The Fran Lebowitz Reader

Fran is so witty and thought provoking. I love that both essay collections are in one volume.

I have always loved Fran and have followed her appearances from coast to coast. She is probably one of the most intelligent, witty, irreverent people in the universe. This book most definitely does not disappoint. There are many new observations, and while reading it on the bus here in San Francisco, I was laughing so hard that most people thought I was totally insane.I highly recommend this: you will cherish it forever!!!!

I enjoyed this book, but didn't love it. You have to be attuned to droll NY humor. Plus, obviously, much of it is a little dated now. But Fran Lebowitz has a unique way of viewing things, and it's a pleasure to read her tales.

One could write a long, thoughtful review about this book, but that would require an expenditure of energy that Lebowitz would frown upon. Not that Fran Lebowitz is against using energy, she's just selective about where and when she uses her energy. Generally speaking Fran Lebowitz uses her energy to take a nap, to smoke, to enjoy cocktails, and, now and then, to write. Also, she uses a great deal of energy thinking about how much better the world would be if The General Public would "collectively fall off a cliff."I'll admit that many of these essays are dated -- Lebowitz hasn't published much in the past decade or so. As a result, some of the references and jokes feel a little old to modern ears. However, as someone who lived through the 1970s and 80s, these essays conjure up a sense of nostalgia that someone in their 20s or 30s might not feel. That isn't to say if you're in your 20s or 30s you shouldn't read this book: you should. Especially if you want to write. As entertainment, Lebowitz's essays are a delight. Yet, they are also so well written that any aspiring writer of essays (or "creative non-fiction") would do well to read and study these gems. Lebowitz doesn't spend a great deal of time with fancy words, and long, flowing sentences -- she wastes no words.I would add that if you are not curmudgeonly, or are unaware of what curmudgeonly means, this book might not appeal to you. However, if you are the kind of person who dislikes most things -- especially other people -- then this book is definitely for you.

Timeless essays by a New Yorker.

I consider myself a die-hard fan who loves listening to Fran's "sardonic social commentary" and scathing wit on talk shows and the spate of recent documentaries. And even though I lived a stone's throw from NYC in the 1980's and was aware of the art scene and of most of the artists and musicians she rubbed elbows with and wrote about, I had never actually read anything she'd written until I ordered this collection. My initial sense was that reading her words was just like listening to her talk - only less funny. Bottom line- there is a lot of New York art scene stuff and observations of the New York leisure class in the 1980's, and a handful of side-splitting, laugh-out-loud chapters ("The Nail Bank," "Writers on Strike"). This collection wouldn't be for everyone. Doesn't really stand the test of time....

I love watching and listening to Fran, but I'm surprised to learn that I don't like reading her writing. It read as neurotic and hard to follow, like someone going to great pains to describe something complicated and funny that they thought of a few days ago. It's painful to read, actually, and does not flow at all. I was so excited to get this and was really disappointed. I absolutely adore listening to her, but I think my experience contains a clue as to why she hasn't written a book in over 30 years.

Despite some dated references (answering services, address books, the rampant proliferation of conceptual art as a harbinger of the apocalypse), the short humor pieces collected in the two books that make up this volume - Metropolitan Life and Social Studies - are still among the funniest ever written. Lebowitz is, to borrow a phrase from one of the essays, "a superior prose stylist." I read the books over and over when they were first published (1978 and 1981) and spent hour after hour giggling, chortling, and helplessly laughing out loud. They still crack me up. Even though you don't realize it, if you've never read these pieces, your life is small, cramped, and meaningless. Do yourself a favor and buy this book, even if you have to ask your mother (or your favorite gay uncle) to explain who Halston was.