2 out of 4 stars
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It is almost impossible to avoid people who behave stupidly. They proudly stand behind their annoying habits that can be labeled as bad manners. Do you have a neighbor who just needs to mow his lawn early in the morning when you are still asleep? Or maybe you remember the guy who races his car up and down the street every evening, just to display his masculinity? Sadly, due to their ignorance, these people seem to be oblivious to how irritating their actions can be. They expose us often to their nonsense, draining all feelings of positivity until there is nothing left but exasperation.
In this collection of stories, Get Off My Lawn! 100 Annoying Habits of People ...in General, Valerian Ruminski expresses his annoyance by ranting about one hundred unbearable acts that we observe in modern society. He has described these habits in a satirical manner, adding a humorous tone to his writing. From the author's creativity in labeling these people as "ignorant fools," I could create a glossary of all his unique slang. In each story, he was able to coin a term that related to the scenario in question. By satirizing these nasty habits, he highlights some educational social problems, such as racism, religious conflict, pampered children, animal abuse, or the incorrect speech of the English language. Yet, some stories looked more like a cascade of invectives that came close enough to the brink of brutal criticism. The story "It's One or the Other" features people who wear socks with sandals, and the author harshly names them "fool[s] with a head injury." This seemed to lean more toward a censorious condemnation on personal preference than general social issues. The elderly typically sport this fashion, and I'm assuming that it could be either to hide their aged and worn-out feet or it could be a blood circulation problem where socks are needed to keep their feet warm.
If you are a person who is bothered by the sound of wood or metal scraping across the floor in a coffee shop, then just like me, you will find the story "Drag that Chair, Quasimodo" entertaining. "Steal Anything That's Free" criticized greed and how some people demolish their dignity by presenting kleptomaniac tendencies. However, I wasn't able to relate with the author's opinion from the "Ketchup with Those Fries" story where ketchup should be savored only with hamburgers and hot dogs. For me, this belief seemed a bit exaggerated.
I am not sensitive to the use of profanity in certain circumstances where it could shake and make a person conscious about the gravity of the problem, but the author's overuse of expletives made this read quite toxic. There are high chances of bumping into a story that you may find unpleasant regardless of your ethnicity, religion, or life principles. Thus, I will recommend it to fans of satire who don't feel attached to their own mindset or beliefs and to readers who appreciate the spread of education through a loosened tongue. Considering all the above, I would have rated this collection of stories with 2.5 stars; but I believe a score of 2 out of 4 stars is more appropriate for this satirical book.
This book appeared to be professionally edited, as I only noticed a few punctuation errors and misspellings which can be easily overlooked. However, I would have loved to see one hundred annoying habits of people which focuses on a more communal disorder effect on society than on the author's inflexibility towards other people's personal tastes or lifestyles. His technique of scornful writing seemed to easily slip towards a more judgemental viewpoint. A careful selection of the stories, slight detoxification of the language, and a more tolerable tone might bring this work closer to a perfect score.
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Get Off My Lawn
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