I’ve seen a number of really favorable reviews of Laura Crossett’s Night Sweats: an unexpected pregnancy.
Actually, all the reviews I’ve seen of the book have been very favorable.
I purchased the book* and finished reading it yesterday** and felt that I should provide a contrarian review, one that’s hard-hitting and exposes all the book’s faults.
So, here goes:
Major faults and failings in Night Sweats
- I’m pretty sure I found a copy-editing error.
- It could be longer.
That’s about it. I’d like to argue about Crossett’s religion, but for a lapsed Methodist to take on an Episcopalian about religiosity exceeds even my capacity for absurd argumentation–yes, she’s more religious than I am, but that strengthens the story in ways I can’t possibly argue with.
Then there’s the other side…
Good points about Night Sweats
- Crossett’s an excellent and achingly honest writer.
- It’s a true story and an interesting one.
- Crossett’s also hilarious, not necessarily what you’d expect in this kind of a book. (Whatever “this kind” might be.)
- The book’s just plain compelling–even if (like me) you’re someone for whom the story of an unexpected pregnancy might not immediately connect.
Despite the (probable) copy-editing failure, I’d be dishonest to sum this up as anything other than:
Buy this book. Read it. I’m pretty sure you’ll find it worth your while.
Oh, and if you want the ebook, it’s available from the usual suspects, but Laura*** (and Our Bodies Our Selves, if I have that right) gets more of the modest proceeds (it’s $4 if there’s no current sale) if you buy it directly from Lulu.
Notes
*Why did I buy this book? Well… Laura sent me a PDF to see if I had comments on her layout and typographic options, since she used The Librarian’s Guide to Micropublishing in the project–and gives me credit in the acknowledgments. I did manage to look at the typographic choices, which I find excellent–but it was difficult because I just wanted to read it. And I wanted to read it enough in print to buy it.
**Why so long? After all, the book’s only 93 pages long and it’s so well written that it’s an easy read. Well, there’s a sick cat–which Laura may find amusing, since a sick cat enters into the book–and also I was trying to prolong the experience.
***Why am I sometimes first-naming Ms. Crossett? Because she’s a Virtual Friend. I don’t know whether we’ve ever met face-to-face, but we’ve been chatting on Friendfeed as part of the Library Society of the World for years, and she’s also given me good and sometimes tough advice on the side on some library-related projects. She’s one of many there who I respect considerably and can say that we frequently disagree but not in ways that are disagreeable. She’s a good person. And, of course, one of those writers–like Barbara Fister–who make me recognize the limits of my comparatively crude writing skills.
In fact, we have met, at the OCLC Blog Salon at ALA in 2005. We happened to be leaving at the same time and headed in the same direction (I was going to hear Victor Navasky speak and I think you were going to something at the Art Institute) and we shared a cab. I have been bragging to people about this for years.
I thought we might have met, either at a Bloggers Salon (I miss those) or at a LITA Happy Hour where I met a bunch of LSW folk. But, you know, I’m old, and I wasn’t sure…