By Sloane Crosley
Riverhead Books
Publication date: June 15, 2010
ISBN: 9781594487590
Sloane Crosley is an extraordinary talent. Much like the other notorious essay writers of today (Sedaris, Vowell), her essays are private and often hilarious glimpses into her life. From encountering clowns in Lisbon to getting kicked out of Paris, Crosley has seen - and done - a lot. And her essays let you experience her life in a way that feels like you, too, were there.
How Did You Get This Number is a fantastic book, with an extraordinarily strong voice. (Which is obvious, considering her last book, the fantastically titled I Was Told There'd Be Cake, is in development as a series on HBO.) She makes the mundane interesting, the outrageous seemingly normal. Her writing is vivid, detailed and doesn't leave anything out. Her conversational tone is welcoming, and her stories addictive. And throughout it all, you just wish you were friends with her.
Show Me on the Doll, the first and my favorite essay, details her random trip to Lisbon, where she, as mentioned, met clowns, got lost and found a tower that didn't lead to anything. Still, the experience was enlightening in a way a trip to Paris wouldn't have been. Le Paris!, which chronicles two trips to the city beautiful, shows the humor in traveling, and how things aren't always how you remember them to be. Take a Stab at It is a relatable tale about crazy roommates, and If You Sprinkle is a fantastic tale about growing up and who we - and those who were cool in elementary school - become. It's about those passive-aggressive friendships, and how there's no way to predict the future, despite what the game Girl Talk may suggest. Off the Back of a Truck was incredibly surprising - in a fantastic way. While most of Crosley's essays point out her embarrassing moments, with pure self-deprecating writing, this one shows a very honest, vulnerable person getting over a relationship. None of her other essays have documented her dating life, so I found this one especially telling - in a good way. I really enjoyed it, as it shows how much you take on in a relationship, and how sometimes it's too much.
As much as I enjoyed Crosley's first book, I definitely prefer this one. I still have a thing with her last lines (I like last lines to be epic and sometimes hers left me wanting more), and some of her essays were a bit much (to the point that you wonder if it really was all true), but still I really enjoyed the book. Her essays take you through a maze and just when you think you're completely lost, they bring you right back to where you started. She's a tremendous talent, and I can't wait to see what else she has to come.
Crosley's website
The books AMAZING book trailer (believe me, once you read the book, it all makes sense)
About the book
The Paper Doll Project (where a paper doll was created for six of the essays)
Sloane Tanen Chicken Project (where a chicken scene was created for four of the essays)
Snippet of Show Me On The Doll
3 comments:
Ooh, thanks for the review, Lauren. I'll be putting this on my wishlist. I'm a big fan of Sedaris and am always on the lookout for other writers who write essays that are equally as funny and interesting. :D This sounds like a writer to take a look at.
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Masters Essay Writing
Ooooo, I LOVED her first book! I'll def check this out!!
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