Customer Reviews

Life Laughs: The Naked Truth about Motherhood, Marriage, and Moving On

5 star:		(53)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I adored Jenny's first two books. Before I explain what made this one so bad, recall what made the first two so great: you could really relate to them! They made you laugh because you had been there yourself. Even if you came from a completely different background than Jen--religious, sexual, and cultural--you could still totally relate to everything in those books because pregnancy and motherhood are such universal experiences.

Not so with Life Laughs. For starters, enjoy the picture of her kid on the cover, because that's about all the "motherhood" Jen covers in this book. Out of 45 chapters, only one directly focuses on parenting. If you, like me, bought this book hoping for at least a partial continuation of the first two books and some juicy, hilarious anecdotes about the challenges of trying to parent a toddler in the real world, then you're going to be disappointed.

A better subtitle for the book would have been "The Naked Truth About Multiple Sexual Partners, Marriage and Moving On," because that's really what the book was about. If you've never slept around rampantly or faked your way through endless nights of tedious and unwanted sex, then you'll probably have a hard time relating to the brunt of this book, because that's what it's really about.

Jen is open and honest with her audience as always, and she'll doubtless cover material that you will still be able to relate to. Some of it is even funny. But overall the book feels hurried and disjointed--and the typos and grammatical errors don't impress much, either. Wherever Jenny is, I hope she someday reaches deep inside and brings out for us again that witty, laugh-out-loud hilarious woman we all know is in there. Because this isn't it.

Like the author, Jenny McCarthy, I was also raised Catholic in a Chicago suburb and attended Southern Illinois University. This is what compelled me to read "Life Laughs," her third book. She starts out the essay collection with a warning, preparing readers for her "honesty," as she discusses a variety of personal topics in a brash, "crude, raw, and sometimes dirty" manner. Truly, it's an honest description of her simple, conversational writing.

The first three quarters of the column-like compositions focus on marriage, and there are several woman vs. man scenarios typical to new relationships. As the marriage ages, the child is born, body parts start to sag, and then one day she rolls over in bed "and saw a nose with hair sticking out that was snoring with some pretty bad morning breath." There's no linear pattern to the collection, it's sort of random and all over the place, as Jenny goes places others fear to tread. Not knowing what to expect on the next page (a page that might include a caricature of Jenny falling into a toilet) added to the entertainment.

Throughout the hour or so it took me to read this bawdy little book, I felt like I was out for drinks with my funniest friends (it wasn't the book club, but definitely the bunco group) and even though I laughed out loud a few times, I have to admit, this gal also managed to bring out my inner prude. "Life Laughs," by Jenny McCarthy is for 30-something women the way "I Feel Bad About My Neck," by Nora Ephron is for 50-something women. She reminds us of the importance of laughing at ourselves, and she's willing to bare it all--even a seeming underlying pain--to do so.

Michele Cozzens is the author of It's Not Your Mother's Bridge Club

3rd book and just as great as the other 2 you just gotta love Jenny she just tells it how it is! Funny, funny, funny!!!!!!!

Wow. the moment i saw this book came out i had to buy it. I read her first book, "Belly Laughs" because I just found out I was pregnant, and it was at a consignment store...I decided what the hell...its $3. So i read it, i loved it. It helped me alot!!!
I went and read the next book, "baby Laughs." It was just as good! It was impossible to put this book down. I just kept turning the page LMAO.
I ordered "Life Laughs" and had it read in less than two hours. She talks about stuff that NO ONE else has the balls to write outloud! Let alone ADMIT about yourself. She puts herself out there, and I think she is doing a great thing, using her name to write a story. It IS interesting. EVEN if you don't like her. I find her LOL funny....

I loved both of Jenny's other books, so I was delighted to see this new release. But after reading it, I was left feeling disappointed. It seems like she was just choosing topics and random, hoping they'd be funny. As other reviewers have said, the book had lots of filler and fluff. Chapters were very short and didn't go into much detail. It seemed pretty forced to me. Like she was just scrambling to fill the pages - quantity was more important to her than quality. The book isn't completely worthless. There is still some funny stuff, and I like her conversational style. But just the same, I have to say it's not worth the money to buy.

I think Jenny is a hoot and a half. Over the years she's never really hit the right vehicle for her unique talent (OK, "Playboy" aside). I can't believe they've not found a sitcom that would work for her. All that sexuality and beauty, and then she twists it into a pretzel with humor and not taking herself seriously. She definite has found a niche with her writings. I had to talk my wife into this one. She's normally all mysteries, but she wasn't disappointed and broke up with laughter. OK, no nudity for us guys, and some of the jokes at our expense, so minus one star! Big deal. Make your life a bit more enjoyable one evening with this good read.

I read Belly Laughs and thought it was cute. It was amusing. I would give it four stars

This on the other hand is so funny I laugh every few minutes.
It's just what I needed. I suffered my second miscarriage in eight months three weeks ago. I wanted something that would make me laugh and let me know that we all go through crap but we come out the other side! This book delivers. It's so my life and I love that she is candid as I am. She lays it all out there and tells it like it is. She's human and vulnerable just like the rest of us.

I am a mom and I can relate to A LOT of her stories dealing with men and children. I know she doesnt' like making new friends (she says so) but I would love to just hang out with her (she's clever, funny and bruatlly honest!!!)

I am so glad I picked this book up. It has made all the difference in a really sad time in my life. Laughter is the best medicine and she is a freaking drugstore!!!!

I very rarely read books so when I was looking I found this just the title was good enough for me to pick up & buy...This book is so great Jenny is so on target w/ evrything in her book way to go Jenny I related on every topic I enjoyed reading her book I could'nt stop once I started it only took me 5 days to read it I can't wait for the new one....Thanks Jenny

This book is great! It just made me laugh out loud and I finished it in 2 days. It allows you to laugh at yourself for sure.

Belly Laughs was funny enough and an easy enough read to entice me to pick up Baby Laughs. This book offers very little by way of education or even entertainment. TOO often she uses the phrase "you'll see" to describe what you are about to embark on with your new little one. As if "you'll see" is the sage advice a new mother is looking for.



Overall the book is very low brow and reeks of her complaining and discontent with every little thing. Her days seem to be filled with not much more than watching Oprah, complaining about her weight and feeding her child (and herself) less than nutritous foods.



Further, you are forced to lament with her over the pain she suffered with having to quit smoking and exiling her once beloved dogs to the backyard for months. Mother of the Year? Not even close. If you happen to enjoy her low brow, expletive filled humor, go ahead and take on this quick read. I enjoy well placed profanity in a book to get a laugh across however in this book, expletives are seemingly used as cheap filler and become quite tiresome. Skip it.