Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Women Who Can't Write Humor

"Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers"  by Louise Rennison   Harper Tempest   300 pages (of Brit slang)   $15.99 (over priced)

Rennison lives in Brighton, south of London, and writes in the voice of a 14 year old girl named Georgia Nicolson.  In this adventure her father is taking the family to a clown car convention in Memphis, TN or as she calls it "Hamburger a go-go" and we call "America." 

This would be too, too cute if I were a 14 year old.  Incidentally "boy entrancers" are false eyelashes.  Shame on you for what you were thinking!

"Are You There, Vodka?  It's Me, Chelsea" by Chelsea Handler   Simon Spotlight Entertainment   264 pages   $24.95

Handler is billed as a comedic writer and star of her own (late night) TV show. 

She's one of those tiresome women who believe themselves to be the cutest little trick (used advisedly) in shoe leather.  Her schtick seems to be:  I do something stupid, lie about it and thus I get out of it - doesn't matter who else I wreck.  Aren't I hilarious with my little jams?  Yes!  I am!  I am!

"The Fran Lebowitz Reader" by Fran Lebowitz   Vintage Books   333 pages   $14

Lebowitz is a New Yorker "Because she does not believe she would be allowed to live anywhere else."  Possibly due to her lifestyle dressed as Oscar Wilde at all times. 

Of the three, she is the most amusing for her rather cynical take on a lot of subjects, but the problem for me is that she is a list writer which eats up a lot space in a book and makes the volume seem fatter. 

She also thinks she is the smartest person in the room.  Opening lines for a chapter on "Science" - "Science is not a pretty thing.  It is unpleasantly proportioned; outlandishly attired and often overeager."  That is gibberish and means nothing relevant at all.  Fancy vocabulary - sound - meaningless - fury.

Thank God I bought all three books at a library book sale.

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