Have I Got a Guy for You: True Stories of Well-Meaning Mismatches, edited by Alix StraussBack-of-the-book blurb: The good news is: You’ve got a date. The bad news is: Your mother sent him. Picture this: Mom swears she’s found “the one” for you, her baby girl, and you end up on the date from hell.
In this take-no-prisoners collection of hilarious, wince-inducing true stories, you’ll meet two dozen victims of Mom’s well-meaning meddling and hear the unvarnished details of what they suffered through:
- The schoolteacher who never wants to leave his house-or the couch
- The mother who writes letter after letter to Michael Gelman, then-producer of LIVE with Regis & Kathie Lee, hoping to persuade him to ask her daughter out
- The woman who’s set up with her cousin-by-marriage
- The writer who endures eights hours of a Dungeons & Dragons convention
- The over-zealous actor who performs a monologue at Starbucks
- And the lawyer who sadly can’t perform . . . at all
She is Too Fond of Books’ thoughts: So, this is awkward. A few weeks ago I posted a picture of my kitchen desk, the spot where my laptop sits most of the day. To the right of the laptop is a small wooden bookrack (lovingly crafted by my daughter at camp 
), which holds books I have read, but haven’t yet reviewed. Ideally, I like to review every book I read, but that’s not always possible due to lack of time, energy, or inspiration.
Lack of inspiration, yeah, that’s what got me this time. I thought the book would be funny – and the first few essays were — but after 3 or 4 stories about blind dates orchestrated by mothers, my eyes started to glaze over. There are only so many ways you can spin a fix-up gone wrong, and the vignettes began to read like repetitive whiny rants.
Revisiting the premise, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised — who gets set up on a date by their mother?!
Unfortunately, I think packaging so many essays of this type together did a disservice to the individual authors. Instead of letting the merits of each story shine, they got buried in a sea of similar tales. This is a case of the whole being equal to less than the sum of its parts.
My suggestion: the book might be more palatable read only a few stories at a time (like, one a week, seriously … an “in the car” book for wait-time), or read a few aloud with some girlfriends and a bottle of wine. Exaggerate the absurd, for comedic effect.
Excerpts on Alix Strauss’ website show that others enjoyed Have I Got a Guy for You more than I did.
Oh Lord, I pray I am never one of those mothers.
This does sound like a book that would be better taken in small doses.
Skipping this one. But I have a question–why would you stay for eight hours at a Dungeons and Dragons convention if you didn’t want to be there? Hello! Just leave!
Don’t think this is the book for me, but if I did read it, I think small doses would definitely be appropriate. So sorry that you didn’t like the book, but it’s completely understandable, based on the subject matter!
Sounds like it might have made a better series/column in a women’s magazine or should have been played for complete comedic effect. I would NEVER go out with a man that my mother set me up with (and yes, I adore my mother)!
Sandy – my kids don’t have to worry about me trying to fix them up, I’m afraid I’ll think no one will ever be good enough for them!
Kathy – yes, too much of a good thing.
Lisa – if she had left, she wouldn’t have a story!
zibilee – I’ve put off the review for so long (now, it’s checked off my list, no guilt on my shoulders)
Kathleen – I don’t know if the target market for this book is women in the midst of set-ups (although this would be discouraging). It’s definitely not my demographic.
Maybe you didn’t love the book but I loved this review.
I haven’t read this book, but I tend to find these kinds of stories something to take in smaller doses. Thanks for your honesty!
This does sound like a good car book … or a “toilet” book!
I understand what you mean. I’m not sure I’d like even one of these essays but a whole book of them, read all at once — UGH.
Care – glad I made you smile.
Serena – there may be a target group a large dose appeals to … but I’m not in it.
Jenners – LOL! There’s another way to take it in smaller increments
Beth – The irony is, I got an email from my mother yesterday: “I was reading your blog; what do you mean by “who would want to get fixed up by their mother”?!? ” (not you, Mum …. I didn’t mean YOU!)
Well, this certainly sounds like an enjoyable book. The premise sounds amusing. But I can understand how it can get a little worn out. Some of these compilations of essays have enough variety to stay enjoyable and others don’t. I feel like getting set up by your mother is such an awkward situation that a huge compilation of them can be a little overwhelming.