Title: Everything Is Perfect When You're A Liar
Author(s): Kelly Oxford
Genre(s): Humour, Memoir
Publisher/Date: It Books / April 2, 2013
Series: Stand Alone
“My mom, Gaye, was a total weirdo and yet she sounded completely normal, with a completely average voice. I like the idea that we can contain our weirdness, but I prefer it when we wear it all over ourselves.” -Kelly Oxford
Case Study
The funniest—and
hottest—mom on Twitter plunges you headlong into her life in her
hilarious memoir, Everything Is Perfect When You’re a Liar. With her
trademark blend of biting wit and self-deprecation, this side-splitting
book of essays will make you laugh, cry, and then laugh some more.
Sharing
her life story in Everything Is Perfect When You’re A Liar, the
straight-talking and riotously funny blogger Oxford opens up about her
childhood, motherhood, and life with that zany, skewed perspective that
make her the toast of the social media world.
The Game's Afoot
Not so long ago, I posted this discussionary post about success prompted by an article about renown comedy writer, Kelly Oxford. I'm a big fan of hers so when I found out
she wrote a book, I knew I had to get my hands on a copy. Oxford
has gained legions of fans due to her incredible wit and irreverent observations as showcased on both her blog and Twitter. Personally, I think she's hilarious so I figured her book would reflect that humour quite succinctly.
Unfortunately, some of that humour doesn't translate to the page as well as I hoped it would. That's not to say this book isn't funny, because it is, but I found some of the stories to be totally unrelatable, hence---not very funny. The book is broken into individual essays, each one recounting an important moment/event in Oxford's life. Where these little vignettes are exaggerated, they are also disjointed so it makes it a bit hard to follow. You're better off looking at them as separate entities rather than a book.
Now some criticize this book for being too crass and narcissistic, but if you follow her on Twitter, you ought to know better! Humble, she is not. Look, it's not easy writing about yourself so I do have to give her credit for being so bold. I will, however, admit that she's made some poor life choices (as chronicled here), ones that I cannot abide. And there were definitely moments where she comes off as an overly privileged, pretty girl. And these are the parts I didn't like. It isn't until she has a serious brush with reality that her tone changes and the book finally becomes endearing. There's depth and humour in it, the kind of humour that I was waiting to see.
Everything Is Perfect When You're A Liar isn't the funniest book I've ever read, but there is a note of sincerity towards the end that makes it a decent read. I was hoping for more here but this isn't the first time a funny person wrote a book that left me feeling a little disappointed. Perhaps these types of books aren't for me? Or maybe, just maybe, these funny people should stick to their usual mediums of comedy.
Summary Prognosis
Everything Is Perfect When You're A Liar is one of those not-so-funny-books written by a very funny person. While I did find some of the essays to be entertaining, overall, the book was a bit of a letdown for me. I think only a specific demographic (i.e. - her fans) would really appreciate Oxford's style of comedy here.
Rating: ★★★
Read It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible
Discuss It: Goodreads | Author's Website
