Bossypants – Review

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This memoir/autobiography by Tina Fey is really a series of essays detailing some of the more memorable akward moments in her life from  her childhood in Chicago to her rise in fame. Tina Fey takes us through the backroads of her life in and out of the spotlight. Written as a series of essays detailing various aspects of her life, Fey lets down her guard. Her breezy writing style, one-liner jokes and a slight spattering of childhood photos has the feel of an intimate side-by-side chat with the actress.

As much as I loved this book, there was still so much that I wanted after I finished each chapter. There were many hot button topics that she lightly brushed on with her trademark wit, but never really got any deeper than that. Although I felt like I was having a side-by-side talk with the actress when reading the book, I still felt like she was holding back.

I came across this breakdown on another review of this book on Librarything, and I thought it accurately captured the breakdown of Bossypants:

46% Celebrity memoir
28% Essay collection
12% Feminist manifesto
9% Stand-up routine
5% Self-help manual

Some of the topics that she covered in her book were homosexuality, her Sarah Palin impersonation, a honeymoon cruise from hell and the difficulties for female comedians in show business. I’m not really sure what the overarching message is from the book other than something close to “girl power.” There is no chronological order to the book, as each chapter jumps topics and is a mix of funny bits and stories. There were a few moments where I felt she dragged on certain topics and it came across as slightly preachy. There were moments in her career that I had hoped she would expand on, but never really got to, such as her work as a writer on SNL. As much as I admire Tina Fey’s hardwork climbing up the ladder to commercial success, this book still left me unsatisfied.