Elizabeth R. (esjro) - , reviewed on 3/2/2023 + 949 more book reviews

Samantha Irby's essays are always hit and miss to me, but the hits are plentiful enough that I have read her three previous collections. She is at her best when writing about her own life and relationships with friends, co-workers, and family, as her insecurites are relatable.

The strongest pieces in Quietly Hostile are the bookends. In "i like It!" she advises the reader to use the simple title phrase (with exclamation points!) to diffuse people who are condescending and judgemental about things one enjoys. In "my firstborn dog", she and her partner bring a less than perfect rescue into their home in the midst of a COVID lockdown. I really got a kick out of "we used to get dressed up to go to red lobster We waited three-plus hours for diet salad." which is a celebration of mediocre restaurants such as The Cheesecake Factory and Red Lobster and skewering of overly complicated Starbucks orders.

Unfortunately there are a couple of the duds in the collection (one about nuns having lesbian sex, and another that revisits almost every episode of Sex in the City) and they go on way too long. (Especially the Sex in the City reimagining,) There is also a lot of discussion of GI issues, which should already be familiar to readers of Irby's previous collections.

Overall, there is plenty to enjoy in this collection. It would be best enjoyed by reading a chapter or two in multiple sessions, and give yourself permission to skim (especially the Sex in the City chapter),

Thank you to Vintage and NetGalley for an egalley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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