Julie Klausner

In this collection of personal essays, Julie Klausner mistakes anecdotes for lessons and observations for insights. Despite a tacked on coda in which she professes that she's learned and grown from her experience of throwing herself at men that are either insane or not interested, she offers no evidence to support her supposed character growth. While she does have some pithy one-liners and observations about the way that men treat women (and her most poignant are actually about women and men in the workplace, not about sex), the purpose of this book is not to learn anything or reflect on her experiences. She wants her reader to commiserate, not engage, with her stories.

I would maybe be kinder to Klausner about this book in general if she weren't really down on other women. She makes a point of dismissing women who are mousy and not overtly feminine because they don't fit into her idea of what women should be like. I think she intends for this collection to be empowering, but all she manages to do is reveal how deeply she's internalized patriarchal expectations for who she should be, who other women should be, and what men should do.

Also, Klausner needs to come up with some other words to express her feelings besides "ruined panties." That phrase gets old quick.

If you do pick this up, don't read the Kindle volume. It's riddled with spelling and formatting errors.… (mer)