★★★★★
Since she started sitting behind the famed desk of the Weekend Update on "Saturday Night Live," Tina Fey has been a household name. She became the first female head writer at "SNL," and her sitcom "30 Rock" has won numerous Emmys.
Fey should now consider herself an accomplished author, as her new book Bossypants is quite the comedic masterpiece. It combines hilarious personal anecdotes with interesting insights into the television industry.
Bossypants is a comical memoir featuring chronological stories of Fey's life. The book begins with Fey as a young girl and proceeds to her days on "SNL" and "30 Rock."
While Fey's writing style may not bear the sophistication of accomplished authors, it manages to be thoroughly engaging. Fey sprinkles light-hearted humor over genuine emotion. There is never a page that fails to illicit a laugh. In fact, there are so many laugh-out-loud moments in the book that I highly recommend reading the book while alone. If you don't, people will awkwardly stare at you as you continuously crack up… I say this from experience.
While the book can be enjoyed by anyone, fans of Fey's work will probably appreciate it more than casual readers will. Many of the experiences the comic chronicles are referred to in her work – Mean Girls and "30 Rock" in particular. The connections are not overtly stated, but Fey fans will be able to recognize them.
Most of the chapters explore different parts of Fey's life. Fey talks about her days in high school when she worked at a summer theater program and her failed-but-hilarious attempts to find romance and lose her virginity in college. These parts of the book are particularly interesting because they show Fey before she became famous. It's refreshing to read about a celebrity who once faced the same problems you do.
Fey is known for her zany sense of humor, so it is fitting that the book has some completely derivative sections. In one chapter, Fey responds to negative comments made about her on the Internet. Her retorts are snarky, intelligent and absolutely gut-busting.
In other chapters, the actress actually gives her readers terrific advice. A small section titled "The Rules of Improvisation That Will Change Your Life and Reduce Belly Fat" offers useful suggestions about improvisation. She also gives great tips on how to deal with the chaos of a magazine cover photo-shoot. As Fey points out, if she and Snooki can grace the cover of a magazine, so can you!
What makes Fey's memoir so much more interesting to read than other celebrity memoirs is her grounded view on life. The star doesn't write about how awesome she is or about how she is the funniest woman alive. By simply sharing her experiences in a genuine way, Fey creates a thoroughly satisfying and enjoyable read.
Bossypants is a must-read for fans of comedy writing. Each page is filled with jokes and insight that make the book uproariously funny from cover to cover.