No Regrets Here: The Perfect Balance of Vulnerability and Humor

By: Erin Bendig

Vulnerable and humorous, “I Might Regret This,” is a creative novel by Abbi Jacobson that’s refreshing and dynamic. It’s both funny and emotional, and I found myself laughing while also deep in thought. The novel is a collection of essays, drawings, and thoughts that exude honesty and intimacy, while exploring themes of loneliness, love, and independence. The familiarity of Jacobson’s humor is there, but this time it accompanies a raw vulnerability, creating the perfect balance for an interesting read. Reading through Jacobson’s experiences like an awkward stay at a bed and breakfast, or an emotional breakthrough with a psychic, she hooked me. Seriously, a book this engaging is hard to put down.

Abbi Jacobson is a comedy writer and actress, most known for her Comedy Central show, “Broad City.” In 2006, she graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art with a B.F.A. in General Fine Arts, and moved to New York where she attended classes at the Atlantic Theater Company and the Upright Citizens Brigade. While she has published two coloring books and an illustrated book, “I Might Regret This” is her first novel.

In “I Might Regret This”, we follow Jacobson as she embarks on a cross-country road trip, from New York to Los Angeles, after a breakup leaves her lost and heartbroken. Emotions spill across the pages as she talks about falling in, and out, of love for the first time with a woman, at the age of thirty. “I was a workaholic and didn’t exactly know why. I had never fallen in love, and then I did. I had never been heartbroken, and now I was. I had never dated a woman before and now I was … dating women.” This effort to set out and find herself anew on the open road is also due to the ending of “Broad City,” the show she created and devoted so much of herself to. Jacobson’s writing is real and genuine, an insight into her true feelings, making it a captivating read. Her fears of not being loveable, or in fact, being incapable of love, are exposed to the world. But while we read them, we feel them. It’s refreshing and touching to have Jacobson share so much.

As she writes about her journey from city to city, she also writes about the journey from one point in her life to the next. From Asheville, to Memphis, to Marfa, to Austin, from a Jewish childhood, to a weed-fueled adolescence, to art school, to the Upright Citizens Brigade, to Comedy Central. Throughout the book we learn about her upbringing, her family, her career, and most importantly, her fears. Jacobson writes, in her witty and original voice, “It’s okay to learn and to get better and to know you’re still not quite there yet. It’s okay to suck at drawing hands. It’s okay to be nervous and excited at the same time, to be unsure of what’s ahead. It’s ok to just go and try and to feel whatever you have to feel and to follow your gut.” While I read this book, I felt bold and inspired. The connection Jacobson makes with the reader made me feel more understood and less alone.

What also makes this book so special are the quirky sketches and comical lists included throughout. A charming sketch of a basket of figs and simple drawings of crystals she bought after an aura reading highlight various points in the book. While random musings are also placed throughout, (“At what point are ankles considered cankles? Is there a chart to reference?”). However, my favorite inclusion is the list of bagels emphasizing prominent experiences in her life. “Brooklyn Bagel was a few blocks away from UCB Theatre in Chelsea, and it was a spot I’d go before classes or shows to elongate my anxiety and nervousness for what was about to happen. I filled notebooks with ideas and fears, sitting at those shitty, generic tables.” She uses amusing ways to bring up important memories, and it really shows Jacobson’s clever tone and peculiar personality; the two things that make this book so loveable.

Overall, “I Might Regret This” by Abbi Jacobson is creative, amusing, and intimate. Jacobson takes us with her on a road trip, tackling loneliness and self-doubt as she travels from city to city. Throughout, we not only learn about her experiences in various towns, but also her upbringing, her career, and her fear of the future. “It’s ironic that gaining some fame and success, that being known, makes the waves of insecurity and loneliness wilder and harder to navigate than ever before. It’s uncharted territory for me, but it comes with the game. And I came to play.” Written in a smart, clever way this book explores emotions and experiences that we all can relate to. It’s safe to say, this novel is not one to regret.