Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life

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In Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, Amy Krouse Rosenthal has ingeniously adapted the centuries-old format of the encyclopedia to convey the accumulated knowledge of her lifetime in a poignant, wise, often funny, fully realized memoir. Using mostly short entries organized from A to Z, many of which are cross-referenced, Rosenthal captures in wonderful and episodic detail the moments, observations, and emotions that comprise a contemporary life. Start anywhere—preferably at the beginning—and see how one young woman’s alphabetized existence can open up and define the world in new and unexpected ways.

An ordinary life, perhaps, but an extraordinary book.

Review: Organized as an encyclopedia with brief alphabetical entries, this work of non-fiction gradually reveals the author's defining moments, accumulated wisdom, and ordinary moments that ultimately shape a life. 

There were so many funny sections of this book that had me laughing to myself, such as her succinct entry on travel: "In the end, no one really wants to hear about your trip" (198). Additionally, there were many sections that I identified and connected with, such as her description of the joys of rearranging the furniture in a room "You linger in the doorway and admire it for a few moments, savoring its exciting freshness" (171) or her argument that "If you really love someone, you want to know what they ate for lunch or dinner without you" (131). In short, Rosenthal's insight on the mundane and the ordinary was captivating and resonated with me deeply. 

I was drawn to this book because of the unique format but was also skeptical about how well it would function. Yet the encyclopedia format functioned beautifully and produced a fully realized memoir that captures the author's essence and conveys a full representation of her life, even if in a non-linear manner. In fact, the episodic format allowed the author to include non-sequitur thoughts and memories that otherwise would likely have been excluded from a traditional memoir, but which enriched this book so much. This book fully captures Amy Rosenthal as a person: her childhood memories, her pet peeves, poignant snapshots of her marriage and children. The strength of this book lies in its very focus on the ordinary because every reader will likely find something with which they identify within its pages. 

Stars: 4