Wednesday, November 16, 2011

REVIEW: Bossypants, by Tina Fey

Bossypants, by Tina Fey. Published 2011 by Reagan Arthur Books. Nonfiction. Memoir. Humor.

I'm a little late to the party with this one- it seemed like a lot of my friends were reading or listening to Bossypants as soon as it came out earlier this year- but I'm glad I finally got around to it. Like many of my friends, I chose to listen to the audio version, narrated delightfully by author Tina Fey. For the most part, I'm not a fan of author-narrated audiobooks- I think writers should write and leave the acting to actors- but Fey is an accomplished actress and comedian as well as a skilled writer, and she does a really wonderful job.

Bossypants is the story of Fey's life till now, concentrating on her early years in show business, improv comedy and television, culminating in her critically acclaimed series 30 Rock. She also talks about her colorful family, her crazy honeymoon cruise and her struggles balancing career and motherhood. It's also the story of an ordinary woman with a very public career who is trying to work out the same issues we all face in a rapidly changing world.

I listened to Bossypants on my commutes to work and found myself nodding and smiling along as she talked about her adventures and misadventures in life, career and family; I also appreciated her more serious thoughts about feminism, the growing power of women in the entertainment industry and the issues she faces around what to teach her daughter about all these things. I enjoyed listening to the background behind her appearance as Sarah Palin and what happened when the real Sarah Palin appeared on Saturday Night Live. When Fey isn't being serious, and even when she is, she's seriously delightful, thoughtful and insightful, and anyone who enjoys the occasional celebrity biography will enjoy this rather brainy entry into that genre.

Rating: BUY

FTC Disclosure: I did not receive this book for review.

8 comments:

Sandy Nawrot said...

I'm so glad you got to this! Wasn't it wonderful? The perfect balance, really, of comedy and serious issues with women in the workforce. One of my favorite parts (that was too long for me to quote in my review) was the letter to her daughter. I felt like I'd written it myself.

Zibilee said...

I loved this one as well, and thought that Fey had a dry and precise delivery that made the book all that much more interesting. Glad to hear that you had such a great time with it! Wonderful review today, Marie!

bermudaonion said...

I wish I'd experienced this one on audio.

Jeanne said...

This makes me put the audiobook on my list of audio to look for at the library.

Col (Col Reads) said...

I have to agree with your rating on this one -- a definite buy! I really enjoyed reading this -- glad it worked for you too!

Kathleen said...

This is one book that I will definitely plan to read in an audio format. You are not the first to say that she does an excellent job telling her story.

Booksnyc said...

I just finished this audio over the weekend -I am glad I listened to it because I think hearing her deliver her own lines was the best (in addition to the actual clips of the SNL Sarah Palin scenes).

Anonymous said...

We listened to this one on our trip home, but didn't get a chance to finish it. Jason and I were both laughing. I'm so glad I went with the audio.