The Egg and I (Betty MacDonald Memoirs, #1) in Clean Reads

Nov 13, 2024 Linda Martin rated it it was ok

Shelves: memoirs, 2024, classics, families, homesteading, native-americans, audiobook, nonfiction, western, fiction

This book is dated in the same way a Zane Gray novel is dated. The problem is racism. It was more accepted back in the 1930's when this book was written. These days the manuscript would never get past an editor.

Aside from her unfriendly comments about the Native Americans she lived near, this memoir did give readers a good sense of what it was like to live and work on an off-the-grid, rural homestead in Washington state in the 1920's. The author and her husband were owners of an egg-producing c ...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Amy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, autobiography

I loved Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books as a kid and was surprised to find out that she started out writing for adults. I want to read her other books now! I loved her writing. Highly irreverent and sarcastic, yet charming and story-like in the details and descriptions. I want to visit these places in the Pacific northwest now! Her descriptions were beautiful, lyrical and imaginative. Her reflections piercing and comical. I found myself either chuckling out loud over or wanting to paint a picture of ma I loved Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books as a kid and was surprised to find out that she started out writing for adults. I want to read her other books now! I loved her writing. Highly irreverent and sarcastic, yet charming and story-like in the details and descriptions. I want to visit these places in the Pacific northwest now! Her descriptions were beautiful, lyrical and imaginative. Her reflections piercing and comical. I found myself either chuckling out loud over or wanting to paint a picture of many of the reflections and phrases sprinkled throughout each chapter.

After a brief (funny!) background on her upbringing, the book is broken up into seasons of the year describing her life as a newlywed on a wilderness chicken ranch. Each chapter is more of a short essay. My understanding is that this book was based off her letters home. No romanticized notions of pastoral bliss or glorifying of the "simple life". She tells it how it is.

I read somewhere that Maw and Paw Kettle were based off of her neighbors in this book. They were definitely entertaining to read about!

Warning: the kettles language is rather rough around the edges, nothing compared to today, but just a heads up.

This is such a small part of the book that I honestly wouldn't have mentioned it, except that just about every review I read highlights it so I wanted to record my own thoughts.
You'll see plenty of disgusted reviews based on the authors opinion of Native Americans. She uses one short chapter to relay her experiences. Not politically correct nor polite in the slightest. Her reflections were rough on my modern ears yet gave me much to reflect on. Sadly, her opinions were based on personal experience which would leave a bad taste in the mouth of anyone, no matter their race. She did not feel the same way towards a handful of Native American individuals whom she viewed as friends, yet lumps the rest together. How does that play into racism? Lots to ponder.

This is a much deeper subject than the author ever delves into, but I found myself reflecting on the depravity of man when government takes away his freedom and gives back what it sees as fit. No matter how well intentioned, "taking care of" singled out groups of people in exchange for freedoms has devastating effect on humanity. How can government even begin to know what is best for people? It was interesting to ponder on this within the time period and location of this book. ...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Jodi rated it liked it

I love memoirs. I really do. (At least ones that aren't about bed-jumping celebrities who are awful writers and even worse people, but I digress.) Betty MacDonald is a great writer and I enjoyed her style for the most part. I didn't care, however, for her patronization of her neighbors. They were kind to her and helped her often, but she was not always kind in her descriptions of them. I also found her relationship with her husband somewhat painful. This might have been tainted by my knowledge o ...more

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Feb 21, 2016 Louise rated it really liked it

Shelves: history, biographical, funny, book-club

This book is actually a classic of sorts, even though I had never heard of it. It is a funny memoir written by the author of the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books. Fair warning - it is written in the early '40s and her descriptions of how her husband treats her and the native Americans she meets are disturbing to me rather than funny. ...more

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Jan 01, 2020 Jenn rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: listened-to

I'm sure this book was quite shocking in 1945. She uses a lot of foul language and doesn't really talk about anything "proper". Reading in today's day and age her sarcasm and snarky comments got a little old after a while and I just wanted it to end. Her neighbors were so funny and I really liked that part of the book. Most of the time I wondered if she even liked her husband, he seemed like an afterthought to her situation even though he is the one that put her there. And despite what the perso ...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Teri marked it as to-read

Shelves: to-read-fiction, read-the-book-watch-the-movie

Sounds like a cute book. The movie looks cute as well. Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray. The film introduces the characters of Ma and Pa Kettle. I LOVED Ma and Pa Kettle when I was young. (I am pretty sure I will still love the Kettles;) The author wrote the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books. I remember those;)I think a reread is in order.

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Nov 09, 2022 Becki rated it it was amazing

There’s no author I wish I could chat with more than Betty MacDonald. The best part of her books is feeling like you did have a good gossip with her. Always delightful.

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Jan 24, 2020 Kris Wells rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This was one of my mom’s favorite books and listening to it there were stories from it I remember her telling me so it brought back wonderful memories of my mom. Wonderful writing and quite funny!!!

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