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I'll Show Myself Out: Essays on Midlife and Motherhood Hardcover – April 26, 2022
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An instant New York Times bestseller, I'll Show Myself Out is the eagerly anticipated second essay collection from Jessi Klein, author of the acclaimed debut You’ll Grow Out of It.
Longlisted for the PEN Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay
“Sometimes I think about how much bad news there is to tell my kid, the endlessly long, looping CVS receipt scroll of truly terrible things that have happened, and I want to get under the bed and never come out. How do we tell them about all this? Can we just play Billy Joel’s We Didn’t Start the Fire and then brace for questions? The first of which should be, how is this a song that played on the radio?”
In New York Times bestselling author and Emmy Award-winning writer and producer Jessi Klein’s second collection, she hilariously explodes the cultural myths and impossible expectations around motherhood and explore the humiliations, poignancies, and possibilities of midlife.
In interconnected essays like “Listening to Beyoncé in the Parking Lot of Party City,” “Your Husband Will Remarry Five Minutes After You Die,” “Eulogy for My Feet,” and “An Open Love Letter to Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent,” Klein explores this stage of life in all its cruel ironies, joyous moments, and bittersweetness.
Written with Klein’s signature candor and humanity, I'll Show Myself Out is an incisive, moving, and often uproarious collection.
- Print length288 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherHarper
- Publication dateApril 26, 2022
- Dimensions5.5 x 0.97 x 8.25 inches
- ISBN-100062981595
- ISBN-13978-0062981592
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From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Poignant and brutally honest. . . will make you laugh out loud.” — Washington Post, "The Best Feel-Good Books of the Year"
“A laugh-out-loud book of essays. . . . strikes gold. . . . Klein’s comedic sensibilities and abundant care for women make her the ideal writer to square off against the obligations and judgments placed on mothers. . . . an instant classic." — Glamour
“Comedian Jessi Klein delivers a necessary laugh for parents just beginning to emerge from the dumpster fire otherwise known as pandemic parenting. . . . grapples with the humiliations and possibilities of midlife and motherhood, from impossible car seats to equally befuddling ‘Mama’ necklaces. Even the essay titles are funny.” — Time Magazine
"Her humor and insights are spot-on." — People, "The Best New Books"
"Achingly funny." — Esquire, "The 8 Best Comedy Books of the Year"
“Brutally honest and so very human.” — Vulture, “The Best Comedy Books of the Year (So Far)”
“Jessi Klein is back with an unflinchingly honest and hilarious memoir about navigating the absurdly high expectations of being both a mom and a woman. . . . I’ll Show Myself Out will not only make you laugh but also, and most importantly, think, ‘Hmm, so it’s not just me.’” — Shondaland
“Jessi Klein has yet again ‘delivered’ (and yes I’m using that in the messy motherhood-pun way—I’m not the writer) a collection of the most relatable, achingly raw, and stunningly human essays I have read about the mess of motherhood and this chapter of life since her last collection. And… they are of course hilarious. THANK YOU JESSI for this gift. Please read it, mothers. It is nourishment.” — Kathryn Hahn
“Jessi Klein’s essay collection spoke to the deepest part of my soul and being. Her framing of motherhood as a ‘hero’s journey’ made me weep from feeling seen. I also howled with laughter so many times I was politely asked to leave a restaurant. It’s a perfect book.”
— Casey Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of The Wreckage of My Presence
“I'll Show Myself Out is so pee-in-the-pants funny, I made sure to wear period underwear while reading it. Insanely smart and wildly relatable, Jessi Klein's highly anticipated second book is the most entertaining thing I've read in a long time.”
— Ali Wong, New York Times bestselling author of Dear Girls
"Jessi Klein has once again arrived with a collection of essays so familiar to me, it's like she has been directly inside my brain. Smart, bold, and uproariously funny. It's a 10/10 from me." — Kate Baer, #1 New York Times bestselling author of What Kind of Woman and I Hope This Finds You Well
“[Klein] is gifted at turning the day-to-day minutiae into comedy gold, while simultaneously pulling back to lend commentary (often searing commentary) on the larger picture. A lot of her writing reminds me of David Sedaris, the way you find yourself laughing your ass off as you read along, and then suddenly you’re like why is my heart in my throat?” — Jenny Rosenstrach, New York Times bestselling author of The Weekday Vegetarians and Dinner: A Love Story
“A bold and irreverent collection. . . . Klein is full of surprises, and moments of hilarity often dissolve into unexpected glimpses of joy. . . . Funny, clever, and full of heart, this one’s a gem.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Klein isn't here to make motherhood look pretty, but she ends up making it look pretty great in the truest sense of the word, mixing laughs with poignancy and treating heavy topics with a brightening kind of honesty.” — Booklist
Praise for You'll Grow Out of It: "A book like Jessi Klein's YOU'LL GROW OUT OF IT comes along to remind us just what an artful confessional essay can do." — New York Times
"Is it really a surprise that comedian Jessi Klein, head writer and executive producer for Inside Amy Schumer, would write a book of personal essays brimming with sharp observations and insights and poignant recollections but that above all is very, very funny? ...We guarantee that this book will quickly become one of your summer favorites." — Entertainment Weekly
"[Jessi Klein's] astute, hilarious essays about the perilous path to modern womanhood will have you wincing in recognition." — People
"Klein shares her eccentric path to adulthood, from her tomboyish girlhood to sidesplitting dating tales and beyond in this uproarious, relatable, and irresistible memoir." — Harper’s Bazaar
"Deftly blending irreverent humor with poignant insights, Klein's writing is wonderfully intimate." — New York magazine
"Never afraid to share insights and reveal the raw truth behind her own stories, Klein makes readers laugh while inspiring them, a feat that calls to mind the work of the late Nora Ephron. This uplifting and uproarious collection of personal essays will be repeatedly shared among friends." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Reading [Jessi Klein's] book is like watching her--doubtless superb--stand-up act." — Booklist (starred review)
"A gifted comedian turns the anxieties, obsessions, insecurities, and impossible-to-meet expectations that make up human nature into laughter." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
About the Author
Jessi Klein is the author of You’ll Grow Out of It and the Emmy and Peabody award-winning head writer and an executive producer of Comedy Central's critically acclaimed series Inside Amy Schumer. She is an actor and consulting producer on the hit Netflix show Big Mouth, and has also written for Netflix’s Dead to Me and Amazon's Transparent as well as Saturday Night Live. Klein has been featured on the popular storytelling series The Moth, and has been a regular panelist on NPR's Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! Her work has been published in the New York Times, the New Yorker, GQ, and Cosmopolitan, and she has her own half-hour Comedy Central stand-up special. She lives in Los Angeles with her family.
Product details
- Publisher : Harper (April 26, 2022)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 288 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0062981595
- ISBN-13 : 978-0062981592
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.97 x 8.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #119,643 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #307 in Humor Essays (Books)
- #474 in Motherhood (Books)
- #1,451 in Women's Biographies
- Customer Reviews:
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book relatable and honest. It's a blend of humor and poignant insights that makes for an enjoyable read. Readers describe it as honest, insightful, and a much-needed tonic for mothers. The pacing is described as balancing love and the ups and downs of marriage.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book relatable and accurate. They say it captures the essence of parenthood, balancing love and the unpleasant parts. Readers describe it as an honest, unflinching memoir about the author's experience with motherhood. The hero's journey is apt and a great framing device for all of the stories.
"...Klein captures the essence of parenthood like no one else, balancing the intense love and the equally intense urge to escape...." Read more
"...to my childless life and found a lot of humor and even some sage advice in the essays." Read more
"...So much of what she said felt so relatable, as if someone else were able to take the scattered thoughts in my sleep-deprived mind and eloquently and..." Read more
"This book of essays is an easy, oftentimes relatable and humorous read...." Read more
Customers find the book humorous with a blend of laugh-out-loud moments and poignant insights. They appreciate that the author highlights humor in motherhood.
"I absolutely adore this book by Jessi Klein. It's a perfect blend of laugh-out-loud moments and deeply poignant insights...." Read more
"...I found many parallels to my childless life and found a lot of humor and even some sage advice in the essays." Read more
"This book of essays is an easy, oftentimes relatable and humorous read...." Read more
"This book was so beautiful and sad and funny and relatable at the same time...." Read more
Customers find the book easy to read and enjoyable. They appreciate the accurate essays on motherhood and the author's eloquent writing style. The first essay is considered the best and most moving.
"...I’m glad I did. It was a quick, easy, enjoyable read that resonated with me on many levels. Although I do have a stepson, I am not a mom...." Read more
"...able to take the scattered thoughts in my sleep-deprived mind and eloquently and hilariously put them into words that I hope others will take..." Read more
"This book of essays is an easy, oftentimes relatable and humorous read...." Read more
"This author is wonderful. This seller sent an incredibly damaged (and unreadable) used book. Buy the book, just not from here!" Read more
Customers appreciate the book's honesty. They find it insightful, funny, and a good friend they can pick up when needed.
"...This book is an honest friend that you can pick up whenever you need someone who gets it" Read more
"Took my breath away. Honest, raw, and real. A #nofilter look at motherhood that will make you feel seen. 10/10, no notes." Read more
"Just an honest, unflinching memoir about the author's experience with motherhood...." Read more
"Honest, insightful & laugh out loud funny..." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's pacing. They find the story relatable, with its portrayal of marriage and parenthood. The book makes readers laugh and cry, making it a must-read for those experiencing these issues.
"...Klein captures the essence of parenthood like no one else, balancing the intense love and the equally intense urge to escape...." Read more
"...the joys that come with being a mother, being a woman, the ups and downs of marriage, and the hero's journey we are all on, even in the mundane..." Read more
"...Made me laugh out loud, tear up with the relatable overwhelming nature of parenting & text my friends “read this!!!”" Read more
Reviews with images
Collection of essays is wonderful, used book came damaged beyond repair
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2024I absolutely adore this book by Jessi Klein. It's a perfect blend of laugh-out-loud moments and deeply poignant insights. Klein captures the essence of parenthood like no one else, balancing the intense love and the equally intense urge to escape. It’s rare to find a book that can make you laugh one minute and feel so deeply understood the next.
Parenthood is incredibly challenging, and there aren’t many places that truly get that mix of emotions. Klein does, and she does it brilliantly. I can’t recommend this book enough!
- Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2023So this was an interesting read. I chose it from the Kindle options for the Women’s History Month achievement in the latest challenge. I’m glad I did. It was a quick, easy, enjoyable read that resonated with me on many levels.
Although I do have a stepson, I am not a mom. I never gave birth. I never had to deal with the antics of small children as they grow up. My stepson was a teenager when I met and eventually married his father. He is now fully grown.
However, I really enjoyed this book in spite of that. I found many parallels to my childless life and found a lot of humor and even some sage advice in the essays.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2022I've always enjoyed the dry wit and humor of Jessi Klein (I'll often find myself re-listening to her story about wedding dress shopping on The Moth), and this book is no exception, especially being a somewhat new mother myself. I loved how candid she is about "the fantasy" while also highlighting all the joys that come with being a mother, being a woman, the ups and downs of marriage, and the hero's journey we are all on, even in the mundane moments of life. So much of what she said felt so relatable, as if someone else were able to take the scattered thoughts in my sleep-deprived mind and eloquently and hilariously put them into words that I hope others will take comfort in. Reading intimate essays such as these reminds me that we are not alone.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2023This book of essays is an easy, oftentimes relatable and humorous read. Each person who reads this book will find some things that will make them think , ‘yup, I’ve thought that or experienced that’ and there will be other things that just don’t fit into their own personal experiences. The author presents her personal experiences on issues of motherhood and midlife without being afraid to say things that many of us may have thought but wouldn’t say out loud.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2023I was looking for something to lift my spirits whilst near the end of a twin pregnancy and finishing grad school. A light read, something relatable, something for mothers. This surpassed my expectations with its brutal but honest reflections on surviving early motherhood. Such deeply heartfelt, poignant, reflections on the overwhelming love we feel for our children and the blending of the person we were before and after we become a mother. The only downside was that I had to put it down on a number of occasions because I was laughing so hard I was crying and it hurt my twin belly.
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- Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2022This is my first time reading a Jessi Klein book. After hearing her interviewed on a few podcasts I love I decided to purchase the book. I am not a mom, but have been a nanny for YEARS and found her comparison to the hero’s journey apt and a great framing devise for all of the stories. I keep coming back to buying this book for others but stop myself. I wanted to buy this for a gay couple I work with but she’s got a chapter about dreaming of being a lesbian and it just isn’t funny. Gay moms go through it too… and it certainly filtered through a very privileged perspective. I wish that was acknowledged.
HOWEVER - it’s an easy read, made me laugh quite a bit, and definitely has more positive than negative. I just don’t think I’ll be purchasing it again and gifting it unless it’s for a very specific person.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2022This book was so beautiful and sad and funny and relatable at the same time. It captures both the extreme highs and lows that you experience as a mom but for some reason rarely talk about (or forget over time from lack of sleep lol). It’s comforting to know that others have had similar thoughts or worries in motherhood and describes so accurately the odd things you will encounter or do for your child that you never expected! I’ll recommend this to all moms and expectant moms as truly someone does need to explain about the sandwich underwear. 🤣 Nobody told me that part either. I also don’t get Harry Styles, I agree the boa and 70’s garb are also a step too far for me. I’ve always detested the watermelon sugar song and thought it was a dumb name for a song. Hated the song, but absolutely adored this book!
- Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2023Kindle told me that I needed to read a specific book for women’s history month in order to collect all my “achievements “ in the new year kindle challenge. Ordinarily I do not like being told what I should read but my competitive nature took over and I decided on this book. Welllll let me tell you I am so glad I did. Jessi Klein touched on every single emotion, distraction and overall unpleasant part of midlife and motherhood. Having gone through early midlife and child rearing days every essay written brought me back to that time like I had gone through it yesterday (spoiler alert, it was longer ago than I care to share). This book made me realize that all the things that I thought, felt and even said were much more normal than I thought!
Top reviews from other countries
Dr Jane ButlerReviewed in the United Kingdom on May 1, 20231.0 out of 5 stars Not relevant to any real mother who can’t employ an army of staff - SO disappointing
I was very excited to read an established comedy writer’s take on motherhood & its hardships. Instead this is a self-indulgent, privileged & irrelevant book from a woman who has no basis or experience to write a book on ‘motherhood’ having employed a full staff to take all the responsibility of the aforementioned task (& title of the book) of motherhood from her. Doula, full-time nanny, night nurse…really??! I am a professional person (surgeon) who was looking for some real experience of mothers facing a real shift in their lives. This is privileged rubbish. The writer needs to get real with actual motherhood & spend less time writing self-indulgent books. But hey, she is making her money with all of her staff so who is the real joker?! Don’t buy it or read it. Demoralising to any REAL mother






