I read Jenny Lawson’s first book, Let’s Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir) about three years ago. It was hilarious and sad, often at the same time, so I expected to get the same treatment from her second book.
Lawson did not disappoint.
I got the audiobook from the library and I still recommend listening to memoirs because I just love hearing the story told in the author’s own voice. Lawson tends to write in such a conversational writing style, that I think it particularly lends itself to an audiobook narrated by the author. Plus, the audiobook has a bonus chapter.
Lawson takes the title for her second book from her impatience with her depression. It’s something she’s struggled with her whole life and she’s finally decided she’s had enough. She’s not just going to be happy. She’s going to be “furiously happy” just to spite the world. I normally advise against doing anything out of spite, but in this case I think it’s terribly appropriate. You should always do whatever you need to in order to be happy.
Lawson points out that the best revenge against those who hate you is to be happy. It’s true that assholes always hate to see anyone happy, so by being determined to be happy, you’ll be happier and healthier and get your revenge on the assholes. It’s a win/win!
As with her first book, the cover image for Lawson’s second book is a photo of a taxidermied raccoon she has named Roy. Unfortunately, between Lawson seeing Roy’s image online, purchasing him and the vendor shipping out, he was involved in an accident in which he was horribly mangled. The taxidermist said he had another dead raccoon on hand that he could use to make in the pose of the first Roy. Lawson bought Roy II, but she still wanted Roy I. He was mangled, but he was still smiling, openmouthed, like he was ecstatic to see you, and Lawson decided he was the embodiment of furiously happy. And I have to admit she’s right.
I don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea of Lawson or myself. Neither of us is saying depression is something you can just decide you don’t have or “muscle your way through.” As someone who has suffered with severe depression, no one knows this better than Lawson. Plenty of people have taken the things others tend to say to those with depression and extrapolated them to those with more noticeable illnesses (everything from the flu to cancer) to demonstrate how ridiculous and unhelpful these responses are.
Lawson, true to form, takes it one step further. She uses the scenario of having your arms fall off and having people tell you to “just pick them up,” “no, I can’t pick them up for you, how would you learn to do anything for yourself?” “it’s like you don’t even want to have arms!” etc. It’s funnier when she says it, so you should really read the book and/or listen to the audiobook. It’s Lawson’s quirky sense of humor and totally unique view of the world that keeps us all coming back for more.
Although much of this book had me laughing out loud, Lawson isn’t afraid to get deadly serious at times. After all, the book deals largely with mental illness, and that’s really no laughing matter. She talks about some of the tricks she’s learned to deal with her depression and gives a play-by-play of some of her meetings with her therapist. I wouldn’t normally consider someone’s ramblings interesting, but Lawson does it like a pro. I think, in this case, listening to the audiobook helped because it felt like listening to your best friend’s stream of consciousness. Also Lawson is just an expert at that sort of thing. That’s why we pay her the big bucks.
What did you guys read/listen to this week? Anything that felt like the author was there with you? I want to hear all about it!