The problem with waiting weeks and weeks to write a review after you've finished the book is that you've forgotten a lot of your impressions. I got this book for Christmas and finished it soon there after, and well, now, I don't remember a lot of what I thought about it, so, I'm guessing that this review is going to be on the short side.
I first started hearing about Bossypants last May when Cannonballers from CBR-III started reviewing it. I was very excited to read it, but resisted the urge to run right out and buy it (there was no chance it'd be available at the library--I'm sure the waiting list was dozens of people long) for a very practical reason. I had surgery at the beginning of May, the kind where it takes four weeks to recover and things like laughing and coughing are painful. Given what I was hearing about the book, that it was literally laugh-out-loud funny, I had to resign myself to the fact that it would be unwise to try and read it in my current condition. So I held off.
I don't know if my expectations for the book were too high, or what, but although I enjoyed it--I tore through it pretty quickly--I didn't love it. I think I expected to be laughing pretty continuously and while there were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments (you probably don't want to be reading this in public, if you're the sort of person who would be embarrassed if people stared at you for guffawing out of the blue), it wasn't exactly the laugh riot I was hoping for.
Tina Fey, as you would expect, is a very entertaining writer. I think in the snippets she shares of her life, you get an strong sense of who she was and is as a person. Since she and I were born in the same year, the references in her book rang especially true for me. Yes, in the mid-80s, making nachos at home really was a big deal. Hell, nachos anywhere were a big deal.
I loved her stories about her dad, her first trip to Planned Parenthood, her disastrous honeymoon cruise (and yes, I got the title reference, which means I'm a member of the cultural elite--yippee!), joining Second City, joining SNL, etc. Honestly, I don't think there's a story in the book that I didn't like. It was great to get insight into the beginnings of 30 Rock. And fascinating to learn about how photo shoots work. So clearly, my expectations going into this book were too high.
I definitely recommend the book, but don't expect it to last long. And you can read it in public, if you don't mind people staring at you during the times you will be laughing loudly.
