What I Hate From A to Z by Roz Chast
by Jenners • 01/07/2012 • 4 Stars, C Authors, Humor, W Titles • 31 Comments
What I Hate From A to Z by Roz ChastPublisher: Bloomsbury USA, 2011
Pages: 64
Genre: Non-Fiction, Humor
Where I Got It: LibraryThing Early Reviewer Program
Why I Read It: The cover just looked so funny. Plus I used to work with someone who was a huge Roz Chast fan and I always meant to check out her stuff.
My Rating: 4 stars (it loses a half-star for not being longer!! I wanted more!)
Book Description
Roz Chast has been creating cartoons for the New Yorker since 1978. Right there, you know you’ll get a combination of funny and smart. The book is exactly what the title says it is: a list of things that Roz Chast hates from A to Z. Each letter gets two pages. On the left side is some text (usually very short) describing exactly why Chast hates a particular thing. On the right side is a full-page drawing that illustrates the reasons further. Both the text and the drawings complement each other beautifully; I wouldn’t have wanted one without the other. Perhaps the best way to appreciate the book is with some examples.
Accompanying Text: The perfect storm of claustrophobia,
acrophobia and agoraphobia.
Accompanying Text: Most tunnels were built before there were even
computers. And there's all that water on top of them. But there
you are, in your car, pretending you're just driving down any
road, no problem.
Accompanying Text: If I'm in a restaurant or a theater, and the
lights start dimming, my first thought is I am going blind.
My Thoughts
This book is simultaneously hilarious and terrifying. As I read, I found that Roz Chast’s fears were slowly becoming my own fears. “Hmmm,” I’d think to myself, “I never really thought about tunnels in that way before.” And I confess to thinking the exact same thing she does when the lights dim in the theater. And, thanks to this book, I now view balloons as nothing more than “imminent explosions.”
My only complaint is that the book is far too short. I’m positive that someone as anxious as Roz Chast could have done a dictionary and had multiple entries for each letter. The book was over far too soon. I definitely plan on checking out other Roz Chast books.
Recommended For
Roz Chast fans, readers looking for a mix of funny and terrifying. However, it is NOT recommended for people with anxiety issues or hypochondria; nothing good would come of that. HAHA!
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This sounds and looks great”
i can’t wait to read this hilarious book!
could use a good laugh . . .
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Based on your examples, I can tell that I would really like her observations and humor. Thanks for another great recommendation!
This book sounds great. I already have enough fears that a few more couldn’t hurt. Lol.
You’re taking points off because it is too short? That seems wrong. I have way too many existing anxieties to read this book.
What a hoot. That looks like one of those type of funny books perfect for passing around to family and friends.
This reminds me of a friend of mine who used to hate to drive over bridges… she would always freak out when we were going somewhere and there was a bridge…. I used to think “ok, chill out”, until a few years back a Minnesota bridge did collapse and that lead to an entire Minnesota bridge over haul… the girl and I do not hang out anymore… but I suspect she is more terrified now that it has actually happened….
Oh yes I do need this book! I’ve always thought that when going through tunnels – especially those that go through a mountain…all I can think about is all that heavy mountain, rocks and dirt and how the tunnel is going to collapse with me inside it – love the illustrations!
I was just getting over my fear of tunnels when we moved back to Boston … the kids now chant “we’re under water, we’re under water” when we go thru them. Argh!
Not so bad on bridges, but, eeks!
Is C for Clowns? This book is going on my wish list!
It sounds like Ms. Chaz and I have very similar fears/hates. Her image of tunnels is exactly why I dislike driving in them, and don’t get me started on bridges!!
This sounds like such a fun book. The examples were great!
OK – those cartoons are hilarious!
This sounds great. Those illustrations made me laugh, especially the elevator one. I feel that way about tunnels and bridges, they scare me. This book would definitely put even more fears into my head
Well that looks like a lot of fun! And I haven’t been the same since watching the movie “Daylight” (with Sylvester Stallone). I think of it whenever going through an underwater tunnel (which is thankfully not often here on the west coast, but sometimes when we travel on the east coast).
This looks GREAT!! (though I, too, might come away with a few new worries…)
It’s definitely going on my wish list (for when I can once again buy new books). It would probably make a fun gift for some folks I know. (Hmmm…could buy it far in advance of Christmas and read it before I wrap it)
Sounds great. Perfect reading for Husband dearest who has a simiar collection of reading material. I’m intrigued by your mention of balloons.
This looks like a lot of fun…even though I have some of these fears already…but this book looks a little like it’s poking fun at these fears and may, in fact, be good for poking fun at myself…:)
This looks/sounds hilarious!!! Although I agree I might come away from it with new fears LOL.
this sounds like a must read for me, I could use a laugh or two.
The vision one was so right on! When I was about 11, the teacher in my health class showed us this movie about eye-injuries, and there were pencils in people’s eyes and bits of metal, and oh, just thinking about it makes me have a stomachache. For the rest of the week, I walked around with my hands shielding my eyes, and people thought I was a dork. This is also the teacher that thought that showing a class full of 11 year olds a slideshow of autopsies was a good idea. Strangely, her class was not offered again the following year. Sorry for the ramble! I think this book looks like something that I could really sit down with and love, but it would probably up my anxiety level! Great review and photos today, Jenners!
I love this book! A friend of ours once gave Jerry the “Pop-Up Book of Phobias.” Also hilarious… and too close to home (for Jerry)!
This sounds like so much fun! Not only do I love the idea of hated things but also the inclusion of pictures. Sweetness.
I’ve seen this book, but never opened it up! It looks funny, though I do agree my own fears might be heightened if I ran across something similar. I have an irrational fear of really high highway ramps, they really can freak me out. I have a visual of not taking a curve right and just flying off the ramp, silly I know!!
I might pick this one up, or consider it as a gift.
I have been afraid of balloons since a birthday party in my youth. The hostess filled their living room floor with balloons and we were supposed to sit on them and pop them. I am sure that there was some sort of prize involved….but I basically just huddled in the corner wimpering. My fear is well known….and my darling little angels like to taunt me with balloons whenever they get the chance. I don’t buy them balloons – but they get them at places like the evil Applebees. Oh and I also do not like crossing bridges….I am fine if I am not just sitting in a stopped car, I can do like the author suggests….pretend I am just driving on a regular road. I grew up in Minnesota and when the big bridge collapsed…I said, “See? I told you so.” Okay, I think that comment was long enough, don’t you! Sounds like a good book…but I am a little afraid of what I would become afraid of….if you know what I mean?
I always have those same thoughts in a tunnel. And the snapping cables in an elevator? Yep, every time. I’m too scared to find out what other fears she’d reinforce.
Oh my gosh, that looks so good! I’m glad you included the tunnels page. I grew up in an area with a lot of tunnels, but haven’t lived there in over 30 years. I was never afraid while I was in them and don’t think I fear them now, but I dream of them all the time. How weird is that?
I love Roz Chast – her books are always checked out from the library though!
and gaaah, yet another new look! I bet your house gets redecorated a lot too!
I’m already stressed just reading those few examples from the book, but somehow I still want to see the rest!
Well now that looks FUN! Really! See, I already have these fears, so I would just feel like I had company. I am off right now to see if my library has any of his work.
YES! Got it!