book
A review of a review of self-help books…hmm. Initially, Practically Perfect’s subject didn’t interest me, as I’m not generally given to fits of self-doubt—at least, not the kind that can’t be quelled by rearranging the furniture or eating half a Toblerone. But Niesslein—editor of Brain, Child magazine and a former C-VILLE staff member—writes with a no-nonsense tone and fiery wit that pulled me in, promising that the least I’d get out of the book would be some snarky laughs and the appreciation of another person’s well-written perspective. And those elements remained intact throughout: From housecleaning to stock investment, bringing up baby to the search for the Divine, she discloses her opinions with the candor of someone who’s laying it all bare, personality quirks be damned.
The cover, however, misled me to some degree: There’s a bright, pop-arty picture of an aproned ’50s housewife that made me think Practically Perfect would be a feminist critique of American social values, delving into the reasons why women feel the need to pick up self-help books in the first place. Alas, that it is not (which was refreshing—everybody knows the dangers of Barbie and Cosmo); it’s one woman’s personal reflection on her seemingly sourceless malaise, though she does have the trappings of a good feminist. She never waivers from being a strong, liberal, independent business owner who lives well. Oddly enough, that’s both a strength and a weakness of the book—during quite a few of her accounts, I got the sense that she already knew what was best for her and her family, and that the trials were being done more out of curiosity than a real need for change.
So, from what does her unhappiness stem? What’s she trying to fix? These issues lent an ambivalence to my reading, trying to reconcile my enjoyment of her intelligent, frank approach with my inability to identify with much of her commentary (but let me point out that I’m several tax brackets below her, single and renting). Her minute dissatisfactions with her house, husband, child, and lifestyle never warrant the major changes that the self-help manuals suggest, but her encounters unknowingly reveal some deeper, more mysterious issues that Americans seem to deal with frequently, like disproportionate anger and distrust. I wanted more. I wanted to find out why these things loom within us, why strangers nearly kill each other in the Barracks Road parking lot. That’s probably too much to ask even a seasoned psychologist, much less a discontented magazine editor. But Niesslein will certainly make you step back and ponder, whether it’s about her life or your own.
Jennifer Niesslein will sign copies of Practically Perfect in Every Way at noon on Thursday,
May 17, at New Dominion Bookshop.
