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3.42 AVERAGE
3.42 AVERAGE
Good, and well-written (with more than a few lines that had me laughing out loud), but a bit short.
Ok -- so her "witty" use of language and banter is almost as annoying as it is in Juno -- but I picked this up just because I wanted to read about some strippers. NOT GLAMOROUS YOU GUYS! But I was kind of riveted and read it in a day. Apparently really like reading about the seedy side of life!
fast-paced
This book was a fun read but didn’t deliver much on meaning or life lessons learned, with almost no self-realization, which is what I’m here for with memoirs. Whether this was Cody‘s method or not, I couldn’t help but feel like she had approached her year of stripping the way Morgan Spurlock took on a month of subsisting only on McDonald’s: as a gimmick to later create content about.
If you are looking for a fun, nostalgic, 90s/2000s read for a Saturday afternoon, please do pick it up. But don’t expect too much as far as introspection goes.
If you are looking for a fun, nostalgic, 90s/2000s read for a Saturday afternoon, please do pick it up. But don’t expect too much as far as introspection goes.
This book was a lot better than I expected. I'd recommend it, it's a pretty good and incredibly quick read.
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Warning: Not for the faint hearted! Diablo Cody, who wrote the screenplay and won an Oscar for JUNO, writes about her experience working in the sex industry in Minneapolis. This book offers a peek into a mysterious netherworld. Against the backdrop of strip clubs and peep shows, Cody juxtaposes her numbing work for 'the man" (or should I say "the other man") in a corporate ad agency. And yes, she prefers stripping for the adrenaline and the power of immediate approval it provides, not to mention the wads of cash. While honest and often funny, I couldn't help but detect a tiny strain of disingenuousness, but perhaps that's my inner Puritan speaking out. Cody is clear that she was an outsider among these workers. Maybe that's inevitable given her writing project, but that divide seems to signify something. The last part of the book when she leaves stripping for the attractions of peep shows was a bit much for this reader. (Can I use the work "ICK" in a book review?) I was glad I read this book, but I'm still not sure what to make of it. In the end, this voyeuristic read left me cold. Working in this trade couldn't help but permanently alter one's view of men. Thankfully Cody has a Jonny in her life almost too good to be true. In the end, stripping is probably intoxicating as a career choice (if you're young, bold, and beautiful) but the big questions remains: what is the price? I'm pretty sure there is one.
For something that has been coined as a "memoir", it didn't allow me to know the author very well. The whole time I was reading the book, I couldn't pin down her motivations for certain things because I felt she simply didn't make a case for them. I'm not saying she should have immediately come in on the defense for being a stripper (I didn't judge her for it), but considering she was writing a memoir you would think she would talk a little bit more about why she did things or how she felt when she did them. Even when she did glide over her thoughts/feelings, I didn't feel convinced. It's like even she knew that she's great at writing a good story but weak at delving into herself in relation to that story.
That aside, however, I liked the book for what it was: good, clean entertainment. OK, so maybe it wasn't "clean", but I was thoroughly entertained by the author's perspective on the sex trade industry, and it was rather refreshing to find out that not all strippers are socially maladjusted drug addicts. (I didn't think this before, but it was nice to read the words from someone who worked in the industry.)
That aside, however, I liked the book for what it was: good, clean entertainment. OK, so maybe it wasn't "clean", but I was thoroughly entertained by the author's perspective on the sex trade industry, and it was rather refreshing to find out that not all strippers are socially maladjusted drug addicts. (I didn't think this before, but it was nice to read the words from someone who worked in the industry.)
Die Erzählerin lebt mit ihrem Freund im beschaulichen bis langweiligen Mittleren Westen der USA und sie möchte als Stripperin arbeiten. Zunächst ist ihr Plan, nur nebenher in Nachtclubs aufzutreten, um etwas Verruchtes zu tun. Doch nach ihren ersten Erfahrungen gerät sie unweigerlich in den Sog der Nachtclubs und kehrt ihrer Arbeit in einer Werbeagentur den Rücken (nicht aber ihrem Freund). Das könnte der Rahmen für eine zweifelhafte erotische Geschichte sein, doch die Autorin hat anderes im Sinn. Die Protagonistin erlebt die alles andere als glamouröse Welt der Entkleidungstänzerinnen (mit Anfassen), die dennoch faszinierend auf sie wirkt. Sprachlich geht es direkt zur Sache, ohne Beschönigungen und Verklärung. Glücklicherweise verfällt das Buch aber auch nicht in einen moralischen oder anklagenden Ton, sondern zeichnet sich durch trockenen Sprachwitz aus, der die Lektüre recht unterhaltsam macht (Die Hitliste der besten Stripsongs erinnert ein wenig an Hornbys High Fidelity).
I really liked this book. Diablo Cody writes the most fantastic metaphors. Her quips are amazing, and I learned a lot about the intriguing world of entertainers. I work in Minneapolis' warehouse district and am surrounded by the establishments where she worked. My favorite lunch spot is a couple stores down from Sex World. It's a fascinating story, and I'm so glad she's made it as a successful screenwriter. If you liked the witty banter in the movie Juno, you'll like this book.