Bossypants was unlike any book I've read before, because I've never read a comedy memoir before. It was light and fun and I finished it in couple days, which was heaven after how long it took me to slog through A Cook's Tour. While not as funny as 30 Rock, I thought that Bossypants was smartly written, and its self-deprecating tone rang true with all my previous experiences with Tina Fey (Mean Girls, 30 Rock, etc). The genre was interesting, because the movement between sincerity and jokes felt like I was getting to know Tina Fey better while simultaneously being held at arm's length. Ultimately, though, I think she revealed and did not reveal appropriate amounts of what a celebrity should let their fans know. Also, what she did reveal in this book made me like her even more than I already did. I bet we'd make great friends, Tina and I.
Jared and I both read this book this week, and one of the more interesting things we talked about was that this book, although fun and amusing, will not hold up well with time. A lot of the jokes are referential to culture, music, and celebrities, so in a few years they will be dated and a reader may not get what was funny about those jokes in the first place. There were some referential jokes that even I did not get, pointing out to me that Tina Fey and I are truly from different generations. If someone who has been alive for half of Tina Fey's life doesn't get some of her jokes, there will be less and less overlap in cultural knowledge the farther we get out from the publishing date. That doesn't necessarily make this not a worthwhile book, just something interesting to think about.
I would recommended the book to anyone who likes 30 Rock, Tina Fey, or wants something that's quick, fun, and easy to read. It wasn't a revelation, but definitely a nice snow day read.
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