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Nothing Is Wrong and Here Is Why
These impossibly cheerful essays on the routine horrors of the present era explain everything from the resurgence of measles to the fiasco of the presidency.
In Nothing Is Wrong and Here Is Why, acclaimed Washington Post satirist Alexandra Petri offers perfectly logical, reassuring reasons for everything that has happened in recent American politics and culture that will in no way unsettle your worldview.
In essays both new and adapted from her viral Post columns, Petri reports that the Trump administration is as competent as it is uncorrupted, white supremacy has never been less rampant, and men have been silenced for too long. Q-Anon makes perfect sense! Perhaps the abyss is staring back at you because your outfit looks extra nice today! At the center of the book is a virtuosic account of the past four years, a history as surreal and deranged as the Trump administration itself. This Panglossian venture into the swampy present will soothe—and terrify—readers who have died laughing to ClickHole, the Onion, Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, or Veep.
In Nothing Is Wrong and Here Is Why, acclaimed Washington Post satirist Alexandra Petri offers perfectly logical, reassuring reasons for everything that has happened in recent American politics and culture that will in no way unsettle your worldview.
In essays both new and adapted from her viral Post columns, Petri reports that the Trump administration is as competent as it is uncorrupted, white supremacy has never been less rampant, and men have been silenced for too long. Q-Anon makes perfect sense! Perhaps the abyss is staring back at you because your outfit looks extra nice today! At the center of the book is a virtuosic account of the past four years, a history as surreal and deranged as the Trump administration itself. This Panglossian venture into the swampy present will soothe—and terrify—readers who have died laughing to ClickHole, the Onion, Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, or Veep.
211 pages, Hardcover
First published June 2, 2020
233 people are currently reading
5659 people want to read
About the author
Alexandra Petri
8 books411 followersMy new book is AP's US HISTORY: Important American Documents (I Made Up) and it comes out April 11, just in time for someone to make a horrible mistake in studying for the AP exam! This is my best wild spin on the book of documents -- sermons, poems, Federalist Papers -- that you were handed in high school and asked to write essays about, and I hope that it will make you laugh and be unable to see the Cross Of Gold speech the same way. If you like Raymond Chandler, spiders, the Muppets, horrifying 1950s gelatin dishes, or wonder what Little Women would have been like if the March sisters were 60 feet tall, this is the book for you!
I also wrote NOTHING IS WRONG AND HERE IS WHY, A FIELD GUIDE TO AWKWARD SILENCES, an issue of She-Hulk (Annual #1) and some other things! I write plays regularly, and am very slowly working on a new one.
I live in DC, without a cat, which surprises me too!
I also wrote NOTHING IS WRONG AND HERE IS WHY, A FIELD GUIDE TO AWKWARD SILENCES, an issue of She-Hulk (Annual #1) and some other things! I write plays regularly, and am very slowly working on a new one.
I live in DC, without a cat, which surprises me too!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 308 reviews
July 25, 2020
I wasn't familiar with Alexandra Petri's work before seeing this book and thinking it sounded like a lot of fun. It's a collection of satirical articles and parodies she wrote for The Washington Post over the last four years.
They cover a variety of topics dealing with current topics such as feminism, racism, and politics. I almost DNF'ed the book after the first couple chapters, finding them more cynical than amusing.
I'm glad I decided to keep with it though because there are also some real gems in here.
Following are my favourite chapters and brief descriptions:
• Donald Trump and His Sons Will Never Talk Business Again:
Donny-johnny, Donny-johnny Jr., and Eric attempt to have conversations without discussing trump's businesses.
• The True, Correct Story of What Happened at Donald Trump's Inauguration:
A White House approved news story telling how pretty much the entire world stopped what they were doing and flocked to Washington D.C. in order to attend the inauguration of the most incompetent president the US has ever had. Even the Pope was there, giving Donny-johnny a high five and claiming he's his best friend. Musicians fight over who gets to sing, and the people build a huge (yuge?) pyramid in trump's honor.
• The Privilege Tree:
Depicts some of the ways white male privilege works, while keeping the privileged white male blind to his own privilege.
• Everything You Wanted to Know About Deep State But Were Too Scared to Ask:
In which you (and the president and everyone else) learn about the existence of the Deep State through that most respected of news sources, Breitbart.com
•I Am Sick of These Children Demanding Safe Spaces:
Kids these days! A bunch of whiny, pampered snowflakes, wanting to be safe in school and not have to worry about being shot and killed while trying to get an education. The nerve!
•Play the "Woman Card" and Reap These Rewards:
During the lead up to the 2016 election, Donny-johnny accused Hillary Clinton of gathering votes simply by playing the "Woman Card". The author describes some of the perks of being a woman. Show your Woman Card and: Automatically receive a sizable discount on your earnings! Get harassed by males wherever you go, unless you also have the I Have a Boyfriend Card! Have your appearance unceasingly up for judgment your entire life! Be patronized, have your space invaded, be treated like an object, have conservatives think they have the right to control your body's reproductive system, and more!
• What to Call Racist Remarks Instead of Calling Them Racist Remarks:
"So, someone has said something racist. But you don't want to SAY they have said something racist. That would be upsetting!" This chapter has a long list of things you can call racist remarks without hurting someone's feelings by calling them racist remarks.
Even though I didn't enjoy every chapter, I was given more than enough laughs in others to make Nothing Is Wrong and Here Is Why a book worth reading. 3.5 stars rounded up.
They cover a variety of topics dealing with current topics such as feminism, racism, and politics. I almost DNF'ed the book after the first couple chapters, finding them more cynical than amusing.
I'm glad I decided to keep with it though because there are also some real gems in here.
Following are my favourite chapters and brief descriptions:
• Donald Trump and His Sons Will Never Talk Business Again:
Donny-johnny, Donny-johnny Jr., and Eric attempt to have conversations without discussing trump's businesses.
• The True, Correct Story of What Happened at Donald Trump's Inauguration:
A White House approved news story telling how pretty much the entire world stopped what they were doing and flocked to Washington D.C. in order to attend the inauguration of the most incompetent president the US has ever had. Even the Pope was there, giving Donny-johnny a high five and claiming he's his best friend. Musicians fight over who gets to sing, and the people build a huge (yuge?) pyramid in trump's honor.
• The Privilege Tree:
Depicts some of the ways white male privilege works, while keeping the privileged white male blind to his own privilege.
• Everything You Wanted to Know About Deep State But Were Too Scared to Ask:
In which you (and the president and everyone else) learn about the existence of the Deep State through that most respected of news sources, Breitbart.com
•I Am Sick of These Children Demanding Safe Spaces:
Kids these days! A bunch of whiny, pampered snowflakes, wanting to be safe in school and not have to worry about being shot and killed while trying to get an education. The nerve!
•Play the "Woman Card" and Reap These Rewards:
During the lead up to the 2016 election, Donny-johnny accused Hillary Clinton of gathering votes simply by playing the "Woman Card". The author describes some of the perks of being a woman. Show your Woman Card and: Automatically receive a sizable discount on your earnings! Get harassed by males wherever you go, unless you also have the I Have a Boyfriend Card! Have your appearance unceasingly up for judgment your entire life! Be patronized, have your space invaded, be treated like an object, have conservatives think they have the right to control your body's reproductive system, and more!
• What to Call Racist Remarks Instead of Calling Them Racist Remarks:
"So, someone has said something racist. But you don't want to SAY they have said something racist. That would be upsetting!" This chapter has a long list of things you can call racist remarks without hurting someone's feelings by calling them racist remarks.
Even though I didn't enjoy every chapter, I was given more than enough laughs in others to make Nothing Is Wrong and Here Is Why a book worth reading. 3.5 stars rounded up.
June 19, 2020
Sarcasm and farce. Yum! This is one of those books that use humor to cover the really horrid things that are happening or have happened. Some are outright funny, some a little silly, but all inventive.
From the current political situation and the man who would be king, to measles and the anti vacers, she covers alot of ground.
Of course appreciation of her with will depend where you stand politically, or maybe if you have an open mind. Best also, to parse these essays or whatever we might call them, fables, nightmares, out a few at a time. Get too much to read them in one go.
ARC from Edelweiss.
From the current political situation and the man who would be king, to measles and the anti vacers, she covers alot of ground.
Of course appreciation of her with will depend where you stand politically, or maybe if you have an open mind. Best also, to parse these essays or whatever we might call them, fables, nightmares, out a few at a time. Get too much to read them in one go.
ARC from Edelweiss.
Read
February 1, 2020Under my particular rock, we have not heard of Alexandra Petri. This is a total failure of mass communications that needs addressing immediately. 5G can wait; this is pretty basic. Petri writes short pieces for the Washington Post and her style is nothing less than dynamite. It is a cross between SJ Perelman and Art Buchwald, which I probably have to explain. Perelman was a master of word manipulation, as well utter zaniness he called dementia praecox. He wrote Marx Brothers films, for example (Please don't make me explain the Marx Brothers too). Buchwald was the apotheosis of Beltway observations. He could twist anything going on in Washington into a yarn of incalculable ridicule, while always seeming positive and supportive. You could slice off your arm with the silver linings he found. So reading Petri's book Nothing is Wrong and Here is Why is a privilege as well as a delight.
Petri divides her book into sections, dealing with say, politics, or politics, and then politics. Because her pieces on women are largely political, and so is pretty much everything in the book, and in American life today.
Like any editorialist, she jumps on news items, and in her case, twists them delightfully almost beyond recognition. Example: a piece on the new Trump Space Force - as a Star Trek spinoff, with synopses from numerous episodes. In every one, everyone dies. In another piece, she answers the question, if Deep State were a college, how would you apply? I think my favorite is entitled HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO BRETT KAVANAUGH? and as should be evident from from the all-caps, there is a lot of yelling involved.
While she usually takes her time twisting the knife, there are some points that she scores in single sentences:
-"Because there are no sensible gun laws, it is always too soon after a major gun tragedy to talk about sensible gun laws."
-"The only blind trust that Donald Trump has is the blind trust that the American people have placed in him to run his business appropriately."
-The Trump budget cut funding for the National Institutes of Health so that "we will buy more planes and guns to shoot viruses out of the sky."
-She says she roots for women because one gave birth to her.
-Women automatically get a discount card for life that entitles them to steep discounts on their salaries.
-Conservatism is "the ability to pass the dangers and privations of my life on to the generation that will come after."
This is far better than damning with faint praise, a favorite tactic of mine. This is seeing the idiotic effects of our elected representatives in real action, damaging day to day life for all. These are practical applications of the mind-numbing daily activities of everyone from Scott Pruitt to Paul Manafort, with drive-bys for Sean Spicer, and Ivanka and Melania Trump.
Would that there were more like her. Failing that, Alexandra Petri is dramatically one to watch.
David Wineberg
Petri divides her book into sections, dealing with say, politics, or politics, and then politics. Because her pieces on women are largely political, and so is pretty much everything in the book, and in American life today.
Like any editorialist, she jumps on news items, and in her case, twists them delightfully almost beyond recognition. Example: a piece on the new Trump Space Force - as a Star Trek spinoff, with synopses from numerous episodes. In every one, everyone dies. In another piece, she answers the question, if Deep State were a college, how would you apply? I think my favorite is entitled HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO BRETT KAVANAUGH? and as should be evident from from the all-caps, there is a lot of yelling involved.
While she usually takes her time twisting the knife, there are some points that she scores in single sentences:
-"Because there are no sensible gun laws, it is always too soon after a major gun tragedy to talk about sensible gun laws."
-"The only blind trust that Donald Trump has is the blind trust that the American people have placed in him to run his business appropriately."
-The Trump budget cut funding for the National Institutes of Health so that "we will buy more planes and guns to shoot viruses out of the sky."
-She says she roots for women because one gave birth to her.
-Women automatically get a discount card for life that entitles them to steep discounts on their salaries.
-Conservatism is "the ability to pass the dangers and privations of my life on to the generation that will come after."
This is far better than damning with faint praise, a favorite tactic of mine. This is seeing the idiotic effects of our elected representatives in real action, damaging day to day life for all. These are practical applications of the mind-numbing daily activities of everyone from Scott Pruitt to Paul Manafort, with drive-bys for Sean Spicer, and Ivanka and Melania Trump.
Would that there were more like her. Failing that, Alexandra Petri is dramatically one to watch.
David Wineberg
July 22, 2020
4.5 stars-- this was so funny but oh so dark. Like, I had to take breaks because this was too real at many points. Petri's satire is exactly what we need after the last few years, and I loved watching her play with language and using it to expose the vacuity of so much of public discourse in age of Trump
May 4, 2020
I won an advanced copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
Alexandra Petri is a satire columnist for the Washington Post. I have been reading her columns for some time, as living in the hellscape that is America under Trump makes satire, sarcasm, and intelligent humor as vital as food and water. And many of her columns are fantastically funny. Several filled me with rage and sadness, mostly the ones related to Kavanaugh. I had read several of these columns before, but many were fresh to me. What was most disturbing is how the crimes and horrendous actions of this administration have become so common place that I had forgotten about many of them. Especially in this age of Covid-19. But 2020 is not a year that should involve forgetting. We should remember everything, every lie, every grave mistake, every insult, every attempt to gaslight the public. So read this book, laugh at Ms. Petri's intelligence and witticisms. Remember. And then vote blue at every level in November.
Nothing is Wrong and Here is Why comes out on June 2, 2020.
Alexandra Petri is a satire columnist for the Washington Post. I have been reading her columns for some time, as living in the hellscape that is America under Trump makes satire, sarcasm, and intelligent humor as vital as food and water. And many of her columns are fantastically funny. Several filled me with rage and sadness, mostly the ones related to Kavanaugh. I had read several of these columns before, but many were fresh to me. What was most disturbing is how the crimes and horrendous actions of this administration have become so common place that I had forgotten about many of them. Especially in this age of Covid-19. But 2020 is not a year that should involve forgetting. We should remember everything, every lie, every grave mistake, every insult, every attempt to gaslight the public. So read this book, laugh at Ms. Petri's intelligence and witticisms. Remember. And then vote blue at every level in November.
Nothing is Wrong and Here is Why comes out on June 2, 2020.
March 31, 2020
Washington Post? 🙄
No thanks I usually let dog turds dry out before I pick em up. Maybe I'll wait til it's been out longer and they're stacked up on the 1¢ shelf.
PS May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your most personal area. 🔮
No thanks I usually let dog turds dry out before I pick em up. Maybe I'll wait til it's been out longer and they're stacked up on the 1¢ shelf.
PS May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your most personal area. 🔮
May 5, 2020
2.5 rounded up
Reader enjoyment of this array of essays will hinge on whether you gel with Petri's sense of humour - this is an incredibly facetious collection of very short pieces written in the wake/response to Trump's presidency. There are also a smattering focusing more on MeToo, which happened to be the ones I connected most with. I think these lost their impact when read consecutively, so perhaps this is a collection to dip in and out of if you want reminding of what dire political times we are living through.
Thank you Netgalley and W. W. Norton & Company for the advance copy, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Reader enjoyment of this array of essays will hinge on whether you gel with Petri's sense of humour - this is an incredibly facetious collection of very short pieces written in the wake/response to Trump's presidency. There are also a smattering focusing more on MeToo, which happened to be the ones I connected most with. I think these lost their impact when read consecutively, so perhaps this is a collection to dip in and out of if you want reminding of what dire political times we are living through.
Thank you Netgalley and W. W. Norton & Company for the advance copy, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.
April 25, 2023
I have been reading Petri for a few years and she generally makes me laugh—sometimes I shout in glee in response to a particular punchy line. If you haven't read her work in The Washington Post, you are in for a treat. (It helps if you have actually been paying attention to the for-real news over the last five years or so.)
However, I was nagged twice to put up a review (I was reading something else when this arrived) and so I read this collection too fast. Here are my recommendations:
Some of these very short 1-4 page essays are clearly five-star beauties, and maybe the rest of them would be too if I followed my own quite excellent recommendations and did not try to read several at a go. I'll give Petri a pass and five stars. She gave me laughter and I wish I knew whether the dedication to "Madeleine always" refers to a family member, Madeleine Albright, or both at once.
If you never went to art school, you probably will not recognize the cover painting, especially with the MAGA hat. It's Goya's "Saturn Devouring His Son." I never cared much for it, not even with the MAGA hat.
I thank the publisher or whomever it was sent me this book. I wrote just whatever I liked. Freedom is a wonderful thing.
However, I was nagged twice to put up a review (I was reading something else when this arrived) and so I read this collection too fast. Here are my recommendations:
One taken at bedtime as a way of distancing yourself from the awful occurrences of the day.
Or, alternatively, take one or two immediately upon arising as inoculation against whatever the news will bring.
Or, while working, read aloud just in case there is someone else in the room where you are sheltering in place as a reminder that even without your help, the world is batshit crazy.
Some of these very short 1-4 page essays are clearly five-star beauties, and maybe the rest of them would be too if I followed my own quite excellent recommendations and did not try to read several at a go. I'll give Petri a pass and five stars. She gave me laughter and I wish I knew whether the dedication to "Madeleine always" refers to a family member, Madeleine Albright, or both at once.
If you never went to art school, you probably will not recognize the cover painting, especially with the MAGA hat. It's Goya's "Saturn Devouring His Son." I never cared much for it, not even with the MAGA hat.
I thank the publisher or whomever it was sent me this book. I wrote just whatever I liked. Freedom is a wonderful thing.
July 19, 2020
3.5*
Satyrinės esė apie šiandieninį Amerikos prezidentą ir jo aplinką, dauguma jų. Likusios - vėlgi kliudo labiau JAV aktualijas ir politikus. Būtų buvęs smagus skaitinys, jei nebūtų nebejuokinga dėl JAV realybės. Ir kaip visada nutinka su rinkiniais - vieni esė patiko labai, kiti - tik šiaip sau.
Viršelis ir pavadinimas - 100% atitinka turinį.
Satyrinės esė apie šiandieninį Amerikos prezidentą ir jo aplinką, dauguma jų. Likusios - vėlgi kliudo labiau JAV aktualijas ir politikus. Būtų buvęs smagus skaitinys, jei nebūtų nebejuokinga dėl JAV realybės. Ir kaip visada nutinka su rinkiniais - vieni esė patiko labai, kiti - tik šiaip sau.
Viršelis ir pavadinimas - 100% atitinka turinį.
June 30, 2021
This was a mixed bag for me. I liked some of the stories more than others. I wasn't a huge fan of the audiobook narrator's voice, which sounded a bit robotic to me.
December 20, 2021
Alexandra Petri is a columnist for the Washington Post. I've been reading her satirical columns for a long time, and I always enjoy them. They often remind me of writings by Art Buchwald, an earlier humor columnist in the Post.
While I love the columns individually, taking them all together in a book is just too much. They sort of got on my nerves, with the same type of sardonic humor that takes reductio ad absurdum to new heights. It just becomes a bit much to stomach, reading one essay after another. I much prefer her essays one day at a time. I just need a breather in between them.
While I love the columns individually, taking them all together in a book is just too much. They sort of got on my nerves, with the same type of sardonic humor that takes reductio ad absurdum to new heights. It just becomes a bit much to stomach, reading one essay after another. I much prefer her essays one day at a time. I just need a breather in between them.
May 17, 2020
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway, and it did not disappoint. Just to be clear, supporters of President Trump will likely find this fiercely unapologetic collection of satirical essays to be offensive. However, far from being simply a compilation of biting partisan complaints, this book provides a look into the very real possibility that one can see another’s perspective while still holding a strong opposite opinion. Furthermore, the immensely talented author shows how crucial the employment of comedy and self-expression via writing are to the stress relief process. Overall, I highly recommend this book to those who are not Trump fans or those who are his supporters but don’t mind exploring insights into an opposing viewpoint.
May 27, 2020
Ah yes, white supremacy, a liberals code word that they label people who dare to think for themselves and choose trump. Nevermind "diversity" is just a code word for no whites allowed. Nevermind than the entirety of twitter on a daily basis routinely craps on white people, nevermind that we can replace white people in movies and TV shows with "diverse" actors but cannot do the opposite. Nevermind that if you'd do just the slightest bit of research on your own on half the crazy things trump says, you'd realize they are based on the deepest of truths. Books like this are truly for people who love the smell of their own farts. It's all so tiring.
April 29, 2020
Nothing is Wrong and Here is Why by Alexandra Petri is every bit as insightful as it is biting humor. As with all satire in the current age, what should sound over the top actually sounds like something that could plausibly come out of the White House or Congress. So the humor is tinged with a little sadness at the deterioration of the country's intellect (at least of those elected to high office) and democracy.
These are not the typical screeds against Trump or his inept charade at governing. These are quite thoughtful and on the whole take the stand of supporting or agreeing with the nonsense that is Trumpworld. Think along the lines of Colbert, pretending to agree and demonstrating just how empty the positions, people, and policies are by providing some kind of rationale for illogical and unethical practices.
I highly recommend this to anyone who either leans left or is even center. Those who still drink the Kool-Aid won't be able to read it anyway and will resort to juvenile potty jokes rather than engage, but that is their level, can't really do much about that.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
These are not the typical screeds against Trump or his inept charade at governing. These are quite thoughtful and on the whole take the stand of supporting or agreeing with the nonsense that is Trumpworld. Think along the lines of Colbert, pretending to agree and demonstrating just how empty the positions, people, and policies are by providing some kind of rationale for illogical and unethical practices.
I highly recommend this to anyone who either leans left or is even center. Those who still drink the Kool-Aid won't be able to read it anyway and will resort to juvenile potty jokes rather than engage, but that is their level, can't really do much about that.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
February 19, 2024
(Note:I received an advanced reader copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley)
As someone who both wants to be informed about current events but also usually finds himself overwhelmed by the news, I always find Alexandra Petri’s writing to be an extremely effective balm. Expertly using a humor style that often veers into the absurd and the surreal, she always manages to masterfully highlight the genuine stupidity or madness of whatever event or topic she has chosen to target, all while bringing me some much-needed laughter in the process. And now that her past Washington Post columns (plus a few new extras essays) that have previously brought me joy are all organized together in a collection, I now have a nice little anxiety antidote I can reach for whenever reality feels too much. I can pick any essay here at random, and no matter my selection I will be mercifully guaranteed at least a toothy grin and some hearty chuckles from a writer who has so skillfully captured the ludicrous zeitgeist of these overly interesting times.
As someone who both wants to be informed about current events but also usually finds himself overwhelmed by the news, I always find Alexandra Petri’s writing to be an extremely effective balm. Expertly using a humor style that often veers into the absurd and the surreal, she always manages to masterfully highlight the genuine stupidity or madness of whatever event or topic she has chosen to target, all while bringing me some much-needed laughter in the process. And now that her past Washington Post columns (plus a few new extras essays) that have previously brought me joy are all organized together in a collection, I now have a nice little anxiety antidote I can reach for whenever reality feels too much. I can pick any essay here at random, and no matter my selection I will be mercifully guaranteed at least a toothy grin and some hearty chuckles from a writer who has so skillfully captured the ludicrous zeitgeist of these overly interesting times.
May 13, 2020
This book is so smart and so funny, I wanted to clap at the end. I follow the author on Twitter, but I haven’t read a lot of her columns in the Washington Post. I will now! I will read everything she writes from here on out. God, this book is so funny. Do yourself a favor and just read the table of contents. I mean, you’ll laugh at the essay titles alone.
June 25, 2020
I may not actually mean 5, but I really really needed this book right now so it felt like a 5.
June 25, 2020
Think the world is falling apart right before your eyes?
Alexandra Petri is here to help. Petri explains how Trump is a Stable Genius, what the ethics chief really wanted to say in his resignation letter, and outlines the privilege tree. She writes a book report on The Mueller Report and shares the thoughts of others at a truck stop on impeaching Trump.
We might feel powerless in the face of the insanity around us, but Petri offers us a way to fight back...with laughter.
Alexandra Petri is here to help. Petri explains how Trump is a Stable Genius, what the ethics chief really wanted to say in his resignation letter, and outlines the privilege tree. She writes a book report on The Mueller Report and shares the thoughts of others at a truck stop on impeaching Trump.
We might feel powerless in the face of the insanity around us, but Petri offers us a way to fight back...with laughter.
February 17, 2023
"This is how a thing he did became something that happened to her; this is how something he did becomes something that happens. This is how this keeps happening."
wry and dark. really enjoyed this sardonic, sharp exploration of the stupidity and cruelty of modern sociopolitical discourse. reading all these satirical essays in a row was definitely a lot, but i still enjoyed this collection quite a bit. very punchy and entertaining. not tons to say about this one, but i liked it a lot!
wry and dark. really enjoyed this sardonic, sharp exploration of the stupidity and cruelty of modern sociopolitical discourse. reading all these satirical essays in a row was definitely a lot, but i still enjoyed this collection quite a bit. very punchy and entertaining. not tons to say about this one, but i liked it a lot!
Read
December 21, 2020So freaking good. Readers who love satire will eat this up. Conservative, misogynist racists probably won't.
August 10, 2020
This is a crabapple book. You bite into it and say ‘Ooh, that’s rather bitter!’ but then can’t help but to take another bite. It’s so, so good, and then the crabapple is finished and you’re sad there’s not any more. Suffice to say, I wanted more essays in this collection because they were just...*chef’s kiss* wonderful.
Some of them are misses, I wasn’t into (weirdly?) the more Melania targeted ones, except the one about her murder trees in the halls of the White House, but the Trump ones, for the most part, were marvellous. His sudden descent into genius was absolutely hilarious, and the satire pieces about the school shootings (especially the crisis actor letter) were poignant and also darkly comic. There’s a lot of gems to be found in this collection, and while some of them will be misses for you, there’s a lot of hits.
Being able to write successful satire in a world that defies satire on a daily basis is certainly a gift, and this author 100% fits the bill for it. Well worth the read...and scurrying around reading them to your family in silly voices as well.
Some of them are misses, I wasn’t into (weirdly?) the more Melania targeted ones, except the one about her murder trees in the halls of the White House, but the Trump ones, for the most part, were marvellous. His sudden descent into genius was absolutely hilarious, and the satire pieces about the school shootings (especially the crisis actor letter) were poignant and also darkly comic. There’s a lot of gems to be found in this collection, and while some of them will be misses for you, there’s a lot of hits.
Being able to write successful satire in a world that defies satire on a daily basis is certainly a gift, and this author 100% fits the bill for it. Well worth the read...and scurrying around reading them to your family in silly voices as well.
September 6, 2021
Alexandra Petri is a funny writer. She writes in a way that kind of makes you have a crush on her. This book, however, is on such a grim subject (the years under Trump) that even she struggles to make a reasonable person smile. Her essays are pointed and sharp and intelligent. She shows the nonsense that we’ve been through, and for me, as I mentioned elsewhere (Sects and Violence in the Ancient World) it was still a little too raw to raise a grin.
Not the entire book is about the unfortunate years 2016-2020, though. She does move on to other topics that are a bit lighter and give some relief. One thing she frequently writes on is women’s issues—how men still kind of think of women as somehow less than human. She takes them to task in fun ways. She’s back on target here.
Not that she was really off target with that travesty we call the Republican Party. She hits the bullseye but the fact that Trump remains a threat to democracy and that his party, which doesn’t really stand for his ideas at all, refuses to let him go. I’m sure Petri could write a fine essay on this as well, but when we’re still in the danger zone it’s just to scary to read it. And I’m a fan of horror.
Not the entire book is about the unfortunate years 2016-2020, though. She does move on to other topics that are a bit lighter and give some relief. One thing she frequently writes on is women’s issues—how men still kind of think of women as somehow less than human. She takes them to task in fun ways. She’s back on target here.
Not that she was really off target with that travesty we call the Republican Party. She hits the bullseye but the fact that Trump remains a threat to democracy and that his party, which doesn’t really stand for his ideas at all, refuses to let him go. I’m sure Petri could write a fine essay on this as well, but when we’re still in the danger zone it’s just to scary to read it. And I’m a fan of horror.
September 28, 2020
Short satirical essays on current culture and events, mainly skewering President Trump. Funny and entertaining, but not as laugh-out-loud hilarious as I'd hoped.
Like my reviews? Check out my blog at http://www.kathrynbashaar.com/blog/
Author of The Saint's Mistress: http://camcatpub.com/thesaintsmistress
Like my reviews? Check out my blog at http://www.kathrynbashaar.com/blog/
Author of The Saint's Mistress: http://camcatpub.com/thesaintsmistress
May 27, 2020
SPOILER ALERT!
This book was incredibly useful. Amidst the toilet paper shortage, this was incredibly handy as I was able to use each page to wipe myself before flushing down the toilet! Paper was quite soft and strong, quite the feat! Highly recommend.
This book was incredibly useful. Amidst the toilet paper shortage, this was incredibly handy as I was able to use each page to wipe myself before flushing down the toilet! Paper was quite soft and strong, quite the feat! Highly recommend.
January 15, 2021
I consider myself to have an oddball sense of humor but Alexandra's got me beat, some of this was even a little over my head. But I enjoyed it for the most part. She's a unique talent.
February 11, 2020
Alexandra Petri is a national treasure and this collection of essays is proof of it. Her writing is sharp and perfect for the absurdity of our current era. A few of the essays fell flat for me, but overall is a wonderful read.
February 7, 2020
Mark Twain wishes he could. This should be the only text used to explain the hell we’ve found ourselves in since 2016. It’s so perfect I’m cry.
August 20, 2020
I felt slightly masochistic reading it at first, reliving the horrors of the past few years, but it was funny and clever enough to be a delightful read. I particularly like the short stories, some of which reminded me of Patricia C. Wrede’s Book of Enchantments or other stories I read as a kid, in their fantasy and mild suspense and creeping sense of malaise. The USA right now very well could be a vaguely menacing foreign land that our hero must traverse or avoid in a harrowing adventure. Certainly a stop along the Odyssey before reaching Home.
I’m also here for the validating and galvanizing feminist commentary.
This book isn’t escapism, but Petri’s voice is so refreshing that it’s worth it. And I think some of these images are going to stick with me, like Michelle Obama being haunted by Ivanka shoes. Or “you know the penalty” and the tolling bells. And the zombie Careers that women just couldn’t kill.
I’m also here for the validating and galvanizing feminist commentary.
This book isn’t escapism, but Petri’s voice is so refreshing that it’s worth it. And I think some of these images are going to stick with me, like Michelle Obama being haunted by Ivanka shoes. Or “you know the penalty” and the tolling bells. And the zombie Careers that women just couldn’t kill.
July 26, 2021
“Actually, this is a wonderful time to be alive. We live in an age when anything is possible. […] I will explain to you all the wonderful things about being alive today very slowly and carefully so that even a child could comprehend them, keeping in mind that I despise children.“
🆘
NOTHING IS WRONG AND HERE IS WHY is Washington Post columnist Alexandra Petri’s collection of darkly funny essays about the (then) state of affairs/American politics in the Tr*mp era.
I confess that, as a reader of her column and loving Petri’s brand of satire, I requested this on @netgalley then was unable to sit down with an entire book whose writing sketched the gory shape of the national emergency that was DJT running our country. I read a few chapters, then set it aside until my brain & soul had been cleansed by 6 months of not cringing through every major news headline.
The tone of Petri’s writing leans into the Ingsoc principles from Orwell's 1984 (bad is good! Nazi nostalgia! vengeance on the ice for the horrors it's inflicted!), so if that's not your bag, you might not appreciate this. But if it is, or if you follow the news (too) closely and need laughter to decompress from all the world’s absurdities, this is a great pick-up.
•
“Indeed, we have much less need of imagination than we did before. Once, people could make whole careers conjuring up outlandish things that were not happening. No longer! Now, we need simply watch. [...] We have become our own parodies, eliminating waste and redundancy. This kind of efficiency is what has allowed us to thrive at home, and drop jaws abroad. We have killed off satire once and for all. It is dead. Long live reality!”
🆘
NOTHING IS WRONG AND HERE IS WHY is Washington Post columnist Alexandra Petri’s collection of darkly funny essays about the (then) state of affairs/American politics in the Tr*mp era.
I confess that, as a reader of her column and loving Petri’s brand of satire, I requested this on @netgalley then was unable to sit down with an entire book whose writing sketched the gory shape of the national emergency that was DJT running our country. I read a few chapters, then set it aside until my brain & soul had been cleansed by 6 months of not cringing through every major news headline.
The tone of Petri’s writing leans into the Ingsoc principles from Orwell's 1984 (bad is good! Nazi nostalgia! vengeance on the ice for the horrors it's inflicted!), so if that's not your bag, you might not appreciate this. But if it is, or if you follow the news (too) closely and need laughter to decompress from all the world’s absurdities, this is a great pick-up.
•
“Indeed, we have much less need of imagination than we did before. Once, people could make whole careers conjuring up outlandish things that were not happening. No longer! Now, we need simply watch. [...] We have become our own parodies, eliminating waste and redundancy. This kind of efficiency is what has allowed us to thrive at home, and drop jaws abroad. We have killed off satire once and for all. It is dead. Long live reality!”
October 11, 2020
Matches our times absurdity for absurdity
I have long enjoyed Ms. Petri's columns in the Washington Post and this collection is a wonderful reminder of her peerless mastery of irony, understatement and sardonic (but not sour) wit. It will make you angry at things you ought to be angry about. It will make your anger feel seen, and remind you that getting angry with the way things are is the necessary first step to making things be some other, better way. It is not afraid to treat the absurd things people do with the utter lack of deference they deserve. What more can one ask for in times like these?
I have long enjoyed Ms. Petri's columns in the Washington Post and this collection is a wonderful reminder of her peerless mastery of irony, understatement and sardonic (but not sour) wit. It will make you angry at things you ought to be angry about. It will make your anger feel seen, and remind you that getting angry with the way things are is the necessary first step to making things be some other, better way. It is not afraid to treat the absurd things people do with the utter lack of deference they deserve. What more can one ask for in times like these?
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