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53rd out of 121 books
—
199 voters
The Fran Lebowitz Reader
Fran Lebowitz in
Public Speaking
A Martin Scorsese Picture
Now an HBO® Documentary Film
The Fran Lebowitz Reader brings together in one volume, with a new preface, two bestsellers, Metropolitan Life and Social Studies, by an "important humorist in the classic tradition" (The New York Times Book Review) who is "the natural successor to Dorothy Parker" (British Vogue). In "elega...more
Public Speaking
A Martin Scorsese Picture
Now an HBO® Documentary Film
The Fran Lebowitz Reader brings together in one volume, with a new preface, two bestsellers, Metropolitan Life and Social Studies, by an "important humorist in the classic tradition" (The New York Times Book Review) who is "the natural successor to Dorothy Parker" (British Vogue). In "elega...more
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
November 8th 1994
by Vintage
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Feb 22, 2011
Very
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Shelves:
bought,
own,
2011,
lgbt,
nyc,
true-story,
xx,
short-stuff,
wiseacres,
city-girls,
secret-lives-of-writers,
willful-women,
good-stuff
“All of God’s children are not beautiful. Most of God’s children are, in fact, barely presentable. The most common error made in matters of appearance is the belief that one should disdain the superficial and let the true beauty of one’s soul shine through. If there are places on your body where this is a possibility, you are not attractive – you are leaking.”
“Sleep is death without the responsibility.”
“Great people talk about ideas, average people talk about things, and small people talk about...more
“Sleep is death without the responsibility.”
“Great people talk about ideas, average people talk about things, and small people talk about...more
A personal favorite. Her words rhythmically jump of the page--so you've GOT to read it out loud. So caustic. So funny. Lebowitz is so good at making fun--and she's not above making fun of herself. But perhaps my love for this book only proves that I am an elitist snob at heart?
Every writer (of all kinds) should read it.
Every writer (of all kinds) should read it.
Fran Lebowitz is a New York humorist who worked as a columnist for Andy Warhol's Interview before publishing her first collection of comic essays, Metropolitan Life, in 1978. In The Fran Lebowitz Reader, that first book has been re-released in combination with her second 1981 essay collection, Social Studies.
I first heard about Fran after watching the Martin Scorsese-IFC documentary about her, Public Speaking. That she is a fascinating and very funny person is obvious from the outset. Whether or...more
I first heard about Fran after watching the Martin Scorsese-IFC documentary about her, Public Speaking. That she is a fascinating and very funny person is obvious from the outset. Whether or...more
This paperback is a collection of short essays originally published as two bestsellers in the 1970s (Metropolitan Life and Social Studies). Back then, her books defined knowing, urban cool. Guess what? They still do. If you were a mite too young to appreciate Leibowitz's take on that libertine decade the first time around (like me - I was just a toddler), now is an excellent time to make her acquaintance. The pieces still hold up as good writing and deliver plenty of sharp laughs. Some of the to...more
If you’re going to pen complaints from an apartment in Greenwich Village (however modest it may be by New York standards), those complaints are only funny if you understand their relative lack of merit. By which I mean that the hilarity of people like Fran Lebowitz and Larry David isn’t that they don’t know they’re being assholes. It’s that they do know it, and don’t care. I think to some degree that very brand of comedy, if it didn’t originate in New York, is at least emblematic of the people w...more
I found myself muttering "Is this it?" after quite a number of the pieces. They felt badly incomplete. Fran Lebowitz definitely does have a command on vocabulary, but I guess that's where she ends; nothing more. And what's worse, the style and vocabulary doesn't fit with the shallow prose.
The better pieces are those about her real life, the painful ones are when she tries to be creative and imagines a supposedly comic situation. If I come by her writing as a column, I might read it, but these e...more
The better pieces are those about her real life, the painful ones are when she tries to be creative and imagines a supposedly comic situation. If I come by her writing as a column, I might read it, but these e...more
I have tried to read this book twice, and both times I have been disappointed. I thought I would like the book as it was highly recommended, and I'm a huge fan of David Sedaris, which I assumed was a similar style to this book.
But no, I just can't get past the first several chapters, and I couldn't understand why I dislike this book so much - and then it hit me. It's pretentious - I find her writing to be "I'm Jewish, Lesbian, Liberal, from New York City, so of course of I'm interesting". Nope -...more
But no, I just can't get past the first several chapters, and I couldn't understand why I dislike this book so much - and then it hit me. It's pretentious - I find her writing to be "I'm Jewish, Lesbian, Liberal, from New York City, so of course of I'm interesting". Nope -...more
One of my top three favorite writers. Acerbic, brilliant and unapologetic, Fran Lebowitz is the poster girl for New York In the 70's. She's a character, an intellectual and an eccentric and those are her most urbane qualities. Her humor is second to none and though these two books (collectively published in this edition) were written years ago, they hold up as a paen to a certain time in culture, New York and the contemporary literary world.
Aug 18, 2011
Kim Ibara
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
those who love razor-sharp witted commentary on life.
If you have never read Fran Lebowitz, you are in for a treat! Irreverent, bawdy, insightful, witty, outlandish...and not for the faint of heart! This collection includes a little of everything, from hatred of children who speak French to vocational guides for heiresses to manuals for landlords to a guide about how the rich can meet the poor. Not for the incurably PC, Lebowitz can make liberals gasp and conservatives plug their ears. Be prepared to be laughing outloud!
Very smart and opinionated, but reads a bit dated for 2011. If you're from her era, there's a better chance you'll appreciate what she's saying (circa the real deal Studio 54). Wish she hadn't hit that writer's block . It would have been interesting to hear her thoughts on NYC, the economy, and society in general...today. In other news, the documentary Scorsese did about her for HBO, Public Speaking, is excellent.
As Lebowitz says in the new introduction to this compilation of essays from the 1970s, this book provides a glimpse into a different (and gayer) era in New York City. Insightful and funny, sometimes dated, but never wistful or apologetic. I read this while preparing to interview Lebowitz for the Awl, which you can read here. http://www.theawl.com/2012/10/a-chat-...
I LOVE FRAN! She is just so funny! I had the great honor oF sharing a cigarette with her (back when I still smoked) at a party in Harlem and we talked about the amazing article she wrote for "Vanity Fair" magazine on the subject of race and more selectively white privilege in America. It was the most insightful and spot on article ever written on the subject.
Very dry, very droll, just like my favorites, Robert Benchley and Dorothy Parker. And oh so quotable, but I feel as if I need to take up drinking and smoking to quote effectively. Lots of fun -- I graded down a bit because a few of these pieces are feeling their age, even smelling a bit musty. I'd be ecstatic if Lebowitz came out with a new collection. I'll have to cheer myself by watching that documentary about her -- she talks even better than she writes.
Female Oscar Wilde. Witty, urbane, bitter, sarcastic and hilarious in her observations; especially her self-observations. A lot of it is dated, but so what? She's someone I would love to know. And her style of writing is exactly what I crave in a writer: classic, acidic, articulate beyond belief. Fabulous little book. I bookmarked a ton of "bon mots" and quotable passages. Sublime in her withering take on the world...however...much of this book is VERY dated and extremely "un-PC" so...it does ta...more
Read this book mainly due to name recognition but also some literary notoriety. I had never read any of Lebowitz's writing before and had few expectations beyond guessing that Lebowitz's style would be both sarcastic and humorous, based on her NYC credentials. Sarcastic, yes; humorous, no.
It seemed as if every piece in the book was a list of complaints or was leading up to a list of complaints. If there was supposed to be witty social and/or cultural insight contained within the writing, it alm...more
It seemed as if every piece in the book was a list of complaints or was leading up to a list of complaints. If there was supposed to be witty social and/or cultural insight contained within the writing, it alm...more
Fran Lebowitz has been called the modern day Dorothy Parker. She is all that, as well as a die-hard New York City-er -- sarcastic, smart, poignant, but mostly she's Hilarious. I recently watched Martin Scorcese's documentary about her on HBO ("Public Speaking") three times, and it compelled me to go back to her essays of the early 70's and re-read her. This compilation of "Metropolitan Life" and "Social Studies" is just as relevant today as it was over 30 yrs ago. She's my hero. Man, if only I h...more
Fran Lebowitz would never be friends with someone like me because I would bore her to death. But a girl can dream. Lebowitz is not exactly prolific, and these essays actually were written decades ago. But it is a timeless truth that, as Lebowitz asserts, one should never allow your kids to mix cocktails because it is unseemly and besides, they use too much vermouth. She is not only the urbane, witty, and worthy successor to Dorothy Parker, to my mind she is the female reincarnation of James Thur...more
"When it comes to sports I am not particularly interested. Generally speaking, I look upon them as dangerous and tiring activities performed by people with whom I share nothing except the right to trial by jury."
"Do not allow children to mix drinks. It is unseemly and they use too much vermouth.”
"Do not allow children to mix drinks. It is unseemly and they use too much vermouth.”
Must confess, had never read her books. Am reading this now and find it pretty funny. Not David Sedaris funny, but still quite funny.
I believe I have found a kind spirit as she shares the tales of "Digital Clocks and Pocket Calculators: Spoilers of Youth."
I believe I have found a kind spirit as she shares the tales of "Digital Clocks and Pocket Calculators: Spoilers of Youth."
While uneven in places I loved reading the dry, scalding wit of Fran Lebowitz. She is at her best at her most brief:
"Polite conversation is rarely either."
"Generally speaking, it is inhumane to detain a fleeing insight."
"If your sexual fantasies were truly of interest to others, they would no longer be fantasies."
"Polite conversation is rarely either."
"Generally speaking, it is inhumane to detain a fleeing insight."
"If your sexual fantasies were truly of interest to others, they would no longer be fantasies."
J'adore this woman and this collection of stories. If you're in the mood for some caustic wit and impeccable storytelling, read anything by Fran Lebowitz. She is BRILLIANT!
If you love to laugh and love NYC, then this is the best book! NYers have a terrible attention span, so these short humor essays are the best way to get through an afternoon.
Dangerously, I had expectations for this one. I was hoping for timelessly witty incisiveness! And I got latter-day Woody Allen's cutting room floor!
Although I expected more from Lebowitz after watching the Scorsese documentary, the collection of essays do offer a witty insight on New York living in the 70’s.
This book was hilarious and made me laugh out loud. If you like Woody Allen, you'll like Fran Lebowitz. She has some very smart and funny observations about life.
Dec 02, 2008
Raymon Gottfredson
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone that loves to laugh
Recommended to Raymon by:
No one.
One of the best cynical humorists in the business. For anyone that loves/hates New York life and smokes. Or doesn't.
I've always found her funny, but the essays are decades old now, and the humor is (except here and there) dated.
I saw the HBO documentary first. I found Fran Lebowitz to be very smart and very charming. I enjoyed the reader despite some cultural references to people and places that went over my head.
May 08, 2011
Frances
marked it as to-read
Saw her featured in an HBO documentary and she was funny and insightful...doesn't hurt that her name is Fran either.
Skimmed it...bored...I guess not for my present state of mind. Maybe I'll pick it up again some other time..
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Frances Ann "Fran" Lebowitz is an American author.
Born in Morristown, New Jersey, Lebowitz is best known for her sardonic social commentary on American life through her New York sensibilities. Some reviewers have called her a modern day Dorothy Parker.
After being expelled from high school and receiving a GED, Lebowitz worked many odd jobs before being hired by Andy Warhol as a columnist for Interv...more
More about Fran Lebowitz...
Born in Morristown, New Jersey, Lebowitz is best known for her sardonic social commentary on American life through her New York sensibilities. Some reviewers have called her a modern day Dorothy Parker.
After being expelled from high school and receiving a GED, Lebowitz worked many odd jobs before being hired by Andy Warhol as a columnist for Interv...more
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