Customer Reviews

Might As Well Laugh About It Now

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

In full disclosure mode, I have to say that I have been a fan of Marie Omsond since I was 12. That certainly does not make me unique, but I wanted to put it out there.

I will start off by saying that I was thrilled to find out that Marie had finally written a 'memoir'. While this is her second book, her first one dealt mainly with Postpartum Depression and was aimed at this audience more than at a main audience.

I really enjoyed reading Might as Well Laugh.... Marie has a great way of telling a story and her humour is obvious throughout the book. I found myself laughing at some many of the stories and I have to say that Marie shared some fun, touching and never heard stories before which was a treat for any Osmond fan. She also included one black and white picture at the beginning of each chapter (most of which I had never seen printed anywhere before) so this was a double treat.

Marie was also honest about some of the more difficult things she has endured throughout her life - there is even a picture of her house while on fire - which she then used as a Christmas Card!

Also, some great little tidbits about how she feels about her brothers, her she felt just before doing Dancing with the Stars and quite alot is said about how much she loves and misses her parents.

The storyline is well written and it kept me interested. I finished this book in 1 day.

Now, for the things that I did not like so much.

First of all the cover - It just did not grab me at all. Marie's head is cut off at the top and there is so much writing on the cover that it is distracting from the photo.

I have a theory about anyone writing a memoir. If they are writing a memoir, I am assuming that they are willing to "tell it like it is". I mean, it is their choice to actually write a memoir about their lives. What I found extremely frustrating about this book is that Marie would start telling us something touching and personal and then, poof! after a few sentences - all of a sudden she sees the "positive" side of the situation and ends up saying a variation of "its going to be okay and I see the way now". I found this sooooo annoying. Not, that she sees the bright side of the situation, but more that she always gives me the impression that she will tell us something, but only a tiny little bit, she gives us a few sentences then that's it. I ALWAYS get the feeling when listening to Marie or reading this book that there is so much more going on inside of her - but she is so busy showing us that she is fine, that her world is fine that she comes across a little fake. Two obvious examples in this book are about her house fire and her separation from her husband.

Again, Marie if you make the choice of writing a memoir, then you need to be a little more forthcoming with the information.

The other thing that bothered me about this book, and I have to say that I felt the same when I read Donny's book, is the almost over the top adoration she has for her parents. Marie and Donny both kept repeating the same things in their books...."our parents were strict, but..." Everytime I read about the Osmond parents, I get a creepy feeling in the back of my neck!!!!! Obviously, I did not know them, but I have to say, some of the stuff written in both books was kind of scary to me. Yet, Marie must have stated at least 10 times how much she loved her parents and that they were "the best". I kept thinking "Marie, I think you protest too much!!!"

Still, I rated this book a 4, because it is very well written, Marie gets her point across well - whatever happens to you, keep smiling. I like Marie's humour and it was obvious that this book was written with love for all her fans.

I bought Ms. Osmond's book because I am going thru a very difficult time as many of us are and I thought I would find some inspiration in it. Instead there were repeated stories about her Dancing with the Stars weeks...Marie...we already know and saw it all, do I now have to pay to read about it yet again. The stories about her childhood were few and far between and again I did not find one bit of "tid-bits" of how to make it through. Perhaps I was just kidding myself by thinking this book would inspire some laughter which I've always thought was the best medicine. Sadly, I was very mistaken and disappointed. Sorry Marie!

I am an Osmond fan. The Osmonds are in the news rather often and nothing Marie had to say in her book was what I really wanted to hear -- she only wrote what you could pick up on the news. The word Divorce was mentioned, her weight gain/loss was mentioned and losing her parents was mentioned -- all very public information. I respect that she protects her children and their privacy but this book did not give any insite into anything other than what the general public already knows. She never mentioned that her brother has MS, one of her children had been in drug rehab, etc. I guess she just kept up the clean Osmond image and didn't really let the world into her private life. It was not worth the cost of the book. Also, in the "thank you's" she mentioned her brother Jimmy -- what about Donny and the other 6? My advice, no matter how much you like Marie this book is not worth the money.

I've been a fan of Marie's since PAPER ROSES. In this book Marie comes across, to me, exactly as what her oldest son called her once: "scatterbrained". Marie says more about herself from what she DOESN'T say and from a few of the things she DOES say. The way her kids seem to see her is the way she appears to really be, and it is a bit disheveled and "scatterbrained". I believe this comes from biting off more than she could chew. Some people in life know how to cope better than others;Marie appears to have had a more difficult time. She tells us how SHE dealt with the stumbling blocks;like millions of women with kids, we all learn how to deal too. Marie's book is vague about the DETAILS of her life. She wants us to believe this book is about how she dealt with divorce, her kids problems, etc; and she touches none of it with any depth, if at all. I feel cheated. Marie could have done better. The book seems hastily put together;never mind that her journals were all burned in a fire. Marie should have not continued her pattern of being hasty and
scatterbrained and waited another five years to put a more comprehensive, helpful book together. It's entertaining, but you don't learn anything that other women don't already know about her and life.

I think I may need to take a break from the whole category of celebrity memoirs after slogging through this collection of drivel, which could just as well have been entitled "Chicken Soup For The Marie Osmond Fan's Soul." Osmond tells you right up front that she's not going to get specific with any names or details concerning her life and then proceeds to follow through with brief, uninteresting homilies about the life lessons she has learned from ... well, life. Guess what? Part of her house burned down that one time, and one of her kids caused it. But it was a blessing. And that time she fainted after performing on Dancing With The Stars? Yeah, that was a blessing, too, and you know just as much about it right now as you'll learn if you read about it in this vapid little book. Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't expect Marie Osmond to take vicious pot shots at her family and friends just for the sake of selling a few books. In fact, such zingers wouldn't have helped much because the book is lacking so much detail about the events being described, virtually anyone could have written it. And, being that the audience for the books would tend to be fans of Ms. Osmond, I can't help but think they would feel short-changed.

Everything is rosy in Marie's life, her kids are adorable, her brothers are supportive, her parents were awesome. Fun and readable, this memoir-lite of Marie's life as an "average" mom misses the point.

Real-world issues of divorce, adoption, custody, blended families, her son's drug addiction and rehab are glossed over or entirely absent. Even her diet is barely mentioned. It's all about her fun and zany life, her wonderful morals, 'fessing up to sweet little micro-flaws (forgetful, always late), while emphasizing her triumph as a superior mom and perennial celebrity. Yawn. Where's the meat?

Marie's book is a down to earth, heartwarming, and fun. The book is laced with Marie's delightful sense of humor. In spite of her celebrity, Marie has had her share of trials. Her childhood battle with weight will suprise some, but Marie is able to make it both humorous and telling. Sharing her experiences with stars such as Lucille Ball, Cher, Elvis Presley, Jane Seymour and others bring the reader delightful insights about their off-stage personalities. Her many challenges, such as warding off her son's pet snake, changing singing style from country to broadway (completely different voice training), losing 45 pounds in 4 and 1/2 months and putting her body through physical torture to learn how to "Dance with the Stars," will not only keep you laughting, they will inspire you as well.

I had hoped this book was a true autobiography. It was more like fluff.
Marie has had such a wonderful life and readers want to know about it. She mentions important milestones in her life in one sentence, rather than sharing with the readers her whole story.

Marie Osmond writes about her life in each chapter, but never in a chronological order.She philosophizes on what has helped her through
her life in various areas.Marie mentions she derived a great deal of
strenghth from her mother, who people refered to as "Mother Osmond."
She is able to joke at herself and shortcomings.Just as she can recognize her strong side after working in show business since early childhood,
alongside eight brothers.

A remark by a famous actress, when she was pregnant with her first child, has made her realize her eight children are her number one concern.
The Children's Miracle network is another.

Marie writes a book of "humor".She alludes to problems without mentioning
any specific ones, except her weight issues.Because her mother suffered a debilitating stroke,Marie has lost over 40 lbs.,and now is both health and heart conscious.
When she is upset she turns to her religion and nature.
Marie has suffered many family tragedies in the past nine years.Maybe
they are too fresh and ongoing to deal with at this time.
This was meant to be a book of humor.
A light read and very funny!

Marie Osmond has always had hardships in her hard life. For anyone who has kept track of their (the whole Osmond family) life & travels this is of no surprise. Yet they kept going. They had to; there was no where else to go! They made their good times & endured the hard ones. And this is where their laughter comes in. Many people can relate to this. This is not to be confused with the tragic death of her son. Real pain produces real raw tears. And even in such raw pain many of us can also attest to the memories of happy times had with the ones whose death was untimely. Laughter can come in the midst of sadness. Neither takes anything away from the other; instead it blesses the other. Throughout this book one will find laughter as the healer & peace-maker to the hardships of life. I highly recommend this book. It can help put life in perspective. Healing is sometimes only a laugh away.