I have only recently discovered Jenny Lawson’s blog. Accordingly, I had not heard much about her past. And I had only a vague notion of how deep the crazy pool really was. I had read enough entries to know that I liked her sense of humor, and I didn’t have a problem with her language–and SPOILER if you have a problem with cursing, abandon ship now./SPOILER. In other words, I knew just enough to know that I would enjoy LET’S PRETEND THIS NEVER HAPPENED.
And “enjoy” might be an understatement. I actually got yelled at repeatedly by my wife for laughing too much while reading this book. That fact that I laughed hysterically about seemingly boring issues such growing up in rural Texas and being a high school outcast, as well as depressing issues such as mental illness and miscarriages gives you an idea of Ms. Lawson’s talent as a comedic writer.
Ms. Lawson has a knack for getting herself in unusual situations, and then her mind makes the situation worse, so much worse. I found myself shaking my head in near disbelief. But a quick blog post or an essay seems to make it all better. At least for readers like me who are safe in our recliners.
I enjoyed the hell out of this book. And if you like Ms. Lawson’s blog, you’ll like this book. However, I’m more than willing to admit that it’s not for everyone. If you’ve read a lot of her blog, the stories might be old news. If you have a problem with language, you’ll hate this book. And humor is subjective, so maybe the way she tells a story doesn’t do it for you. But if her blog or the book’s sample hits home, buy it immediately. And then enjoy hours of fun, and getting yelled at for laughing too hard.