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I'm sure I will come back and expand on this review, but for now...
Jen Lancaster has written as many volumes of memoirs as Maya Angelou. These are truly the end times.
Jen Lancaster has written as many volumes of memoirs as Maya Angelou. These are truly the end times.
It was LOL funny! I love Jen Lancaster's books. I've read the memoirs now it's time to read the novel.
I always really enjoy Lancaster's books. They're filled with laugh-out-loud moments and tend to put a smile on my face no matter what. I've liked her ever since one of my other favorite authors, [a:Laurie Notaro|5098|Laurie Notaro|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1308905854p2/5098.jpg], mentioned in an interview that she was a fan of Jen's.
That being said, My Fair Lazy wasn't my favorite. I really preferred Bitter is the New Black and Bright Lights, Big Ass to anything she's done since. I think part of it might be that this one just wasn't not as easy to relate to for me--I don't watch a lot of television, especially not reality television.
However, I admire Jen's desire to better herself and I greatly enjoyed reading about her adventures. If this is the first of her books you've read, I'd strongly suggest you check out some of her earlier titles.
That being said, My Fair Lazy wasn't my favorite. I really preferred Bitter is the New Black and Bright Lights, Big Ass to anything she's done since. I think part of it might be that this one just wasn't not as easy to relate to for me--I don't watch a lot of television, especially not reality television.
However, I admire Jen's desire to better herself and I greatly enjoyed reading about her adventures. If this is the first of her books you've read, I'd strongly suggest you check out some of her earlier titles.
i think i'm losing my taste for jen's antics. there were some funny passages but i found myself thinking that she's essentially found a formula that works and so she's leaning on it. not that she's not talented, she is, i'm just finding the genre a little stale.
Another freaking hilarious Jen Lancaster book!!!
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
You won't find it as humorous if you do not watch reality tv.
A funny, interesting (and informative!) memoir. Weirdly enough, the funniest part for me had nothing to do with culture. It was about her cats becoming obsessed with a pineapple to the point that she never got to eat it. I could totally envision the scene. I'm laughing just thinking about it!!
Confession time: I have a writer crush on Jen Lancaster. Her writing is entertaining and clear and not just funny but witty. She makes me want to read more, write more and do more. And to me, that's one of the signs of an great talent. In this memoir, she writes about her "Jenassaince" -- her desire to step away from reality television and get "culture" and "class" though much of the book is a question of which comes first, culture or class. Her goal is to not be the girl who says the first thing that comes to mind in important social situations. This is (a) a sign of personal growth and self awareness as she realizes the fact that she is, um not nice, is probably the reason why she lost her job in the dot-com bust years ago and (b) slightly disturbing because her lack of a mental/social filter is part of her charm. Then again, if all we ever read about was the dumb-ass things she said, well, her books would be boring and repetitive and I love her too much to see that happen. So you go ahead and improve yourself, Jen. I want to read all about it. By the end of teh book, she realizes it's not so much about what she's doing but that she is out doing:
"We're obligated to make the most of what we have, and the best way to do that is to expand the depth of our experiences. Do we want to spend the next thirty years on the couch, waiting to see who wins America's Next Top Model Cycle Forty-Five, or do w want to fill our lives with a million new experiences, even if sometimes they're unpredictable or scary or take effort? Essentially, we realized we need to keep diving in. And if we do, our lives won't be richer for being long; our lives will be richer for having lived."
Yes, Ms. Lancaster, along with making me laugh out loud and bringing me all the things I love about reading, you also gave me a fresh reminder of how I try to live my own life -- by pushing myself out of my comfort zone. You make me want to try something a bit harder and unexpected. A sincere thanks for the inspiration.
"We're obligated to make the most of what we have, and the best way to do that is to expand the depth of our experiences. Do we want to spend the next thirty years on the couch, waiting to see who wins America's Next Top Model Cycle Forty-Five, or do w want to fill our lives with a million new experiences, even if sometimes they're unpredictable or scary or take effort? Essentially, we realized we need to keep diving in. And if we do, our lives won't be richer for being long; our lives will be richer for having lived."
Yes, Ms. Lancaster, along with making me laugh out loud and bringing me all the things I love about reading, you also gave me a fresh reminder of how I try to live my own life -- by pushing myself out of my comfort zone. You make me want to try something a bit harder and unexpected. A sincere thanks for the inspiration.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I read Jen Lancaster's first book and while I thought she was really funny, I thought that she didn't really grow much from her unemployment experience, since her new writing job was basically just rewarding her for her selfish and self centered behavior. My Fair Lazy was really different from this book because she really did set a goal for herself of seeking out culture and becoming a more interesting and less abrasive person in social situations. I still find her very funny, and I thought her "Jenessaince" project really balanced out what a lot of us struggle with. It is tough to stay cultured when sometimes, all you want is brainless TV after a long day. The situations Jen got herself into seemed realistic while still being outrageous. All in all, a very fun read.