Dear Mr. You

Dear Mr. You by Mary-Louise Parker, 228 pages

Structured as a series of letters to different men in her life, Dear Mr. You is Parker's memoir of her private life. The men she writes to are never identified by name; rather she writes to "Oyster-Picker" or "Doctor" or "In Case of Emergency." It's well-written (and well-read, as Parker reads the audiobook, which is how I experienced it), with lots of close examination of her life, but something about this grated on me. The fact that no names are ever mentioned, nor any story really put in context, makes it feel as if Parker is forcing an air of mystery. Also, the feminist in me (which, let's face it, is a pretty big part of me) keeps screaming "but why is she defining her whole life by the men in her life?!?!?" Even accepting the somewhat-odd format of this memoir, why can't she include some of the women who have undoubtedly had some effect on her? If you're a huge fan of Mary-Louise Parker, give this a read. Otherwise, feel free to skip it.