Before Liz Lemon, before "Weekend Update", before "Sarah Palin",Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV.
She has seen both these dreams come true.
At last, Tina Fey's story can be told. From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon - from the beginning of this paragraph to this final sentence.
Tina Fey reveals all, and proves what we've all suspected: you're no one until someone calls you bossy.
My thoughts:
When I first saw this book I was so excited to read it. I figured it would be full of interesting tidbits about Fey's life and make me laugh out loud so many times that the people sitting next to me at the Bucks would think I'm crazy. And, well, I was half right. I did find some of the tidbits somewhat interesting and I did laugh out loud a few times, so I sorta got what I wanted from the book. Except, at the end, I felt as if I should have just skipped this tome altogether. I just feel like a lot of the stories in the book I'd already read in magazines or heard in interviews that Fey has given, so there really wasn't anything that new in it. As for the funny, well, she brought some of it into the book, but not as much as I would have liked.
Overall, the book was okay. There were bits and bobs about how 30 Rock got the go head (Alec Baldwin) to her reluctance about impersonating Sarah Palin for SNL - both of which were interesting to read about (the inclusion of Alec Baldwin's name scattered throughout her 30 Rock stories was funny, as were the excerpts from the scripts themselves). And yes, you can definitely tell what a funny and clever woman Fey is through her writing in this book. However, I just felt like something was missing or maybe my hopes were just too high - either way, I liked the book, but didn't love it. Its weird isn't it? I mean, I can tell she's funny from the book, but I didn't find the book all that funny. Hmmm. Oh well, if I want my funny Tina Fey fix, I still have 30 Rock.
Happy Reading!!
8 comments:
Interesting review. I've heard a couple of similar to you now saying that it was alright but not great. I am woefully culturally uneducated and haven't seen any of her shows / watched interviews / etc. So I can't decide if I would think it was funny because all new or if I would say whatever who is this person? give me a real book already. hehe.
I wasn't sure if this book was going to be funny or not and now i will definitely pass! I never have really liked non-fiction so I really glad now I passed!
Angie
XOXO Angela's Anxious Life
Amy, I know what you mean. If I hadn't been a fan of Fey's then I wouldn't have read this book. Then again, maybe being a fan of Fey's played a part in not liking the book - like, I expected too much from her? Hmmm.
My anxious life, its an okay book, so if you pass on it, you won't be missing out.
I felt the same way! I love her and I thought parts of the book were hilarious, but I was looking for a little more depth (I think).
kelly, yes! oh well, at we least we still have 30 Rock, right?
Loved, loved, loved this book - yes, I listened to the audio, too.
Excellent review; Tina Fey is smart, funny, and not at all over-the-top!
A witty and endlessly entertaining book. An interesting window into the world of comedy. I highly recommended it for everyone.
Bossypants veers from silly to pithy to tragic to hilarious to thoughtful, feminist to nerdy, around and around again. It keeps the reader entertained and thinking at the same time, and that is Fey's genius at work. She wields insightful commentary and fart jokes with equal aplomb. It's a delight to read, frequently surprising and always amusing. I can't recommend this book enough, for both women and men. If you can't find something to laugh at in this book, you are a robot.
Marlene
Informative URL for Bear Viewing trips
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