REVIEW - Hello, Molly! AUDIOBOOK

SPECIAL NOTE

This is a new and different format for memoirs. I will also be updating my format for fiction books. This is a continual work in progress to find exactly what works for me and you!

OVERVIEW

Molly Shannon had been a big deal in the late 90s on Saturday Night Live. However, I have never liked her type of humor as it is just silly and juvenile to me. I liked her, but didn't love her!

Interestingly, she discusses in this book that she really is serious about how her comedy is treated and that she really wants to be true to it just like one would be to drama. I really liked this very amazing thought, but I still don't like her humor after knowing this or reading this memoir.

Also, I have recently read some very good historical fiction and this memoir was not in the same league. This may have been unfair to this memoir so consider this when reading my review.

OVERALL REVIEW: 3.0 stars

Narrator: 3.0 stars

Molly Shannon and Sean Wilsey (contributor) 

Writing: 3.0 stars

The writing was really lovely at times and just weird at other times. She had some moments when she mentioned so many names of people at one time that I had no clue who they were. The celebrity name-dropping really bothered me. 

The chapters about her mother were so beautiful. I could really feel the pain of her loss in her family of origin. But on the other hand, she used her loss of her mother as a reason to excuse her and her father's bad behavior.

Other chapters, I absolutely detested like the hotel scene in Time Square and the chapters that included shoplifting and scams. It was like she still found this behavior funny. It was not!

She ended the memoir with a great chapter on how she raised her kids to find joy in life. I loved it! It is very evident that she is an amazing mother!

Character Arc: 3.0 stars

The story begins with a family tragedy and ends with how generational curses can be broken. Her family on both sides were recent immigrants to the U.S. from Ireland. The identity of being an Irish Catholic was consistent throughout the memoir - it was a beautiful reminder that we ALL are immigrants from somewhere.

However, the chapters were inconsistent to me and all over the place. I especially did not like her NYU and Los Angeles years at all. Yes, we all do stupid stuff when we are young, but I felt that she glorified it and was proud of some of these stupid things. Plus, I didn't get what some of it really had to do with the arc of her life. 

Memorable: 3.5 stars

It was meh. 

Entertaining: 3.0 stars

It didn't have me laughing out loud which I would have expected from her. 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

I LOVE it! 

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Just so perfect. 

Gut feeling: 3.0 stars

I had no clue as to how I would feel about this memoir. So I was in the middle!

Suggestions: 

Molly Shannon was OVERLY animated at times during the narration. Maybe, tone it down a little. I understand that, but it was annoying when I was drifting off to sleep. 

Lukewarm RECOMMEND

STATISTICS

Hello, Molly! by Molly Shannon 

7 hours 5 minutes listening length

Listened as an audiobook from the library

Release date of 04/12/2022

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Molly Shannon

My Goodreads review

HarperCollins

Los Angeles Public Library

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜