Bossypants
Tina Fey
Little, Brown and Company
275 pages
My mom always says that if she had met Bill Murray before she met my dad, she probably would have married him instead of my dad. My dad just laughs.
My wife, on the other hand, says that if I had met Tina Fey first, I probably would have married her before I even met Kristin.
I only bring all this up because I am setting out to review her book, and you all should take into account that it’s kind of hard to be objective with someone that you almost married.
Problem: I knew the problem before I even opened the book—Bossypants is celebrity memoir Good nonfiction usually has a question that it’s not necessarily trying to answer, but rather, trying to articulate (look at Lauren Slater’s Lying. It doesn’t answer anything, but does make me wonder about narrative and memory). Celebrity memoir is generally only focused on, “how did I get so amazing.” Their writing does not have the same level of introspection and subtle exploration into the human experience that I look for in good nonfiction.
Solution: Perhaps not in so many words, but I think Fey sees the same problem in celebrity memoir And as such, she has made one of the missions of the book to satirize celebrity memoir and most bestselling nonfiction. She lists reasons why people read nonfiction and shows how her book fills each of these reasons. Parenting advice: “Perhaps you’re a parent and you bought this book to learn how to raise an achievement-oriented, drug-free, adult virgin. You’ll find that.” In the list, she also explains how her book will address women in the workplace, and even spiritual allegory. This self-conscious attention to celebrity memoir is the kind of absurdity we love from 30 Rock and and is funny and clever throughout the book.
However, there are times when she veers away from satire and absurdity and falls victim to the very foibles she is pointing out by giving actual parenting advice, office etiquette, or political tirades. But I suppose if I’m surprised by some bossiness in a book called, Bossypants that’s my fault.
If you’re looking for a hilarious book, read this one. If you’re looking for a good “how to” guide to feminism in the workplace, read this one. If you’re looking for thoughtful inquisitive nonfiction, this might not be it. But if you’re looking for a fun read and you also almost married Tina Fey, definitely read this one.