My Mess Is a Bit of a Life

Adventures in Anxiety

By: Georgia Pritchett

Narrated by: Katherine Parkinson

“Georgia Pritchett is a singularly hilarious person. Her book is a delightful and perfect reflection of her. Its tenderness sneaks up on you and really packs a punch. What a magnificent read!”—Julia Louis Dreyfus

Jenny Lawson meets Nora Ephron in this joyful memoir-in-vignettes on living—and thriving—with anxiety from a multiple Emmy Award-winning comedy writer whose credits include Succession and Veep.

When Georgia Pritchett found herself lost for words—a bit of a predicament for a comedy writer—she turned to a therapist, who suggested she try writing down some of the things that worried her. But instead of a grocery list of concerns, Georgia wrote this book.

A natural born worrywart, Georgia’s life has been defined by her quirky anxiety. During childhood, she was agitated about the monsters under her bed (Were they comfy enough?). Going into labor, she fretted about making a fuss (“Sorry to interrupt, but the baby is coming out of my body,” I said politely). Winning a prestigious award, she agonized over receiving free gifts after the ceremony (It was an excruciating experience. Mortifying).

Soul-baring yet lighthearted, poignant yet written with a healthy dose of self-deprecation, My Mess Is a Bit of a Life is a tour through the carnival funhouse of Georgia’s life, from her anxiety-ridden early childhood where disaster loomed around every corner (When I was little I used to think that sheep were clouds that had fallen to earth. On cloudy days I used to worry that I would be squashed by a sheep), through the challenges of breaking into an industry dominated by male writers, to the exquisite terror (and incomparable joy) of raising children.

Delightfully offbeat, painfully honest, full of surprising wonders, and delivering plenty of hilarious, laugh-out-loud moments, My Mess Is a Bit of a Life reveals a talented, vulnerable, and strong woman in all her wisecracking weirdness, and makes us love it—and her—too.

©2022 Georgia Pritchett (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Funny, heart warming and edgy

Author & reader remarkable!
I may listen again.
Equal amounts of laughter- admiration and wonder. And I think every part is true.

Beautiful, hilarious, devastating, wonderful

I bought this after reading a newspaper article Georgia wrote and as soon as I started listening, I was hooked. Amazing story, beautifully delivered by the narrator, by a brave, vulnerable, hilarious writer. Thank you, Georgia, for all your incredible writing, and for sharing all of your stories. All the best to you & your amazing family

Immensely enjoyed listening

Great stories with dry humor that I relate to. The reader is wonderful! I listened each night in bed and often replayed stories. The author, Georgia Pritchett, is a writer on Veep, Succession, and The Shrink Next Door all of which I’ve watched and loved. I have anxiety and am thankful for Effexor. I no longer suffer; rather, my worrisome thoughts become humor. Georgia seems to have turned her anxiety into a successful career. There is hope for anyone who is suffering with anxiety to live a happy life!

wonderfully witty

great book, the structure of micro chapters is inspired.

A bit unfortunate that the narrator mispronounces the name of the STAR of the show Pritchett wrote (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). You'd think they'd check that!

this book was fun!

I was snorting and howling through most of this book, so I apologize to anybody around me who thought I was having a fit of some kind

Wonderful!!

A heartfelt telling of a life that was filled with heartbreaking honesty and humor. Recommended!!

Absolute perfection

Many thanks to the author for sharing her journey. Her divine wit and poignant storytelling was just what I needed. Brava!

These are standup notes

This book reads like a collection of notes for a standup act. Interviews with the author promoting the book and the description of the book here on Audible describe a collection of short, amusing essays, not quick setups and a funny joke. Chapters are often just a minute long, sometimes shorter.

If that’s what you’re looking for, then I think you might like this. It’s a very funny and clever set of fast jokes.

It just isn’t the book described and promoted.

Ugh! So tedious!!

These are VERY short essays. They’d be funny one liners at a cocktail party but don’t really work as a book.

More like a flat, dark pamphlet. I wanted to like it, but it didn’t work out for me.

Nope

I really can't place my finger on it, but I did not care for this book. Perhaps it was the author's voice and delivery, I just don't know. I found myself wishing that it would hurry and be complete. In fact the last 40 minutes I fast forwarded it just to get to the completion portion