s unique style bounces around. Initially I was put off by it, but by putting my faith in her introduction which she categorizes as a “Guide for Consumption” I settled in and let her wordscapes wash over me I suddenly cared less about trying to figure it out and instead decided to just go with it, to embrace what was on offer. Little Weirds is a personal, introspective look at battling grief, of finding a way through heartache, of attempting to put on a brave face about what is coming next all while trying to make meaning out of this weird, little life we’re given. It is also often incredibly abstract, which does put a bit of distance between reader and author, even when we’re being invited in. Slate seems primarily occupied with finding the ways to be kind to herself and sharing that goal with her reader. But there is a reason I’m not rating this higher and its primarily that while I was pleased to have read each essay, I was often looking for more.