what i was doing while you were breeding book

While Newman touches on her privilege briefly, it gets to a point where it’s all you can think about. And as the book progresses, Newman’s Manic Pixie Travel Girl energy goes from whimsical to caustic. Newman laments frequently about her friends who “settle down” and criticizes them for no longer being available at her beck-and-call to go get drunk on the beach for a month on a whim. But the dialectic between her bitterness towards her friends who settle down and her constant, endless pursuit of a man hot, rich, and interesting enough who is willing to date her long-term gets increasingly insufferable.

The title of the book would suggest that Newman is seeking out a life worth living without the traditional path of Husband-And-Kids-And-Soccer-Practice-And-PTA-And-And as a means to happiness, and that’s fine. Okay, I guess.Īs someone who hasn’t always wanted children, the constant pressure to settle down and start a family has always been present in my life, and I cringe at the insinuation that, at some point, all women will want to settle down and raise a family, as is our Biologically Mandated Female Trajectory. She insinuates they abandon her to seek fertility treatments and life partners.

Newman, who goes on these journeys to define herself, grow as a person, and seek new adventures, is consistently critical and harsh of her friends who take the more traditional path.

The monotony of it didn’t upset me as much as her approach to the people in her life. Oh, now it’s Central America! Oh look, same exact story, but in a new location. As a comedy writer, she spent her frequent and long work breaks (a sitcom writer thing, I presume) gallivanting around the world with her interesting friends, going to exotic places, and having steamy affairs with attractive locals.Īnd then she does it again. She is funny, irreverent, honest, and interesting. When I started reading “What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding,” I was entirely charmed by Newman. The idea of a strong female protagonist challenging society’s notions of femininity and purpose, of seeing the world instead of feeling stuck. First of all, the flippant, hilarious title is inspired. Let me just preface this review by saying: I wanted to love “What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding.” No, I really, really wanted to love this book.

What i was doing while you were breeding book