I read a book! Look at me! Seriously, this is a pathetic accomplishment, especially for someone who considers themselves a writer. To be fair to myself I do read a lot - but it's comic trades, or books on the craft of writing and story telling, or it's scripts. Reading a "book" book is something I haven't done in… I don't now know long. The last book I remember reading is Chuck Palahniuk's "Snuff", which I didn't enjoy as much as I would have hoped. I've actually picked up Palahniuk's newest book, which, if I don't dig it, may be the last I buy from him. But that's a whole other blog entry, (If by chance you ever see this Chuck, don't take it personally, we just may be growing in different directions).
I should point out that because I don't read a lot, that my thoughts on books should be taken with a grain of salt - I try to review all mediums - except for music - even I'm self aware enough to know that I'm not hip enough to be able to compare and contrast. Although… who knows - maybe I'll change my tune on that eventually too...
So, to the point, Julie Klausner's book. I should start off by admitting that, two chapters in, I found myself cyber-stalking her, found her e-mail address to inquire about the film rights to the book. She replied quickly, and she's quite lovely - still waiting to hear from her reps.
So then I kept reading. The first thing you should know is that Julie is extremely funny, and that she has an amazing memory for detail, and she really really knows how to tell her stories - which makes sense since her back-ground is a stand-up - I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of these aren't already part of her act, honed over the years. The first two chapters absolutely floored me and I felt like I was reading from a soul mate. Julie has this amazing theory on The Muppet Movie and how Kermit & Piggy's relationship has set back expectations and standards for a generation of men and women. The subsequent chapters were more or less enjoyable. I have to admit that I found the cycle getting a bit repetitive, she'd meet a guy, realize there was something wrong with them, sleep with them anyway, disaster would ensue along with hilarity, and she'd wrap the chapter up with a pop culture reference that she'd cleverly seeded earlier in the chapter. This sounds like a put down, it's just that I found her sections to have a pretty predictable formula, ESPECIALLY the end of the chapters. That's not so say what's within the chapters isn't enjoyable. I picked this book up on a whim based on the title and cover art. Seriously. So I have no reason to kiss this book's ass.
The book ends really quickly, and the resolution feels a bit too-little-too-late. It's good, as her stories continued I had kind of played therapist and figured out the answer to her obvious problem, and luckily, in the post-mortem at the end, she did as well - so that made me happy to know that she saw the same things I did in her situation.
So my over-all thoughts on this? It's fun. It's an easy read. There are lots of good stories, funny, some interesting observations about everything. But what comes across the most is her confidence and passion. Reading her book makes me want to hang out with her, which I think is a plus. If her reps ever get back to me I think that this could make a very interesting film once you get the spine figured out.
So for what this is, a dating memoir, I can't imagine someone else writing something as much fun. Well done, Ms. Klausner.
No comments:
Post a Comment