Review: Bossypants by Tina Fey

Courtesy of Persphonemagazine.com

Title: Bossypants

Author: Tina Fey

ISBN: 9780316056861

Pages: 275

Time It Took Me to Read: Less than 48 hours

I had extremely high hopes for this one. When I put my name on the reserve list at the library, I was in 50s. I was patient and eventually, Bossypants was mine. Upon learning it had arrived for me, I promptly went at lunch to pick it up.

I didn’t know what to expect but I had some vague ideas. I had hopes for random anecdotes of embarrassing childhood memories and funny perspectives on average things. While the first part of the book rambled and meandered much to my heart’s delight, it eventually slowed down into amusing (but less funny) narrative.

At first, it’s hysterical. I was laughing hysterically at the chapter “All Girls Must Be Everything,” where she talks about women’s bodies and things she feels uncomfortable about but has learned to accept. Here’s a nugget for your viewing pleasure: “Wide German hips that look like somebody wrapped Pillsbury dough around a case of soda” (Fey 25). Funny right?

Then, she begins documenting her career. While it’s fascinating, there is less and less of funny moments and the funny anecdotes I was expecting. Chapters of funny are sprinkled throughout to break up the story (“Dear Internet” and “The Mother’s Prayer for Its Child” are good examples). However, I didn’t expect to read that much about Sarah Palin.

One thing that I absolutely loved is Tina Fey’s voice. There were moments I could hear her voice through her words. Fey is extremely sarcastic throughout this book and because her voice is so strong, the tone of her sarcasm is not lost. Here is another nugget from the chapter “The Mother’s Prayer for Its Child”:

            And when she one days turns on me and calls me a

            Bitch in front of Hollister,

            Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a

            Cab in front of her friends,

            For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it (Fey 263).

Overall, this is a major win for Fey. My high expectations did make me grade this harsher than a book that I had no expectations for. Fey is an extremely gifted comedic writer. I read this baby fast and I would definitely read (and maybe even buy) a sophomore effort. If not for the slow chapters of narrative, this would’ve gotten a higher grade.

Grade: A-