"Men to Avoid in Art and Life" by Nicole Tersigni is a hilarious and astute commentary on the everyday experiences of women. Through clever pairings of classical art with witty captions, Tersigni highlights the absurdity of common interactions with certain types of men. The book strikes a balance between humor and insight, shedding light on persistent societal issues. It's a witty and relatable read that offers a refreshing perspective on navigating the complexities of modern relationships. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a good laugh and a dose of social commentary.

I was provided an advanced copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

You've likely seen memes like this either on Twitter or Facebook. Classic works of art, whether popular or not, paired with sexist comments. The point is to lampoon the men making the comments originally. This is a quick read and can be completed in under ten minutes. It's quite funny but it does very much feel like memes in a book and I don't know really why I would bother to have that on my shelf when it is so easily accessible online. Still, it's an innovative way of highlighting the problem which is that men should remember that if you wouldn't want someone to say it to you in prison, you shouldn't say it in real life. And really, REALLY repeat it back to yourself before you say it and be REALLY sure that your remarks add value to a conversation. These are definitely men to avoid.

This should be considered a modern classic. I love art and literature and humor and this was the perfect trifecta. I was crying laughing. This is the perfect coffee table addition or quick pick me up that everyone needs in their life.

Overall I found this book funny. The pairing of classical art and feminist humor is very clever. The book is fun. Enjoy

A hybrid comedy/art book, Men to Avoid in Art and Life captions European works of art with examples of men being The Worst. The foreword by Jen Kirkman speaks of how this book began as a Twitter thread which explains a lot about the overall format. It's divided into sections about the different types of men to avoid but admittedly, the captions do get repetitive quickly even with the book split up like this. I'd imagine it'd make a nice gift or coffee table book.

Are you a woman who deals with mansplainers, or a man who doesn't want to be a 'splainer? This book will make you smile as you consider the implications of the things we say to one another. The meme format (text blocks on fine art works) could be emulated for a classroom exercise or personal project.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

A fun, clever, funny, poignant book - great for leafing through and enjoying it slowly. I’m putting my copy in our guest bedroom as it’s a fun book to leave on a nightstand for bedtime fun reading. Enjoyed it and so grateful for the copy.

Fun! Reminds me of when friends and I would go to museums and take snaps of the art and turn them into memes. I think this book accomplished what it set out to do quickly and it's good for a chuckle but it's not particularly hilarious or boundary breaking either.

This book is a witty and funny outlook on how men in art (and life) patronize, mansplain, and say inappropriate stuff to women. The idea to give a voice to paintings has appeared in a few social media accounts and it's always entertaining.

Exactly what I expected, a witty and fast paced book with some great laughable moments. I loved the comments of the paintings.

This is a book to give to all the women in your life, they will all laugh and relate to it. I alternated between laughing out loud and wanting to smack these mansplainers upside the head, plus I got to look at some lovely art! I will never look at art the same way again, I'll be looking for historical mansplaining caught in the act!

#MentoAvoid #NetGalley

*ARC was provided by Chronicle Books through Netgalley.

This was cute, but in a way that's funny when you see it online, and then repetitive when it's compiled and published into a book. I'm not a huge art fan, so I might've liked to see more context for the pieces, instead of captions pasted randomly. I appreciate what this is going for, but it's not that substantial.

A fun, quick, quirky read. The perfect gift for the feminist, meme-lover, or art history major in your life!

A book to read, reflect on, and have a laugh about alone, or to go through with friends for a fun time together.

The one negative aspect about it? - It was too short!

Thanks for the publishers and NetGalley for giving me chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

So this is a great book for people who love art and those who enjoy snarky feminist commentary (bonus points if you are a fan of both).
I totally understand how Nicole Tersigni's Twitter thread went viral. This feels like a great project to create and a super fun project to stumble upon on your daily social media scroll.
Some pieces hit home harder for me than others and not all of them made me laugh, but I think this would make a great coffee table book.
It is a good flip through and a fun conversation starter.

Hahaha - It is so satisfying to see the annoyed, yet jaded expression on the woman's face in great works of art when the man is being so infuruatingly patronizing!
Nicole Tersigni's inventive book reminds me of reading a narrative by the great comedienne, Jane Austen.
I especially liked the foreword by Jen Kirkman, very funny!

I get it. I understand what this book is trying to do. As a Twitter meme - fantastic, go for it. But as a book, I am just not sure. It gets old fast. It is funny, but not so much.

But I agree with the message - definitely avoid those men. And I did like the effort to find something that some men (see what I did there) actually do/think in real life and fit with the artworks. Great job!

Thank you to Netgalley and Chronicle Books for the opportunity to review an ARC of “Men to Avoid in Art and Life” by Nicole Tersigni, published Aug 2020, in exchange for an honest review.

“Started as a Twitter thread and quickly gained widespread popularity, this book perfectly captures those relatable moments when a man explains to a woman a subject about which he knows considerably less than she does. Situations include these men in art and antiquity sharing keen insight on the female anatomy, an eloquent defense of catcalling, or offering sage advice about horseback riding to the woman who owns the horse and many more situations.”

I requested to view this book ahead of publication because of a new interest in art. I thought the premise of the book sounded educational, although it is obviously meant to be cheeky. The writing comes across to me as sarcastic and relatable (to women). The classical paintings are essentially paired with a caption relating to poor behaviour on the behalf of men. It’s a modern, young type of humor, and personally, I would think it best fit for those also with an inclination for art history. It would be a great gift, in fact, for an art historian or art major.

This book is based on a Twitter thread that gained popularity. It is one of those books that rides off that sort of momentum; it’s relevant in the here and now, and it’s something you could shelve on the just-for-fun category. I would suggest it to those primarily with an inclination for enjoying art, feminism / feminist humor (is that thing? You know what I mean…), and sarcastic, modern writing style.

This sassy art book takes beautiful paintings and pairs them with statements from fed up women dealing with mansplaining, trolls, sexperts, and patronizers. Funny and thought provoking, Men to Avoid in Art and Life would make a great coffee table book or gift.

Clever and classic. This fun look book shows that maybe things haven’t changed much after all... Still, very fun to see interpretations Of classic art in modern phrase.

Unfortunately I was unable to download this book on any of the available platforms. I tried to download a PDF, it would not load on the NetGalley Shelf and would not download to The Bluefire or Aldiko app. I tried many times without success so I am unable to rate or review this title. The one star is only a reflection of the necessity to mark it as this might actually be a 5 star read.