The Complete Book of Mothers-in-Law
Luisa Dillner
The Complete Book of Mothers-in-Law
Most of us either have a mother-in-law or will be one, and it's not a role most women take on gladly. Mothers-in-law are traditionally the butt of jokes, declared to be nasty, possessive and interfering - but are they really as bad as this reputation suggests? Luisa Dillner looks beyond the stereotype of the mother-in-law and finds they come in many different varieties, from loveable and loyal to lonely, ferocious and scheming. She traces their history, from Ancient Greece and Rome to modern times, through fairy tales and traditions, in this celebration of this most complicated of relationships.
4.0 out of 5 based on 2 reviews
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Omniscore:
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| Classification |
Non-fiction |
| Genre |
Humour, Family & Lifestyle |
| Format |
Hardback |
| Pages |
288 |
| RRP |
£12.99 |
| Date of Publication |
October 2008 |
| ISBN |
978-0571238194 |
| Publisher |
Faber & Faber |
| |
Most of us either have a mother-in-law or will be one, and it's not a role most women take on gladly. Mothers-in-law are traditionally the butt of jokes, declared to be nasty, possessive and interfering - but are they really as bad as this reputation suggests? Luisa Dillner looks beyond the stereotype of the mother-in-law and finds they come in many different varieties, from loveable and loyal to lonely, ferocious and scheming. She traces their history, from Ancient Greece and Rome to modern times, through fairy tales and traditions, in this celebration of this most complicated of relationships.
Reviews
The Observer
Kate Kellaway
“Although the book is sympathetic towards the challenges of being a mother-in-law and contains portraits of the best of the breed, it is a far more complicated take on the subject than 'celebration' would suggest. It is rich with mad, bad, dangerous mothers-in-law - and warped son and daughters-in-law. Nor does it try to duck evil-mother-in-law jokes and their history. Yet there is much benign humour too. I particularly liked, even if it is a little hard to believe, the anecdote about Marilyn Monroe meeting Arthur Miller's mother. At the end of dinner, Marilyn slipped away to the lavatory where she ran both taps in order not to overhear Mrs Miller pronounce on her new daughter-in-law. When the verdict came, as it did much later, it was that Marilyn was a 'sweet' girl, but that it was a pity she 'pissed like a horse'.”
12/10/2008
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The Scotsman
Jackie McGlone
“Interview with Luisa Dillner.”
11/10/2008
Read Full Review