I’ve admitted before that I love Gilmore Girls, and I’ll admit it again here, which is why I decided to read Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between) by Lauren Graham, which she wrote ahead of the Gilmore Girls “A Year in the Life.”

First, I want to clarify my feelings about Gilmore Girls. In so many ways, the plot (and yes, even some of the beloved dialogue) is predictable, formulaic. Sometimes it feels like the creators just had an idea and went with it before thinking for even one second about deeper meaning or complexity, and that’s okay. I just often find myself wanting more from the show, even as much as I am a fan.

I am a fan because I absolutely LOVE the premise. The premise is perfection. It is interesting, sometimes feminist, and idyllic. It is an always beautiful, quaint little New England town inhabited by colorful women who are living life joyfully and on their own terms. The men are mostly cool too–there’s very little of the sexist strife that pervades much of popular media today (and, unfortunately, real life too). The premise makes me love the show and all of the possibility it holds.

While women also have power in many popular shows, it is often a very masculine definition of power, with what feels like to me very masculine pursuits. Of course, my understanding of what is “masculine” is completely biased, but to me, many of the pursuits of Stars Hollow feel distinctly not masculine. It’s also just lovely to watch.

As for the book, I enjoyed it as Gilmore Girls fans will. Graham provides detailed insights into the films of the Gilmore Girls, both the original and the reboot. Graham is also a writer, and the book reads more like a collection of short stories and definitely ventures far beyond the world of Stars Hollow and into Graham’s career and life. Fans will like that too.

map of Stars Hollow