Knowledge

Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?

Source 📝

38: 148: 129:. The book is about Chast's parents in their final years. Her father, George, died at the age of 95 and her mother, Elizabeth, who worked as an assistant elementary school principal, died at the age of 97. The author derived the book's title from her parents' refusal to discuss their advancing years and infirmities. Chast's cartoons have appeared in 183:
with additional handwritten commentary, family photographs, reproductions of Chast's mother's poetry, and "a series of twelve largely wordless" drawings in her last days. In addition to the United States, it was also made available in various other countries such as Australia, Canada, Germany, Hong
163:. The book describes various interactions between Chast and her parents. Chast, who lives in Connecticut, often used to visit her parents, calling their home "a hoarder's paradise". The couple is later moved into assisted living facilities near Chast's home due to their ailing health. 212:, reviewed the book, calling it "a touching, unflinching, darkly hilarious account" which "serves as a strange sort of self-help guide for those stumbling through the last years of their parents' lives". Tahneer Oksman of the 248:
in 2014 which has a cash remuneration of $ 50,000. Kirkus described the book as "a top-notch graphic memoir that adds a whole new dimension to readers' appreciation of Chast and her work". The book was a finalist for the
700: 489: 320: 179:
in 2014. The book is divided into eighteen chapters including introduction and epilogue. The book consists of multi-media presentation: cartoons accompanied by text in
218:
wrote that Chast "incorporates her familiarly whimsical humor alongside prose-heavy pages detailing the grief and guilt". Felice Aull, Adjunct Associate Professor at
230:
appreciated the book for tackling "a dark, tricky subject" and called it "a new direction for the graphic novel with a reflection on the sad, inevitable end".
710: 490:"Reviews: Can't we talk about something more pleasant? by Roz Chast 'A new direction for the graphic novel with a reflection on the sad, inevitable end'" 135:
magazine since 1978. The book was appreciated for showcasing Chast's talent as cartoonist and storyteller. It received several awards and was a number 1
374: 541: 705: 685: 37: 715: 219: 643: 291: 112: 566: 690: 695: 239: 433: 375:"Books Graphic novel of the month: Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? review: Roz Chast's grimly hilarious family memoir" 680: 250: 665: 514: 263: 670: 242:
in the Autobiography/Memoir section. The book also won the inaugural Kirkus Prize in non-fiction category presented by
348: 405: 204:
that the book is "honest, plangent and thoroughly ghoulish. But it's also hysterical". The editorial cartoonist of
675: 614: 159:
The book's storyline, spanning an eight-year period from 2001 to 2009, concerns Roz Chast's parents living in
17: 176: 74: 515:"All Past National Book Critics Circle Award Winners and Finalists 2014 Awards: Autobiography/Memoir" 214: 570: 292:"Sunday Book Review: Drawn From Life: Roz Chast's 'Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?'" 184:
Kong, Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, and the United Kingdom.
107: 258: 244: 180: 131: 659: 209: 223: 197: 518: 648: 152: 147: 126: 48: 222:, described "The Wheel of Doom" as "one of the most ambitious renderings". 321:"Book Review: 'Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?' by Roz Chast" 434:"Winner! 2014 Kirkus Prize: Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?" 196:
described the book as "beautiful, deeply felt" and "scorchingly honest".
160: 592: 464:"Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? @ NYU School of Medicine" 463: 644:"A Cartoonist's Funny, Heartbreaking Take On Caring For Aging Parents" 172: 349:"Reviews: Can't we talk about something more pleasant? by Roz Chast" 406:"Review: Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast" 542:"First Kirkus Prizes go to Roz Chast, Lily King and Kate Samworth" 175:, illustrated with full-color comic pictures. It was published by 146: 125:
is a 2014 graphic memoir of American cartoonist and author
106: 98: 90: 80: 70: 62: 54: 44: 701:National Book Critics Circle Award-winning works 517:. National Book Critics Circle. Archived from 31:Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? 8: 122:Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? 30: 18:Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? 593:"Past Thurber Prize Winners and Finalists" 36: 29: 277: 220:New York University School of Medicine 457: 455: 399: 397: 395: 285: 283: 281: 7: 540:Kellogg, Carolyn (23 October 2013). 428: 426: 343: 341: 314: 312: 711:Graphic novels set in New York City 290:Witchelmay, Alex (30 March 2014). 261:. The book was selected as one of 240:National Book Critics Circle Award 25: 569:. Kirkus Reviews. Archived from 251:Thurber Prize for American Humor 706:Graphic novels set in the 2000s 686:Autobiographical graphic novels 155:at the 2007 Texas Book Festival 619:The New York Times Book Review 488:Gravett, Paul (19 June 2014). 373:Cooke, Rachel (13 July 2014). 264:The New York Times Book Review 1: 716:Graphic novels about families 462:Aull, Felice (18 June 2014). 319:Wasserman, Dan (3 May 2014). 691:Bloomsbury Publishing books 615:"The 10 Best Books of 2014" 567:"2014 Winner and Finalists" 732: 696:Kirkus Prize-winning works 238:In 2014, the book won the 646:, Roz Chast interview on 268:s 10 Best Books of 2014. 35: 681:American graphic novels 666:2014 non-fiction books 468:NYU School of Medicine 255:Dear Committee Members 156: 150: 188:Review and reception 671:2014 graphic novels 410:Jewish Book Council 215:Jewish Book Council 192:Alex Witchelmay of 32: 573:on 29 January 2017 521:on 18 October 2015 194:The New York Times 157: 27:2014 graphic novel 621:. 4 December 2014 546:Los Angeles Times 440:. 1 February 2014 404:Oksman, Tahneer. 118: 117: 113:978-1-60819-806-1 91:Publication place 16:(Redirected from 723: 676:American memoirs 631: 630: 628: 626: 611: 605: 604: 602: 600: 589: 583: 582: 580: 578: 563: 557: 556: 554: 552: 537: 531: 530: 528: 526: 511: 505: 504: 502: 500: 485: 479: 478: 476: 474: 459: 450: 449: 447: 445: 430: 421: 420: 418: 416: 401: 390: 389: 387: 385: 370: 364: 363: 361: 359: 345: 336: 335: 333: 331: 316: 307: 306: 304: 302: 287: 259:Julie Schumacher 206:The Boston Globe 82:Publication date 40: 33: 21: 731: 730: 726: 725: 724: 722: 721: 720: 656: 655: 652:(38 mins, 2014) 640: 635: 634: 624: 622: 613: 612: 608: 598: 596: 595:. Thurber House 591: 590: 586: 576: 574: 565: 564: 560: 550: 548: 539: 538: 534: 524: 522: 513: 512: 508: 498: 496: 487: 486: 482: 472: 470: 461: 460: 453: 443: 441: 432: 431: 424: 414: 412: 403: 402: 393: 383: 381: 372: 371: 367: 357: 355: 347: 346: 339: 329: 327: 318: 317: 310: 300: 298: 289: 288: 279: 274: 236: 228:The Independent 190: 181:speech balloons 169: 145: 83: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 729: 727: 719: 718: 713: 708: 703: 698: 693: 688: 683: 678: 673: 668: 658: 657: 654: 653: 639: 638:External links 636: 633: 632: 606: 584: 558: 532: 506: 480: 451: 438:Kirkus Reviews 422: 391: 365: 337: 308: 276: 275: 273: 270: 245:Kirkus Reviews 235: 232: 189: 186: 171:The book is a 168: 165: 144: 141: 137:New York Times 132:The New Yorker 116: 115: 110: 104: 103: 100: 96: 95: 92: 88: 87: 84: 81: 78: 77: 72: 68: 67: 64: 60: 59: 56: 52: 51: 46: 42: 41: 26: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 728: 717: 714: 712: 709: 707: 704: 702: 699: 697: 694: 692: 689: 687: 684: 682: 679: 677: 674: 672: 669: 667: 664: 663: 661: 651: 650: 645: 642: 641: 637: 620: 616: 610: 607: 594: 588: 585: 572: 568: 562: 559: 547: 543: 536: 533: 520: 516: 510: 507: 495: 491: 484: 481: 469: 465: 458: 456: 452: 439: 435: 429: 427: 423: 411: 407: 400: 398: 396: 392: 380: 376: 369: 366: 354: 350: 344: 342: 338: 326: 322: 315: 313: 309: 297: 293: 286: 284: 282: 278: 271: 269: 267: 265: 260: 256: 252: 247: 246: 241: 233: 231: 229: 225: 221: 217: 216: 211: 210:Dan Wasserman 207: 203: 199: 195: 187: 185: 182: 178: 174: 166: 164: 162: 154: 149: 142: 140: 138: 134: 133: 128: 124: 123: 114: 111: 109: 105: 101: 97: 94:United States 93: 89: 85: 79: 76: 73: 69: 65: 61: 57: 53: 50: 47: 43: 39: 34: 19: 647: 623:. Retrieved 618: 609: 597:. Retrieved 587: 575:. Retrieved 571:the original 561: 549:. Retrieved 545: 535: 523:. Retrieved 519:the original 509: 497:. Retrieved 493: 483: 471:. Retrieved 467: 442:. Retrieved 437: 413:. Retrieved 409: 382:. Retrieved 379:The Guardian 378: 368: 356:. Retrieved 352: 328:. Retrieved 325:Boston Globe 324: 299:. Retrieved 295: 262: 254: 253:but lost to 243: 237: 227: 224:Paul Gravett 213: 205: 202:The Guardian 201: 198:Rachel Cooke 193: 191: 170: 158: 139:Bestseller. 136: 130: 121: 120: 119: 494:Independent 167:Publication 660:Categories 272:References 177:Bloomsbury 75:Bloomsbury 649:Fresh Air 353:OverDrive 200:wrote in 153:Roz Chast 127:Roz Chast 71:Publisher 49:Roz Chast 625:10 March 599:10 March 551:10 March 525:10 March 296:NY Times 161:Brooklyn 55:Language 577:8 March 499:8 March 473:8 March 444:8 March 415:8 March 384:8 March 358:8 March 330:8 March 301:8 March 151:Author 58:English 234:Awards 173:memoir 66:Memoir 45:Author 99:Pages 63:Genre 627:2017 601:2017 579:2017 553:2017 527:2017 501:2017 475:2017 446:2017 417:2017 386:2017 360:2017 332:2017 303:2017 143:Plot 108:ISBN 86:2014 257:by 226:of 102:228 662:: 617:. 544:. 492:. 466:. 454:^ 436:. 425:^ 408:. 394:^ 377:. 351:. 340:^ 323:. 311:^ 294:. 280:^ 208:, 629:. 603:. 581:. 555:. 529:. 503:. 477:. 448:. 419:. 388:. 362:. 334:. 305:. 266:' 20:)

Index

Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?

Roz Chast
Bloomsbury
ISBN
978-1-60819-806-1
Roz Chast
The New Yorker

Roz Chast
Brooklyn
memoir
Bloomsbury
speech balloons
Rachel Cooke
Dan Wasserman
Jewish Book Council
New York University School of Medicine
Paul Gravett
National Book Critics Circle Award
Kirkus Reviews
Thurber Prize for American Humor
Julie Schumacher
The New York Times Book Review



"Sunday Book Review: Drawn From Life: Roz Chast's 'Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?'"

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.