This was yet another random discovery I made while perusing audiobooks, and thought I might as well give it a go. I knew nothing going in. Not what the book was about (other than what’s on the cover), not who Georgia Pritchett is, not how the book would be structured. Nothing. But you know what? That turned out to be the perfect way to discover this book.
It’s a series of very short vignettes – each one deals with a small episode from Pritchett’s life. Each is interesting, most have an emotional punch to them, and they’re all extremely funny. I have rarely laughed this hard while reading, and it was exactly what I needed. And I loved the format. I haven’t experienced a book told in such short bursts as this before but it worked so well – as a general structure, but also for my particular neurodiverse brain. Zero commitment, zero downtime, zero boredom.
I loved that it’s written by a successful woman who’s willing to share some of her more intimate and vulnerable moments with candor, and yet also with humour. This book hit that perfect balance between being real, making me feel a connection to her struggles, but doing it without it feeling heavy or dark. Not that there’s anything wrong with heavy and dark, but in this book I wanted the humour. And this is also exactly the type of dry, tongue-in-cheek, self-deprecating humour that hits me where I live.
I hadn’t known what my reading life was missing, but I found it in this book. I’ll be reading anything else Georgia Pritchett writes, and I’ll be keeping this book on my favourites shelf to re-read when life is tough and I need help finding the funny in the darkness. Fantastic reading experience.
ETA: I just re-read this book in November, and enjoyed it again! Weirdly I didn’t seem to find it as funny this time around, but that’s maybe because I’d read it so recently. But I still enjoyed my afternoon with Georgia, and I’m sure I’ll hang out with her again in the future!
**Though primarily humorous, this book does deal with mental health issues such as anxiety, as well as miscarriage, so trigger warning on those!**
“Georgia Pritchett is a singularly hilarious person. Her book is a delightful and perfect reflection of her. Its tenderness sneaks up on you and really packs a punch. What a magnificent read!”–Julia Louis Dreyfus
Jenny Lawson meets Nora Ephron in this joyful memoir-in-vignettes on living–and thriving–with anxiety from a multiple Emmy Award-winning comedy writer whose credits include Succession and Veep.
When Georgia Pritchett found herself lost for words–a bit of a predicament for a comedy writer–she turned to a therapist, who suggested she try writing down some of the things that worried her. But instead of a grocery list of concerns, Georgia wrote this book.
A natural born worrywart, Georgia’s life has been defined by her quirky anxiety. During childhood, she was agitated about the monsters under her bed (Were they comfy enough?). Going into labor, she fretted about making a fuss (“Sorry to interrupt, but the baby is coming out of my body,” I said politely). Winning a prestigious award, she agonized over receiving free gifts after the ceremony (It was an excruciating experience. Mortifying).
Soul-baring yet lighthearted, poignant yet written with a healthy dose of self-deprecation, My Mess Is a Bit of a Life is a tour through the carnival funhouse of Georgia’s life, from her anxiety-ridden early childhood where disaster loomed around every corner (When I was little I used to think that sheep were clouds that had fallen to earth. On cloudy days I used to worry that I would be squashed by a sheep), through the challenges of breaking into an industry dominated by male writers, to the exquisite terror (and incomparable joy) of raising children.
Delightfully offbeat, painfully honest, full of surprising wonders, and delivering plenty of hilarious, laugh-out-loud moments, My Mess Is a Bit of a Life reveals a talented, vulnerable, and strong woman in all her wisecracking weirdness, and makes us love it–and her–too. – Goodreads
Book Title: My Mess Is a Bit of a Life
Author: Georgia Pritchett
Series: No
Edition: Audiobook
Published By: HarperOne
Released: February 8, 2022
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir, Mental Health, Anxiety, Humour,Vignettes
Pages: 288
Date Read: July 7, 2023, November 5, 2023
Rating: 8.5/10
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.86/5 (4,859 ratings)