How did you feel about the Gilmore Girls revival?
I genuinely loved parts of it. Basically, the scenes involving Emily. But overall, I was underwhelmed. And a little bit disappointed.
And then I picked up Lauren Graham’s memoir.
It’s as if I was sitting at a table at Luke’s, coffee in hand, listening to Lorelai (and Lauren, and Sarah Braverman) tell me her life story. And I soaked in every word.
First, Graham is a strong writer. It takes great skill to convert a conversational voice to paper, and she did it brilliantly in this book. With every essay, you learned just a little bit more about her and the roles we know and love her for. She shares just enough to make you feel like a close friend, but still keeps the key parts of her life – her family, her relationship, future work – private. It’s a hard balance to strike, and she did it brilliantly.
You don’t have to be a Gilmore Girls fan to enjoy this book. But it should be mandatory reading for all GG fans. Graham’s observations and revelations about the original series, season by season, was so satisfying. I particularly loved her fashion commentary (the blue eyeshadow and DvF wrap dresses, in particular) and how she cast her friends and family in the show.
Jason Stiles (aka Chris Eigeman)? Her dear friend IRL. Who knew?
I’ve wanted to know why the show ended as abruptly as it did, and Graham does offer a solid explanation – and how the reboot happened.
Is it bad that I liked Graham’s revelations about the Netflix series more than the series itself? Because I did. I had a hard time empathizing with Lorelai (and Rory too) in the new series. But I fell in love with Lorelai again in reading this book. Graham’s love for the character – her good, bad, and ugly qualities – jumps off the paper. And while I found that the Netflix’s Lorelai and Rory annoyed me to no end, the *Talking As Fast As I Can* Lorelai was also endearing, more mature, and had more depth.
This book washed away whatever negative feelings I had to the Netflix reboot, and replaced it with a deeper love for the show that defined my early adulthood.
Here’s to you, Lauren Graham and Lorelai Gilmore. Thank you for sharing this story.
And if there is another season of Gilmore Girls ahead of us, I hope you snag a seat in the writer’s room.
Another memoir I couldn’t get enough of, and more book reviews here.
