Motherhood Made a Man Out of Me : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Humorous light tale that is laugh out loud witty
Review: A great read if you are looking for something light to read. The author weaves the trying tests of motherhood into this story; her humorous perspective on situations all mothers have encountered will make you laugh out loud!

As a reader you may miss many nuances if you are not a mother or have not spent a significant amount of time around children. But if you know what it's like to care for an infant and attempt to maintain your sanity....you will love this book!

Rating:
Summary: Terrible
Review: An upbeat rendition of real life as a mom/wife. It's kind-of like a fictional story/plot of Men are from Mars- Women are from Venus. I've been married over 21 years, and this fictional book made me realize--Hey, he's just like that, don't take it so personal. The pregnancy and child birth brought back so many memories that I laughed at but way back then--I didn't think were so funny. And the parts about being the mother of a toddler....very true. really a fun book and makes light of serious-real-life situations--the way we should all be to start with. It sure put me in a better frame of mind on the homefront. Just plain fun to read. I sure needed it after reading a very depressing Oprah pick.

Rating:
Summary: Now I get it!
Review: I read this book a few months before I became pregnant with my now two-and-a-half year old son. Then, I recently read it again as a mother of a toddler. I really liked the book then, but now I identify with Brooke much more. This is an excellent depiction of motherhood and how it changes women's lives drastically. True, Brooke's voice is frequently reveling in martyrdom, but she also accurately depicts the indescribable love and fear felt by a new mother. While her husband is a bit of the stereotypical loser of a man (I would have thrown him out within weeks of the birth), the ending brings hope that he will reform soon.

I always tell expectant first-time mothers that they cannot possibly even begin to understand how simultaneously joyous and difficult motherhood is until the baby is born. (I think that it takes a little longer than that for most dads, and for husbands like Lyle it takes much longer.) My perspective of reading this book twice- before pregnancy and again after having a kid- confirms this for me. Some of us are more shell-shocked than others, but are lives are never the same- for the better!

Rating:
Summary: Very funny, very real...
Review: I read this book just before my son was born, and laughed my (...) off! Its so absolutely dead on with respect to the strange transitional period between pregnancy and early motherhood, and such a fun story! (...)Pregnancy, labor, deliver and postpartum hormones make you insane. The infantilized treatment of men in this story might be off-putting to some, but it really only serves to underscore that women really, truly go through the journey toward becoming a mother alone. It makes for a funny story, as you can imagine. Definately read this one!

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is very funny and light. The criticisms I have read here, of this book, are perplexing to me. This book is not meant to be taken seriously- some of these readers need to get a life. While this novel did not actually comment on motherhood as much as I thought it would- I loved reading it for its humorous characters and cute, surprise ending.

Rating:
Summary: Now I get it!
Review: If ever a statement was more true, Motherhood Made a Man Out of Me is it! I enjoyed this hilarious novel about the anxieties of pregnancy, the fears of labor and birth, and the joys and trials of being a mother. And while this book may be perfect for mothers who have "been there, done that", I believe anyone, mother or not, who enjoys a good, funny story with nice surprises at the end will love this book.

Brooke is a new mother of 6-month-old Stella when she finds out her best friend, Mary Rose, is pregnant. Mary Rose, a successful landscaper and very independent, single woman, has the typical fears that most mothers-to-be experience. And while being in love with and pregnant by Brooke's cousin, Ward Baron, doesn't seem like such a bad idea, having the bizarre, wealthy, pretentious Baron clan as in-laws and grandparents is another thing all together. Sparks fly throughout the pregnancy regarding marriage, parenthood and grandparents' rights and culminate with a delicious twist at the end.

Looking for laughs? This book will provide! Motherhood Made a Man Out of Me is a gem, loaded with priceless wisecracks and situations that will have readers rolling. You don't have to be a mother to enjoy this book. Any reader who loves to laugh will definitely be entertained. Highly recommended for a light, fun read or to lift a blue mood.

Rating:
Summary: Very funny, very real...
Review: On the verge of 30, married, and childless (for now), I thought this book would be something I would like. My instinct was correct!! This is a great book both for women who don't yet have any children (but are considering it) and for women who are just starting a family. (You will know what I mean once you start reading it!) I laughed and laughed. This read goes fast and is guaranteed to keep you guessing and smiling all the way through.

Rating:
Summary: terrific humor and fantastic one-liners can't save this dud
Review: Touted by the New York Times as one of its "Notable Books of the Year," Karen Karbo's most recent novel truly is a dichotomy. One one hand, it is exquisitely funny; practically every page has a some humorous, pointed or sarcastic comment about pregnancy and/or motherhood. Karbo's observations, commentaries and asides about these two aspects of womanhood invariably ring true; thus, her humor is not only funny, but perceptive. However, I also feel it is misadvertising to call this book a novel. Featuring characters who never arouse any true human connection with the reader and a plot so devoid of originality that the reader finds him/herself yearning to watch a made-for-television movie to stimulate narrative interest, "Motherhood" simply is a lame excuse for a novel.

The novel's action revolves around female friendship. Brooke, whose detached husband Lyle is most animated when playing some inane on-line computer game, takes care of her newborn daughter, Stella and tends to the (gasp) unexpected, unintended, and uninspiring pregnancy of her Amazon-like friend, Mary Rose. Complicating the threadbare plot is a stereotypically-rich and emotionally-stunted wealthy family and a professional basketball player. Brooke provides information and advise (always hilarious and most often right on the mark) to Mary Rose throughout the latter's pregnancy and delivery.

Nothing in the novel pretends to discuss the issues of single-parenting seriously. The author simply presumes that it is just fine to engage in casual sex, become pregnant and give birth. If marriage is the prospect for Mary Rose and her only model is Brooke's marriage, the reader has no doubt that Mary Rose has chosen the right path. This novel is simply too "precious" on way too many serious issues. Yet, deep down, I believe that author had no genuine artistic intent in the creation of this work. Everything that occurs in "Motherhood" does so that Karen Karbo can make some comment about it.

And that is why I liked the book as much as I did. I simply gave up on it being worthwhile literature by page fifty and went along for the humor. In this regard, Karbo never disappoints. This work is flat-out terrific in its commentary on motherhood and pregnancy. Literally every page has some tart, delightful and memorable zinger. This definition of incipient motherhood (aka the onset of labor) is but one example of Karbo's delicious observations: "You are at the brink. You are at the shores of motherhood. You think you will die. And you will. You will never be yourself again. Motherhood is for women what war is for men. When they had more wars, more men knew what it was like to be a woman on the verge of being a mother, to be at an absolute point of no return." The author's description of the first bowel movement after delivery is a classic.

"Motherhood Made a Man Out of Me" is both fast-paced and side-splitting funny. Unfortunately, it is, at best, a weak excuse for literature.