'The Joy of Letting Women Down': too good for mere words
Published January 30, 2004
Yet any number of the most selfish, ugliest, mentally impoverished and total bastards I know among my own sex seem capable of arousing intense female desire virtually at the drop of a hat.
Sometimes they achieve this and sate their own lust without even the polite prelude of, say, buying dinner first and pretending to be seriously interested in any more than the bits tucked away under their bras, knickers and, occasionally, veils.
Regrettably, I also have a feminine side — a pronounced one according to all those tests you can have fun with on the Internet — and realise that Ms d'Arbeloff's immensely readable account of many things I unconsciously knew perfectly well but am happy to see written down is also of as much interest to women as it is to we men, the weaker sex.
She puts it better herself than I might:
"(The manual) is not suggesting that being a WM is a good thing. It is a very bad thing which, like many bad things, is also a lot of fun. This book reveals why this bad thing is fun and precisely why this fun is bad."
With consummate insight, Natalie sent me this slender but invaluable tome not for review but out of mercy as a New Year's gift in the immediate wake of my last documented disaster, which left dents both in my ego and my intended holiday budget for 2004.
To pretend that I regret any of my extremely unpleasant lessons to date would be as much of a mean-minded insult to the women I have desired — and sometimes still like — as it would be fruitless indulgence in self-pity over wasted years. I should also note that sometimes I have given quite as bad as I've got and proved a uncharitable mirror to some of these women myself, given sufficient provocation.
I haven't resolved with the turn of the year to be "bad", nor will I reveal some conclusions I have drawn with Natalie's helping hand. However, I remain unsure only whether it's still naïf of me or simply fair warning to inform the next gorgeous creature to tell me just what a "wonderfully kind, adorable man" I am that there is a price to be paid for the already tear-drenched shoulder I shall offer them, such being my nature, to weep on.
Ms d'Arbeloff's funny contribution to one of life's most eternal and intriguing mysteries will probably be among the most wisely spent investments in hard-won wisdom (Amazon UK) many who stumble across this review could make.
- 'The Joy of Letting Women Down': too good for mere words
- Published: January 30, 2004
- Type:
- Section: Books
- Filed Under: Books: Arts, Books: Nonfiction, Books: Philosophy, Books: Politics and Affairs, Books: Romance
- Writer: Nick Barrett
- Nick Barrett's BC Writer page
- Nick Barrett's personal site
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Oh, and to answer your opening question: they don't want to feel left out.
Eric, I have a question. Could you ever kick anyone off this website since you're the editor and I presume the founder of this here website?
Your second point, Mr Olsen: LOL.
Your first: thanks, though I wouldn't dare speak for Natalie!
Dwaine, under very rare circumstances - like a recent commenter ranting repeatedly in a vulgar, threatening and tedious manner for no apparent reason - we do remove them.
Was it that guy who kept saying things like: "Get the f*** out of my house"?
Yes, which was startling though perhaps amusing once, but not 15 times with increasing derangement culminating in death threats.
We don't want to alarm, the women, children and horses.
Hey Eric, I did attempt to silence the guy (I think his name was Jacob or somethin') in "Michael Jackson a Pedopile?" with a few comments. I thought he was going to take my title of "random comments on Blogcritics". But I, Scooter am still king of random comments.
Probably because not ALL your comments are random - they are ususally tethered to reality so that when a truly random one comes along, it is shadow against the light rather than an endless hallway of darkness.
Just hiding behind the curtains before stepping on stage to take a bow. Lavish thanks to Nick for that terrific review and no, he hasn't been paid for it in *any* way.
BTW, the extra "S" on "Secrets" is an Amazon typo - there's only supposed to be one s.
Eric, thanks for inviting me to return. I just didn't have any reviews of books, films, etc. to post here. I could send a recent "Thoughts: the Kinds We Have" post but it's heavy on graphics so I don't know if it will fit the space.
Add your comment, speak your mind
(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/12193)
Thanks Nick, a little honest nepotism is a very fine thing. And I definitely recognize that drawing style - we would love to see more of it directly. Thanks again!