great humor and create comical situations
Is this book funny?
Jenny Lawson has some hilarious stuff in her book, LET'S PRETEND THIS NEVER HAPPENED.  There's no question that she can come up with some great humor and create comical situations.  And then the rest of the book rears its ugly head.For one thing, Lawson must find some way to moderate her excessive use of the F word.  The word itself is not funny.  If it is used as a shocker in situations where it's not expected and by characters not expected to utter it, the expletive can be humorous and the effect can produce a jolt.  If not, it becomes tedious and trite.  It ceased being funny after high school.Overuse of comments involving body parts and their functions is also a part of this book.  Headaches and nauseousness caused by overindulging in alcohol and illegal substances is more likely to be considered stupid than funny.  Reinvent your misery, Lawson, and present it in a more tasteful form.  More people are turned off by your puking than appreciate it.One more little annoyance surfaces here.  Lawson seems to have a need to broadcast what's coming up; to alert the reader that more funnies are on the way.  Good writers let their dialogue direct the reader through the orchard to discover the plums.  Be our guide, Lawson.  We are astute enough to decide what is golden and what is sludge.It's only fair that I point out some good material.  I thought her Post-It notes to Victor were hilarious.  Notably, the obscenities were used sparingly.  I also enjoyed her human resources experiences, probably because they didn't vary much from some of mine.  The chapter on housekeeping was funny, probably because I have relatives who like her style.  ODing on laxatives was great (I had to set aside my dislike for toilet humor here) as was the Halloween party of endless babbling and no underpants.  And finally, I really enjoyed the journal of her book tour because it brought back memories.  Was that you next door, Jenny?Jenny Lawson has a wide and rabid audience, based on the comments I've seen.  So, contempt will probably rain on me for this review.  I deserve it: I'm just an old fart without a life.  But I could also be a raging fan of Lawson's because I recognize the talent she has.  I'm going to check her blog and other writings because I know there are gems there.  I want to be on her side.Schuyler T WallaceAuthor of TIN LIZARD TALES 