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After college, Rachel Shukert ended up working for free for a well-known experimental theater director. The play took a brief tour of Europe, and Rachel was thrilled when she found out that her passport had not been stamped. That meant she could stay in Europe as long as she wanted without a visa, since no one officially knew she was there. Setting out to “find herself,” she ends up living with two of her gay best friends in Amsterdam, jobless, but more than willing to try out the local booze and dating scene.
I’m not the right reader for Everything is Going to be Great: An Underfunded and Overexposed European Grand Tour. Call me a prude if you want, but I somehow (thankfully) avoided the stage of life that Rachel Shukert describes in her memoir. I don’t understand the appeal of drinking until you end up in the hospital, or waking up with a man you met for the first time the night before. So when I ran into both things within the first few pages of this memoir, I knew this wasn’t going to be a book that I connected with.
If you did go through this stage, perhaps you’ll enjoy this memoir more than I did. It is funny, but, like I said, I just didn’t really connect with what Rachel was going through inflicting on herself.
The book is well-written, and I did end up cheering for Rachel in the end, but the lifestyle described in the pages is a turn-off for me.
Thanks to Harper Perennial for sending me a copy for review.
5 Comments
I didn't go through this stage either and found it hard to relate in places but overall I did find it funny! I like your comment about what she "inflicted" on herself- that is exactly what she did!
The description of the book struck me as implausible–can you REALLY stay in a country as long as your want if you don't get your passport stamped? Hmm . . . Thanks for the review!
Yeah, I've never been through that stage either. I think I'll still read this book though because I'm a huge fan of memoirs.
Wow..I can see how it would be hard to connect with all of that going on…but surprisingly enough, I'm still curious (or rather now am curious) to read it. I wouldn't find the personal connection either with shared experiences…let's just say I was and am rather reserved none of those drinking binges or one night stand stuff for me….but I'm curious about the ups to her downs…where life took her in the end. Wishing you happier reading on your next bookish adventure…and happy holidays! ^_^
Sounds like we had the same feelings towards this book! I'm glad to know I'm not alone in that one. A lot of people loved it!