I'm committing the cardinal sin of not reading the piece before I comment but in this instance it's OK because what I have to say is I agree COMPLETELY, ON SIGHT, WITHOUT QUESTION, because I could not get beyond the first 40 pages of this boring, vapid, corny-ass, Mad Men fanfic via Wish dot Com, feminism 101 but even less than 101-ass, toilet paper wad of a "book." I spent money on this shit on Kindle and want to try myself at The Hague for my crime. When I think of its popularity my soul aches. My fury knows no bounds.
I’m also resentful of the quality-free mystery meat crap pushed on us as things “all” women supposedly like, but it’s too easy to blame the wine moms just because their taste seems embarrassing—they’re just falling for marketing like the rest of us. Give me a hate read on the corporate overlords who run media based on clicks, blanket social media with fake endorsements, and profit from the celebrity/magazine/publishing book-of-the-month scam cycle. (That being said I’m also hypocritical and would love a hate read on Swifties.)
As a survivor, I’m usually careful to check warnings before reading. But the book’s cover, marketing and the social media buzz made it seem like a cozy, competent woman read, which I’m a sucker for. The rape scene was really visceral and completely weird in tone. DNF for me obviously.
Also, as an actual chemist, the chemistry sucked. The equivalent of using dihydrogen oxide for water because that’s what people imagine chemists would be like.
oh my god THANK YOU for this, I HATED THIS BOOK SO FREAKING MUCH! the one other thing that really grinded (ground?) my gears that this author missed (and they covered most of my gripes) is the borderline offensive dialogue trying imply/portray elizabeth as neurodivergent without ANY nuance or exploration into if she actually is as a character and what that might mean for her life. (the same occured in another wildly popular book, he maid, which i had to put down because the fake 'tism writing was so offensive and bad). THANK YOU for this haterade.
I just hate that Elizabeth doesn't use contractions. It's a weird performative othering à la Big Bang Theory that nerds have to speak in some sort of stilted style that eschews "didn't" and "doesn't" and "you're". Tell me you're not a nerd trying to write a nerd without telling me. Cool literary trick, bro!
Thank you for summarizing my feelings about this book. It felt a little Ayn Rand to me. I have been lying and saying I liked it to business acquaintances
I am a lady scientist with a love of cooking. This thrash book was recommended to me as a fun read and I kid you not reminiscent of a modern Austen by an acquaintance. What?!?? It is without question such an irredeemable pile of steaming shit that whilst later browsing at bookstore I saw a woman pick it up and I had an uncontrollable reflex to step in and dissuade her from her purchase. I assured her that this book would be plentiful in second hand stores within a month as it was the end of summer and no one endures this “novel” more than once. I cannot detail all the ways I hate this book but that someone would recommend it to me as a mirror of life as a woman in STEM is insulting.
As a woman in STEM specifically a FOOD SCIENTIST I hated this book!!! I didn't expect the food science parts to be realistic or even updated with modern applications but I did want to book to be good. The plot was all over we had chapters from a dogs perspective... and then the "twist" ending was so annoying. Please don't think all food scientists are like this.
I wish I could join a hate club just to dismember books that are insanely popular but which I loathe. Hello Beautiful was another in this category. I found it so banal someone asked me about it a few weeks after finishing and I struggled to recall the essence of the plot.
I'm committing the cardinal sin of not reading the piece before I comment but in this instance it's OK because what I have to say is I agree COMPLETELY, ON SIGHT, WITHOUT QUESTION, because I could not get beyond the first 40 pages of this boring, vapid, corny-ass, Mad Men fanfic via Wish dot Com, feminism 101 but even less than 101-ass, toilet paper wad of a "book." I spent money on this shit on Kindle and want to try myself at The Hague for my crime. When I think of its popularity my soul aches. My fury knows no bounds.
I need you to review more books. This is what I want to see in the NYT Book Review.
lol thank you!!
I’m also resentful of the quality-free mystery meat crap pushed on us as things “all” women supposedly like, but it’s too easy to blame the wine moms just because their taste seems embarrassing—they’re just falling for marketing like the rest of us. Give me a hate read on the corporate overlords who run media based on clicks, blanket social media with fake endorsements, and profit from the celebrity/magazine/publishing book-of-the-month scam cycle. (That being said I’m also hypocritical and would love a hate read on Swifties.)
This is one of like five books that I’ve DNFed in my lifetime. Hated it SO much. Everything you wrote about, plus all the anachronisms.
Think I made it to page 2.
As a survivor, I’m usually careful to check warnings before reading. But the book’s cover, marketing and the social media buzz made it seem like a cozy, competent woman read, which I’m a sucker for. The rape scene was really visceral and completely weird in tone. DNF for me obviously.
Also, as an actual chemist, the chemistry sucked. The equivalent of using dihydrogen oxide for water because that’s what people imagine chemists would be like.
oh my god THANK YOU for this, I HATED THIS BOOK SO FREAKING MUCH! the one other thing that really grinded (ground?) my gears that this author missed (and they covered most of my gripes) is the borderline offensive dialogue trying imply/portray elizabeth as neurodivergent without ANY nuance or exploration into if she actually is as a character and what that might mean for her life. (the same occured in another wildly popular book, he maid, which i had to put down because the fake 'tism writing was so offensive and bad). THANK YOU for this haterade.
Yes, "The Maid". I read it but it was not good.
I just hate that Elizabeth doesn't use contractions. It's a weird performative othering à la Big Bang Theory that nerds have to speak in some sort of stilted style that eschews "didn't" and "doesn't" and "you're". Tell me you're not a nerd trying to write a nerd without telling me. Cool literary trick, bro!
Thank you for summarizing my feelings about this book. It felt a little Ayn Rand to me. I have been lying and saying I liked it to business acquaintances
This is not even a hot take because this book *sucked*.
this was amazing and perfectly summarized why I did not finish the book. there was so much violence!!! all unaddressed. yuck.
I love this blog, please never stop
Omg I hated this book and have been so confused that everyone else allegedly loved it.
Wait isn’t this the book that Brie Larsen starred in an adaptation of? Had no idea it was…whatever this synopsis was. Yikes.
I am a lady scientist with a love of cooking. This thrash book was recommended to me as a fun read and I kid you not reminiscent of a modern Austen by an acquaintance. What?!?? It is without question such an irredeemable pile of steaming shit that whilst later browsing at bookstore I saw a woman pick it up and I had an uncontrollable reflex to step in and dissuade her from her purchase. I assured her that this book would be plentiful in second hand stores within a month as it was the end of summer and no one endures this “novel” more than once. I cannot detail all the ways I hate this book but that someone would recommend it to me as a mirror of life as a woman in STEM is insulting.
Agreed agreed agreed. I kept thinking it would get better and it just didn’t. Stopped after chapter 7.
Thank you for giving me this safe space, the half of this book that I made it through still haunts me
The whole thing read like a "My First Chapter Book!" so you could drink said $14 bottle of chardonnay and still follow the plot
As a woman in STEM specifically a FOOD SCIENTIST I hated this book!!! I didn't expect the food science parts to be realistic or even updated with modern applications but I did want to book to be good. The plot was all over we had chapters from a dogs perspective... and then the "twist" ending was so annoying. Please don't think all food scientists are like this.
I wish I could join a hate club just to dismember books that are insanely popular but which I loathe. Hello Beautiful was another in this category. I found it so banal someone asked me about it a few weeks after finishing and I struggled to recall the essence of the plot.