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A Review of Paul Reiser's
Babyhoodl
By Carol Huebner
This is a book about the birth of and life with Reiser’s first child, a
son. Perhaps because the book is about becoming a parent, this is gentle
humor, thoughtful, often loving.. As the author admits early on, newness
had 'decidedly drawn a very clear line in our life together.':
The funniest lines are those attributed to the baby, as though he could
actually say,"I see. You’re showing me keys, but what about them?" Or
lines attributed to the dog:, such as, "Boy, they sure love that
blanket."
Reiser gives voice to all the silliness humans use to explain life with
babies: the two types of baby clothes, for example, or the causes and
effects of the sleep deprivation experienced by all new parents, or the
concept of Baby Time. He even pays tribute to maternal insights and
advantages, especially in the chapter "Hey, There’s Milk in There."
The book comes full circle, from Reiser and his wife sitting next to a
squalling infant and her parents, to the author, now with his own child,
riding on a plane and talking with a nearby childless couple. After
admiring his son, they will probably decide to have a child themselves,
thus earning the Reisers "a check from Huckster Headquarters."
Avon: 270 pp., $7.00
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