Reviews

You're on an Airplane: A Self-Mythologizing Memoir by Parker Posey

ameliachappelow's review against another edition

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funny relaxing fast-paced

5.0

katiemack's review

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 I love Parker Posey, but the narrative structure of this memoir did not work for me. I am glad I tried this as an audiobook, though, as I think it was written with that format in mind. 

julieverive's review against another edition

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4.0

Charming. Go for the audio version if you really want to be charmed.

winmaupin86's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.0

meanmegan's review

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adventurous funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

3.75

mandirigma's review against another edition

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3.0

I feel like this was written as an audiobook. I alternated back and forth between audio and text, and while there's nothing wrong with the text, really, you do have to orient yourself with the style. You're sitting next to her on an airplane and she's telling you about her life. Some sentences will seem misplaced but she's talking to a flight attendant.

I've been a fan of Parker Posey since Dazed and Confused (though Party Girl is my all-time favorite). I picked up this book because she had always seemed so mysterious and quirky to me, and the book delivered on that front, I guess? She is exactly as quirky as I'd imagined her in my mind, and okay with being her age, which was refreshing. No huge insights about anything in her life, really, just "Huh, I guess that's who Parker Posey is." There are a few chapters here about some of the movies she's worked on, though nothing salacious. The chapters on the Woody Allen film and working with Louis C.K. were non-controversial and don't address any of the allegations against them, which was disappointing and tone-deaf.

Outside of that, the rest of the book was an okay read. It was interesting to me because I like Parker Posey, but I don't think you'd feel the same if you're not a bigger-than-average fan of hers.

terroreesa's review against another edition

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2.0

this book is definitely not for everyone. it was an enjoyable read - some parts of it were instructive, some parts laugh-out-loud funny - but i found that i frequently could not recall what i had read when i thought about it the next day.

the chapter about working with Woody Allen was way too long, especially relative to the chapter about her work in Christopher Guest movies.

there is quirkiness abounding everywhere, and certainly substance as it pertains to aging in Hollywood and the language actors use to speak to each other. it doesn't feel inauthentic, but it does seem somehow thin.

bina18's review

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Woody Allen, Louie CK, Ryan Adams, Charlie Sheen, Dave Chapelleā€¦GIRL šŸ˜¬

morethanthepages's review against another edition

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1.0

This just was not for me. The premise is that you're sitting next to Parker Posey on a plane while she talks about herself or those she's met in her life in a completely uninteresting way. Reading it as if you get stuck next to a person on a plane who is so into themselves and you can't find a polite way to ask them to stop talking or you want to try to subtly put your headphones in to make it clear you don't want to listen to them talk about themselves.

I had a teacher once who made us read a memoir she knew to be terrible. And it was. The point behind her doing that was to make it clear we all can write a memoir, but we don't all need to. This was the case. And not that the writing was that great either. It was scattered thinking and there didn't seem to be any structure, not to mention it rambled on and on and on. But maybe that was the point because from what I gather that seems to be her personality as well...

bmpicc's review

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2.0

I wanted to like this and it started off perfectly. Quirky and exactly how I would have expected her to be. As it continued though, I found her to be a bit unlikeable. Perhaps the humor (or sarcasm?) was lost on me.

I was also turned off by the choice to share stories about Louis C.K. and Woody Allen. While their controversies may not be hers, I can't help but think there were countless other actors, directors, and sets she could have shared stories about. I mean, she pops up everywhere. Anyway, disappointed is my final verdict.