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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
I can definitely see why Fran is a polarizing person. I definitely preferred Metropolitan Life over Social Studies here, and found that by the end I was all Fran'd out.
Some parts were worth an audible 'Ouuuf :o' but much of it was funny too.
Some parts were worth an audible 'Ouuuf :o' but much of it was funny too.
funny
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
Has there ever been anyone more NYC than Fran Lebowitz? It’s like with every inhale of her cigarettes she sucks in the essence of New York and spills it back out in her writing/appearances. I was super excited to see what 70s and 80s Fran had to offer and this collection compiles both of her books from those decades. Unfortunately, not all holds up. There isn’t a ton of insight into NYC and instead we get Fran’s ideas on lots of general things from house plants to dating to several way too long made up scenarios. It’s also incredibly dated, but not in a good way. There are some glimmers of her whip-smart humor and I did enjoy most of my experience reading it, Ute it often felt more like homework and at times I struggled to keep turning the pages.
Amusing and enjoyable but not to be read in one go. There are only so many epigrams one can take and the charm of reading things like "Only ask a child what they want for dinner if they are paying" can wear thin when taken in bulk.
Also history could have done a slightly better job at winnowing. Not sure that outrage at not being able to smoke on a plane or pricing things by out of season fruit means much to anyone anymore.
Also history could have done a slightly better job at winnowing. Not sure that outrage at not being able to smoke on a plane or pricing things by out of season fruit means much to anyone anymore.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Funniest essay is The Sound of Music: Enough Already. Much of this is funny, and I audibly laughed through a lot of it, however I think by the time I got to Social Studies I found the book to start getting a little stale. Would recommend reading the two books in separate sittings to get more enjoyment out of them.
dark
funny
lighthearted
funny
fast-paced
I reckon how much you can tolerate a snarky, catty New Yorker making pithy comments about life and 1960s New York City will affect how much you like this.
Me? I liked it a whole lot! Some of the essays came and went in my head (most seem less about making a point and more just a platform for Fran to say something snide and funny, bless her), but a lot of the jokes got a good snort out of me. Audiobook is both the best and worst way to experience this: hearing Lebowitz put in all the right comedic beats does a lot of the heavy lifting, but since her preferred method is to write funny lists, that doesn't work terribly well in audio form anyway. But, nevertheless, I enjoyed it and might even do a re-read again to grab some more fun bits like this, rattling off ways you can detect if your kid is doomed to become a writer:
(I also liked "Never, for effect, pull a gun on a small child. He won't get it.")
Me? I liked it a whole lot! Some of the essays came and went in my head (most seem less about making a point and more just a platform for Fran to say something snide and funny, bless her), but a lot of the jokes got a good snort out of me. Audiobook is both the best and worst way to experience this: hearing Lebowitz put in all the right comedic beats does a lot of the heavy lifting, but since her preferred method is to write funny lists, that doesn't work terribly well in audio form anyway. But, nevertheless, I enjoyed it and might even do a re-read again to grab some more fun bits like this, rattling off ways you can detect if your kid is doomed to become a writer:
When the doctor spanks the baby, the baby is not at all surprised.
(I also liked "Never, for effect, pull a gun on a small child. He won't get it.")
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
I thoroughly enjoyed Fran Lebowitz’ sassiness 😄 . Definitely written in a different time, but still good.