Infinite Books

I reached for Zosia Mamet’s “Does This Make Me Funny” out of curiosity. I like reading essays very much, and earlier I read a collection of essays written by her father. This time, I expected a somewhat lighthearted collection of anecdotes about Hollywood, written from the perspective of someone younger, a new generation. Zosia’s status as a nepo baby looked intriguing and promising at the same time.

The collection is deeply personal and at times heartbreaking, as it recounts the author’s teenage years. She was bullied at school and suffered from anorexia; later, her desire to be an actress was not taken seriously.  She also had her share of bad relationships with toxic boyfriends, longing for friends and unconditional love, yet knowing that her character, being unsure and self-doubting, was not easily leading to acceptance.   There was always a hole in her piggy bank, as she beautifully describes the process. Reading about it made Zosia Mamet very relatable: I just felt how hard it must have been for her to struggle. There are, of course, essays that bring a smile and laughter, thanks to the author’s great sense of humor. Altogether, the book feels authentic, with the author opening up to the reader, showing her fears, and because, as she writes, “the truth of the matter is that pretty much everything I do in this life is finished with a question mark.”

For me, this constant questioning is much more interesting than ending everything with a non-debatable period or an enthusiastic exclamation mark.

DOES THIS MAKE ME FUNNY? Zosia Mamet, published by Viking Penquin, 2025