Self-Help Review Starting as a master's thesis, Self-Help is a rather impressive book that doesn't feel like it was written by a young mind. Lorrie Moore's stories are very insightful, emotional and widely admired. The tone it sets for the book shows the sense of humor and irony in the title. Consisting of nine different stories, Lorrie portrays multiple different interactions between lovers and family. All of this examines how each relationship could have been improved, while walking us through the characters' pleasure and pain. Although a little confusing, its spirit and format can be quite complex yet intriguing. In his second-person voice he writes in very vivid detail and tells a well-developed story. With titles like “How to Be an Other Woman,” “How,” and “Amahl and the Night Visitors: A Guide to the Tenor of Love.” ” you can see the parody of self-improvement books. While these stories are about the progression and outcome of intimate relationships, they all describe the different ways the path to love can be followed. In “How to Be Another Woman,” the young woman is in a relationship with a married man and struggles with the feeling of being the lover. But in "Amahl and the Night Visitors: A Guide to the Tenor of Love" the script is flipped, the main character's boyfriend runs around with her boyfriend while she works. Moore not only uses his wit and intelligence to show how heartbreak and love loss could be avoided, but he also demonstrates them within a family situation. . She transitioned seamlessly from her romantic tales to those of maternal love. In the story "How to Talk to Your Mother (Notes)" Lorrie tells the story backwards in chronological order, starting with her mother's death and moving on to her childhood... middle of paper... freshly cut hair. He will laugh at your jokes. ” (55) At first the reading was a little confusing and hard to follow, but I think it helped with the detail. Only when I could understand Lorrie's unpredictable humor did I understand the characters' mentality. Many times I could almost imagine the surroundings and the characters as they spoke. Although critical and sympathetic at the same time, "Self-Help" is a rather comprehensive book. Although this was Lorrie's first book ever published, it can be said that she is particularly talented and intelligent. I wouldn't give 5 stars but probably three. Depending on the reader, I think it could be the number one choice. Filled with playful yet awkward humor and more mature wordplay, this book was easy to get caught up in. As a short and fairly quick read, I would definitely say it's worth checking out..