The Day I Turned Uncool: Confessions of a Reluctant Grown-Up

by Dan Zevin

A hilarious book of musings on an ineluctable fact--Generation X is all grown up--by the popular author of Entry-Level Life and The Nearly-Wed Handbook. This is an irrepressibly hilarious account of unwitting maturity, rendered in short, snappy essays spun from personal confessions.

Genres: Humor, Nonfiction, Memoir, Essays, Biography, Biography Memoir, Book Club

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Dan Zevin is a Thurber Prize-winning humorist. His books include Dan Gets a Minivan and The Day I Turned Uncool, which were both optioned by Adam Sandler. Dan has been an award-winning humor columnist for the New York Times, a comic commentator for NPR, and a contributor to print or digital editions of The New Yorker, McSweeney’s, Rolling Stone, Salon, Real Simple, Parents, and The Wall Street Journal. He lives with his family in Westchester, NY, and teaches comic writing at Sarah Lawrence College.

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Reviews

[Chelsea Cain · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you were born between 1970 and 1972 and grew up in a home with cable television and are now a partnered, mortgage-approved, contributing member of society, but you saw Hole play live back when Courtenay Love was crazy, but not yet cray-cray, and you still have the t-shirt from that show in a garbage bag of band t-shirts you keep in your garage next to your cardboard file box of childhood Star Wars figures, then you will love this book. Super funny, smart, pitch-perfect essays about a very specific experience that somehow feels universal. Zevin is a clever, personable enough writer that anyone will find something to enjoy about his work, but he employs pop culture references with such razor sharp precision that his essays have a special resonance to his people, ie, anyone who remembers the show "Riptide." My husband started reading this book first, and kept laughing next to me in bed. "What's so funny?" I kept asking. And he's read some spot-on observation that was like it was written about us, and then he'd go back to reading, and then laugh. Basically he ended up reading the entire book out loud to me. I still think of Dan Zevin every time I use a blue NYT bag to pick up dog poop.

[Debra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted this book to be funny, but unfortunately, it just isn't. In a couple of the vignettes the author captured that little bit of humor that we have to have about ourselves as we grow older. For instance, his comparison of traveling in Europe at age 20 and then doing it again at age 35 was funny and truthful. Most of the book misses the mark, though. The premise is that we all grow into habits and behaviors that we used to deem uncool, and that it's good to do that with a little bit of reluctance. And I understand that; I too sometimes shudder to think about how going out has changed from listening to music until 2AM to eating dinner at 8, but Zevin just really doesn't have enough of that insight or humor to fill a whole book. The result is that it seems like he fills it with other sometimes interesting anecdotes, like how he was the only adult in a table manners class, but I really don't see how many of those fit with the schtick.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really thought this book had tremendous potential, especially in that I feel like a VERY reluctant grown-up. I don't know whether I feel like according to this book I am not ACTUALLY a grown up, or if there were just parts I don't yet relate to. Dont get me wrong, there were funny parts, I guess I just feel the author could have went so much more in depth than he did. It's still worth reading on those days when you feel like "what the hell happened to me?" being a functioning, working adult who, I confess, I sometimes find myself in bed at 9 PM.

[Maggie Downs · Rating 2 out of 5]

Funny premise, terrible execution.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mood: Dave Berry for Gen-x

Thoughts: I'm not sure how I got into this rabbit hole but I seem to be picking books published during my college years. It's a really strange lens because so far none of them remotely relate to the life I had during that time and yet there is this strange innocence to all of them so far that I get. Life was very different back then. So the question is how does a 2002 collection of humor essays hold-up? It is shockingly not bad, I think it helps that Dan at the time probably ran with a fairly progressive crowd and lived in urban environment and so he actually comes off pretty informed and you aren't left thinking wow this would not pass if it was published now humor. Best essay goes to "Never Mind Your Manners" and horribly relatable is definitely "Why I Have No Friends".

Read if you want/like: Dad humor, having weird early 2000s nostalgia, Do You Mind If I Cancel? by Gary Janetti, Would Everybody Please Stop? by Jenny Allen, Cool, Calm and Contentious by Merrill Markoe, Unabrow by Una LaMarche, Don't Get Too Comfortable by David Rakoff, Dave Berry, Jim Gaffigan,

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't normally read non-fiction and this book is the reason why. I had no idea who this author was, just that he claimed if I was Gen-X this book would resonate with me. I am Gen-X and it did not.

This book was basically short stories broken out in chapter form that highlighted things Dan did. There were moments that I chuckled, but overall this book was not that enthralling.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The theme drew me in. A light, breezy read. Mostly I found myself thinking "that's amusing", but not actually chuckling.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

A funny book --- I snorted several times during the book. Not laugh-out-loud funny, but enjoyable all the same.

[Vicki Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious…most read again….great book, funny as I couldn’t stop laughing out loud

[Ben Brackett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Essays on exactly what you'd expect making exactly the jokes you'd expect and without any insights that might distinguish itself. Sub-meh.

[Alicia Zuto · Rating 5 out of 5]

So funny! Enjoyable short read

[Rudi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Den Schreibstil finde ich grundsätzlich ziemlich gelungen. Das Buch besteht jedoch hauptsächlich aus einer Aneinanderreihung verschiedener Anekdoten, im besten Fall einzelner Kurzgeschichten. Der Autor ist Journalist und schafft es – zumindest in diesem Werk – nicht, eine zusammenhängende Handlung über mehrere (200) Seiten hinweg zu entwickeln. Es ist meiner Ansicht nach für die Zugfahrt zur und von der Arbeit geeignet… für mehr leider nicht.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The chapter on traveling abroad now vs. in college was hilarious and spot on! I also really liked and identified with the essay on losing friends as you get older.

[Karen! · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up off of the shelf of my local library on a complete whim. Best. Decision. Ever. This is a completely hysterical collection of essays that centers around the antics of a 30-something writer. The collection of essays is centered around a series of confessions that are rather cleverly entitled. I, for one, am glad that his life is such a shenanigan, and that he chose to share it with me! I am also quite glad that before creating a book that he first got sturdy on his writing legs through various freelance jobs.


A few samples of what made me giggle incessantly out loud:

From the confession "The world is no longer my oyster: Not My Junior Year Abroad" wherein the author describes a fabulous experience from his college trip abroad juxtaposed with a would-be similar experience visiting his younger brother abroad in Spain, which is obviously disastrous and does not live-up to his expectations.

"On the plus side, we finally found a pitcher of sangria that doesn't taste like Hi-C. Megan figured out that what you have to do is order a bottle of red wine with it, then you add the wine to the sangria so it's not so weak. They really don't know how to make it here."

From the confession "My social circle has shriveled and shrunk: Why I Have No Friends"

20% Friends Lost to coupling up
10% Friends Lost to Procreation
10% Money
10% Geography
50% Time

On money: "The way I figure it, all my friends were pretty much in the same economic boat when we were first starting out, falling into the tax bracket officially known as 'piss poor.' Then some of us stopped being piss-poor. Some of us even stopped being 'cautiously comfortable.' Some of us actually became 'fabulously well-to-do.' Those of us who wrote this book do not fall into that last tax bracket, much to our chagrin."

On geography: "Some of my friends have moved so many times, I no longer know where they live...many successful long-distance friendships involve someone who has a ski house in Aspen."

From the confession "I sought professional help: Suddenly Crazy after all these years"
"What makes you think anyone would want to read an entire book about you? The reviewers will call you just another aging gen-X'er so nauseatingly consumed with public navel-gazing that you should forget about writing and get a webcam instead.

"As if there would be reviewers.

"As if you could figure out how to use a webcam."

From the confession "I enjoy getting back to nature: Boyz in the woods"
"The trail description said: 'This relatively easy hike features a steady incline leading to a panoramic view of the White Mountains. (Approx. 3 hours).'

What the trail description should have said: 'This relatively easy hike--relative to Mt. Kilimanjaro--features an impenetrable, ninety-degree incline before you die. Even your friend Doug, with his Red Cross First Aid Kit, would die on this hike. (Approx. ∞ hrs.)'"

And, my new personal mantra: "As I listened to the saxophone stylings of Mr. Archie Shepp one evening, I realized I was starved for culture. And when Mr. Shepp finished his set, I realized I was starved for dessert."

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would actually give this about 3.5 stars if I could - I don't feel it deserves a 3, but I can't put it up there with books I give a 4, so it's somewhere in between. This was a funny, introspective book that I could definitely relate to. There are definitely moments when you're dealing with a plumbing situation, or responsible for children who are asking your permission to go somewhere, where you stop and realize - I'm actually becoming a grown-up (reluctantly, being the key word). And Zevin describes many of these moments in his own life, bringing to light the plight of us Gen-Xer's that are encountering the onset of adulthood, ever so reluctantly. But Zevin does remind us of how it is important to retain some sense of the freedom and spontaneity of pre-adulthood, and underscores the fact that reluctance can be a good things. Definitely an enjoyable book for anyone moving from their post-college years into adulthood.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compilation of memories and regrettable truths about, basically, going from being young to…not being young. Even from a teenager’s perspective, this book is extremely funny and enjoyable, I was constantly laughing out loud and I’m sure I smiled the whole way through. My opinions may be a little bent due to the author being my uncle, but I would say this is an excellent book, and definitely an easy, quick, satisfying read. This would be a novel I recommend reading while under stress and needing to have a chance to laugh at someone else’s problems- maybe for a teenager it’s a chance to stop feeling depressed about being too young for everything, and forced into so many things that you’re not ready for and just appreciate being young and being able to laugh at those silly “not young anymore” people.

[Bronwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took us until we reached our 30s, but it seems that many of us born in the 70s are finally ready to admit that we're adults. Maybe. The notion sneaks up on us at certain moments (I have a lawn? And I care about what it looks like!?), and Dan Zevin shares his grown-up revelations in this quick and funny book.

I'm sure that many, if not most, humor writers are compared to Dave Barry at some point (or David Sedaris if they're gay), but I think that Zevin truly shares Barry's ability to make the reader see the laugh out loud humor in everyday situations. The Day I Turned Uncool is a short, light read that can be finished in an evening and appreciated by anyone who's recently realized they really aren't interested in attending a concert where they may not be able to sit down.

[eRin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping for a little more from this. Zevin is officially a "grown-up," albeit, a reluctant one. Like many of us in our thirties, Zevin comes to this sudden realization with a jolt. His friends have disappeared, he realizes he no longer has time for the stuff he used to do, and he actually cares about his lawn. A lot. It did have several funny parts to it, but maybe I'm not deep enough into my thirties to really appreciate it? Or maybe it wasn't quite as funny as the hype. Either way, the trip to Europe and the comparison between his travel journal in college and the present one is absolutely hilarious and makes up for the rest of the not-so-funny bits.

[Christina, Join Me on Storygraph!]

I liked this book a lot... first of all, it was short. WOOHOO for books that will impress my husband with my incredible reading speed. It's kind of weird to say that I enjoyed a book that was essentially all about some random guy I don't even know (self obsessive much?), but his observations are dead on with what I am experiencing as I move from my 20s to my 30s... I spend way more on lawn care these days than I do on beer, much like Zevin.

The point? Well, the point is to not take yourself (or aging) too seriously.

[Maria (Ri) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a funny read! There were so many parts that just made me burst out laughing! My husband heard a good bit of it as I would read him quite a few of the funnier parts! Thankfully, I don't count my husband and I as being fully "grown-up" yet, but we are moving ever closer! However, if I ever turn into a "pet person" please do not be afraid to tell me! That's when I'll know I'm totally over the edge!! Like, lizziwhizz, I wish there was more to this book, and I'm sure to search out more of Dan Zevin's writing.

[Antoinette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book my little dog has ever eaten, at least she picked a good one. Zevin was such a charming narrator that even though many of his observations on aging annoyed me, I was willing to forgive him. I didn't like his use of lingo. However, I really liked his analysis of married people and how they fall out of touch with friends. The "juice" conversation had me laughing for a few days. Pleasant read.

[Sera · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is a funny look at a reluctant acceptance of adulthood. The book is broken up into a series of vignettes which discuss different aspects of adulthood; golf, home improvement etc. The stories are funny b/c the reader can relate to his changing self image and reluctance to leave his cooler youth behind. Downside - the stories are told at 20,000 feet and have a certain disconnected feel to them. Any of these stories if further developed could have made a very funny book of their own.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very funny - it's written by a guy who basically has realized that he is no longer the guy who parties all the time with no responsibilities. He's surprised to find himself caring about his lawn, ordering wine instead of beer, wanting to take naps when he travels to Europe rather than party all night. It's great for anyone who has woke up and realized that they "grew-up" and do not really know when it happened. It's a short, fast read, I finished it in less than 24 hours.

[Sherrie]

I read this entire book on a plane to Syracuse. Fun essays about growing up and realizing that, yeah, growing up stinks. Fun part? When he visits his 20-something brother in Spain. His brother lives out of brown paper bag. The author brings many pieces of luggage. That is the first of many comparisons. Book #57 of my 2005 Book List, finished reading it on 12-20-05.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I RARELY laugh out loud while reading. I lost track of the number of times I lol'ed with this one. Dan Zevin is a pro at observational humor, and this book is broken into brief chapters, each a hilarious tale about one of the "uncool" things he can now "confess" to doing as a reluctant grown-up. I don't know whether it's good or bad that I could relate to so many of his stories. :)

[Eden · Rating 3 out of 5]

I laughed out loud throughout the first third of this book. Read the last 2/3rds of it a few weeks later. Not sure if it was my mindset (things are much busier at work now) or if I just couldn't relate as well to the particular subject matter included in the rest of the book; I'd rate the first third a 5, and the rest a 2.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was just not my style. I get it, you woke up one day and realized you'd turned into an adult, with all kinds of boring responsibilities. I heard the truths in these short essays, but I just wasn't laughing. They were amusing, even clever, but not very meaningful. Nothing here helped me move on in my own life.

[Sarah Johns · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! I read this after reading, Dan Gets a Minivan, which was also a great read.

It's great to see someone else explain in such a funny and well written way, what all of us reluctant grown-ups feel and deal with. It's as if he pulled some of my thoughts right out of my head.

I recommend this to everyone.

[Joe Basile · Rating 2 out of 5]

i found this book in the trash which isn't always a good sign but I enjoyed it. I read it before I turned 30 and it briefly made me appreciate coming to age a bit more. I really like the chapter about adults finding adventure through food and the chapter about massage. it was a good quick read.

[Cynthia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got about halfway through and had to quit. If I want to hear whining, I have two kids who are experts and much more entertaining. Yeah, it's a pain to be an adult and have responsibility but shut-up.