Motherhood Made a Man Out of Me

Rating:
Summary: Terrible
Review: This is the worst book I've read in a long, long time. If I read this years ago, I would not be married or be a Mommy.

Rating:
Summary: terrific humor and fantastic one-liners can't save this dud
Review: Touted by the New York Times as one of its "Notable Books of the Year," Karen Karbo's most recent novel truly is a dichotomy. One one hand, it is exquisitely funny; practically every page has a some humorous, pointed or sarcastic comment about pregnancy and/or motherhood. Karbo's observations, commentaries and asides about these two aspects of womanhood invariably ring true; thus, her humor is not only funny, but perceptive. However, I also feel it is misadvertising to call this book a novel. Featuring characters who never arouse any true human connection with the reader and a plot so devoid of originality that the reader finds him/herself yearning to watch a made-for-television movie to stimulate narrative interest, "Motherhood" simply is a lame excuse for a novel.

The novel's action revolves around female friendship. Brooke, whose detached husband Lyle is most animated when playing some inane on-line computer game, takes care of her newborn daughter, Stella and tends to the (gasp) unexpected, unintended, and uninspiring pregnancy of her Amazon-like friend, Mary Rose. Complicating the threadbare plot is a stereotypically-rich and emotionally-stunted wealthy family and a professional basketball player. Brooke provides information and advise (always hilarious and most often right on the mark) to Mary Rose throughout the latter's pregnancy and delivery.

Nothing in the novel pretends to discuss the issues of single-parenting seriously. The author simply presumes that it is just fine to engage in casual sex, become pregnant and give birth. If marriage is the prospect for Mary Rose and her only model is Brooke's marriage, the reader has no doubt that Mary Rose has chosen the right path. This novel is simply too "precious" on way too many serious issues. Yet, deep down, I believe that author had no genuine artistic intent in the creation of this work. Everything that occurs in "Motherhood" does so that Karen Karbo can make some comment about it.

And that is why I liked the book as much as I did. I simply gave up on it being worthwhile literature by page fifty and went along for the humor. In this regard, Karbo never disappoints. This work is flat-out terrific in its commentary on motherhood and pregnancy. Literally every page has some tart, delightful and memorable zinger. This definition of incipient motherhood (aka the onset of labor) is but one example of Karbo's delicious observations: "You are at the brink. You are at the shores of motherhood. You think you will die. And you will. You will never be yourself again. Motherhood is for women what war is for men. When they had more wars, more men knew what it was like to be a woman on the verge of being a mother, to be at an absolute point of no return." The author's description of the first bowel movement after delivery is a classic.

"Motherhood Made a Man Out of Me" is both fast-paced and side-splitting funny. Unfortunately, it is, at best, a weak excuse for literature.

Rating:
Summary: terrific humor and fantastic one-liners can't save this dud
Review: Touted by the New York Times as one of its "Notable Books of the Year," Karen Karbo's most recent novel truly is a dichotomy. One one hand, it is exquisitely funny; practically every page has a some humorous, pointed or sarcastic comment about pregnancy and/or motherhood. Karbo's observations, commentaries and asides about these two aspects of womanhood invariably ring true; thus, her humor is not only funny, but perceptive. However, I also feel it is misadvertising to call this book a novel. Featuring characters who never arouse any true human connection with the reader and a plot so devoid of originality that the reader finds him/herself yearning to watch a made-for-television movie to stimulate narrative interest, "Motherhood" simply is a lame excuse for a novel.

The novel's action revolves around female friendship. Brooke, whose detached husband Lyle is most animated when playing some inane on-line computer game, takes care of her newborn daughter, Stella and tends to the (gasp) unexpected, unintended, and uninspiring pregnancy of her Amazon-like friend, Mary Rose. Complicating the threadbare plot is a stereotypically-rich and emotionally-stunted wealthy family and a professional basketball player. Brooke provides information and advise (always hilarious and most often right on the mark) to Mary Rose throughout the latter's pregnancy and delivery.

Nothing in the novel pretends to discuss the issues of single-parenting seriously. The author simply presumes that it is just fine to engage in casual sex, become pregnant and give birth. If marriage is the prospect for Mary Rose and her only model is Brooke's marriage, the reader has no doubt that Mary Rose has chosen the right path. This novel is simply too "precious" on way too many serious issues. Yet, deep down, I believe that author had no genuine artistic intent in the creation of this work. Everything that occurs in "Motherhood" does so that Karen Karbo can make some comment about it.

And that is why I liked the book as much as I did. I simply gave up on it being worthwhile literature by page fifty and went along for the humor. In this regard, Karbo never disappoints. This work is flat-out terrific in its commentary on motherhood and pregnancy. Literally every page has some tart, delightful and memorable zinger. This definition of incipient motherhood (aka the onset of labor) is but one example of Karbo's delicious observations: "You are at the brink. You are at the shores of motherhood. You think you will die. And you will. You will never be yourself again. Motherhood is for women what war is for men. When they had more wars, more men knew what it was like to be a woman on the verge of being a mother, to be at an absolute point of no return." The author's description of the first bowel movement after delivery is a classic.

"Motherhood Made a Man Out of Me" is both fast-paced and side-splitting funny. Unfortunately, it is, at best, a weak excuse for literature.

Rating:
Summary: Laugh-out-loud funny!
Review: What can I say? This book is absolutely hysterical! It centers around new-mother Brooke, and her pregnant best-friend Mary Rose, who is pregnant by Brooke's cousin. The characters surrounding these women are quirky and wonderful. While both women are enthralled by their children, they do not glamorize the pregnancy experience, in and of itself. Both the pregnancies and the trials and tribulations of early motherhood are described in a "real," no-holds-barred, but humorous manner. Combine that with the wacky relationships and characters, and you will find yourself laughing out loud. Promise!