books 2008: Grace (Eventually), by Anne Lamott

[supercheesegirl]

Full title: Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith. I was fully expecting to love this book, and I'm really, really disappointed that I didn't. I don't know. Anne kind of got on my nerves. I was with her up to the "Forgivishness" section, but the essay about the carpet guy really set me off. That's the kind of thing that drives me absolutely crazy, and her final response to it made no sense to me. I just didn't get it. This jerk cheated her out of $50 when she was trying to buy a carpet for her church's Sunday school, and he accuses HER of behaving badly? I don't know, I think there's a difference between being forgiving and being walked on. Maybe I just need to learn something about forgiving, and that's why this section was so uncomfortable for me? I appreciate that Anne has learned about how just to let these things go and move on, which is an issue for me, but this one essay stuck with me and bothered me for the rest of the book, and the tone of it stuck with me and influenced my reading of all the other essays. I wasn't loving the book to begin with, and then that essay popped up and blew it for me. And Anne is so sharp and funny, I really wanted to like the book.

There were definitely things I liked. I liked the essay "Cheese Love" (of course, who are we kidding here) and I liked much of the last set of essays, about motherhood and her son growing up. On the whole, though, I was really expecting more. Two stars.

Comments

[queende.livejournal.com]

i recommend traveling mercies by anne lamott. it's one of my favorites of hers. i'm getting my mom bird by bird and/or plan b for mother's day. i posted a commencement speech of hers in my lj the other day too, you might like that:)

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure I've read Bird by Bird, and at least part of Traveling Mercies. Which is why I was so disappointed by this book!

Also, I knew you'd be the first person to comment on this post. :)

[robotpistol.livejournal.com]

Traveling Mercies is good. And about faith. She says her two favorite prayers are "help me, help me, help me" and "thank you, thank you, thank you." Read it 3-4 years ago but remember laughing. Bird by Bird was also good.