Judging a book by its cover has its perils. The humor and wit contained in the pages of Tina Fey's new autobiography, "Bossypants," however, matches up to the ridiculous impression that the book's cover makes.
The front cover of the book features Fey's head superimposed on the body of a man with rather hairy arms, which made me chuckle to myself. Maybe I have a strange sense of humor, or maybe I'm suffering from a lack of sleep (both very plausible scenarios). I know my suitemate was disturbed by this image when she saw the book lying on my desk, and I had to reassure her of my sanity and convince her that the cover is supposed to be funny. The back cover adds to the humorous first impression with fake praise for the book from renowned sources such as Mark Twain, the internet, "a guy who eats books" and "a guy turning into a werewolf."
In the introduction to "Bossypants," Fey writes that the book is meant to satisfy all reading needs, whether you are a woman trying to make it in a male-dominated profession, a Sarah Palin-lover or just someone looking for a laugh. I fall in the last category. As an avid fan of "30 Rock," I had high expectations for this book, and I was definitely not disappointed.
I was primarily interested in reading "Bossypants" to get the inside scoop on Fey's series of Sarah Palin impersonations on "Saturday Night Live." The book certainly satisfied my curiosity, and even includes the original scripts of the sketches.
Fey's other stories prove equally entertaining. "Bossypants" includes anecdotes from Fey's childhood, her college years, a near-fatal cruise and her efforts to create "30 Rock." While these may not seem like the most humorous of topics, Fey's storytelling ability makes them all equally hilarious and adds to the charm of the book. Fey even includes her own rules for improvisation for all you aspiring actors out there.
My favorite part of the book is a section in which Fey decides to respond to some hate mail. The sarcasm and wit she uses to respond to these messages had me wondering how anyone could possibly dislike her. In response to an allegation that she is an "overrated troll," Fey writes, "To say I'm an overrated troll, when you have never seen me guard a bridge, is patently unfair."
Given the side-splitting humor, "Bossypants" was extremely difficult to put down, and I devoured it within a matter of hours (a particularly impressive feat given my painfully slow reading). I found myself trying to slow down as I was reaching the last page so it would not end. Oddly enough, Fey chose to end the book on a more personal note, debating whether she should have a second child and I felt somewhat awkward reading her private business (on a side note, she just announced that she is five months pregnant, so there goes the cliffhanger ending). But I suppose I can overlook a few pages of awkwardness in exchange for 200 pages of fun and genuine pleasure.
