Lady Parts

by Andrea Martin

Whether lighting up the small screen, stealing scenes on the big screen or starring on the stage, Andrea Martin has long entertained Canadians with her hilarious characterizations and heartwarming performances. An important player in SCTV, the funniest show ever to come out of Canada, Martin helped change the face of television by introducing us to a host of characters, including the indomitable Edith Prickley. Martin has worked stages, sets and even trapezes across North America, playing to houses packed with adoring fans, all of whom instantly recognize the star who has entertained us for nearly forty years.

In Lady Parts, Martin, for the first time, shares her fondest remembrances of a life in show business, motherhood, relationships, no relationships, family, chimps in tutus, squirrels, and why she flies to Atlanta to get her hair cut. Martin opens up her heart in a series of eclectic, human, always entertaining and often moving essays. Lady Parts will make you giggle and may make you cry-a powerful collection of stories by a woman with a truly storied life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Humor, Biography, Comedy, Biography Memoir, Adult

352 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2014

Reviews

[Laima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start by saying that I grew up watching SCTV and enjoyed every minute of it!
All the famous comedians acting out crazy comedy sketches had me tuned in each week: John Candy, Catherine O’Hara, Dave Thomas, Martin Short (who is from my home town) Rick Moranis, Joe Flaherty and, of course, Andrea Martin.

I loved Andrea. She was Edith Prickly on SCTV.

She was the voice of Apu's mother on the Simpsons.

She was also aunt Voula in My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

Just recently she was Berthe in the Broadway production of Pippin.

This amazingly talented woman tells funny and poignant tales from her life. At times, it seemed like writing each chapter was a bit like pulling a stubborn tooth for her. Some chapters were all about how she procrastinated yet another day to avoid writing this book. I felt surprised and sad for her experience with bulimia, laughed at her outrageous trips to Atlanta for haircuts and couldn’t believe she was actually even held up at gunpoint.
I grew up watching Andrea Martin and always thought she was Canadian. Although she divides her time between homes in Toronto and New York, she was born in Maine, which makes her American.

She has lived an incredibly over the top kind of life and shares with us the good, bad and ugly. With the overwhelming amount of energy she has, I’m sure we will continue to see her work for a long time. (She DOES NOT look over 65!!)
I love her!! That is why I read this book.

[L Y N N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review: http://books-n-music.blogspot.com/201.... I'm on a roll with reading/listening to memoirs written by female comediennes lately. This was a sincere and heartfelt autobiography and I really have a lot of respect for Ms. Martin. She definitely was brave to detail some of her own life struggles. A very enjoyable read--poignant and yet humorous.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a fan of Andrea Martin. so was happy to get the chance to read her memoir. she shares bits and pieces of her life. From her childhood in Maine, to visiting Toronto in 1970 falling in love with the city and working and living there for the next 40 years. Ms.Martin has a real sense of humor.
this memoir is composed of her work in SCTV show in Toronto. she talked about the cast and her friendship with them to this day. her work on Broadway. she even won two Tony's!
I liked reading about her work on the movie "MY Big Fat Greek Wedding"
She has two sons so she shared with the readers about Joe and Jack her now grown sons.
some of the chapters were just subjects she wanted to share such as annoying passengers on airplane flights. Flying to Atlanta to get her haircut by a favorite hair cutter. I liked reading about the other performers she worked with. and oh yes there are even a couple chapters dedicated to her "lady parts" A fun read. I am glad i got the chance to try out Andrea Martin's memoir.

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a fan of SCTV, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Godspell the musical, or any of the work Andrea Martin has produced over the years, you're going to love this book. I grew up watching SCTV and look back on many of the sketches fondly, including Edith Prickley.

Andrea Martin's memoir is intensely personal and parts of it feel like a confessional, like she's getting a cathartic sense of relief by getting things off her chest, but it's also tinged with her own brand of humour. I was delighted to see she devoted a chapter to her trip to Armenia and finding more about her Armenian roots (most people assume she's Jewish and she even jokes at the beginning of that chapter that she used to wish she were Jewish and that most of her friends were Jewish, etc). People may find her revelations about eating disorders to resonate with them, or the frank discussions of her parents and how she struggled to find their acceptance and dealt with their passings, while others who are more interested in the chapters detailing her early career and beginnings with things like Godspell and SCTV will want to stick to the latter half of the book.

She's one of the funniest entertainers and someone who could give most of the young comedians of today a run for their money and do it with style and class. It has something different for everybody, and I very much enjoyed reading more about this funny lady who I have looked up to for years.

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow. What happened? I feel bad giving this book one star because Andrea seems like a nice lady and I thought she was funny on SCTV. However, I cannot in good conscience give more than a sad one star rating. I blame HarperCollins and Jim Gifford - the guy Andrea thanks for being her "editor"(I use the word loosely) - for the train wreck that is this book. At one point during one of her many, many complaints about trying to write this book, Andrea says she hates writing & prefers talking & that she wishes there was a person there that she could just talk to about the book, instead of attempting to write it herself. Guess what, Andrea!!! There is this person called a ghostwriter who could totally do that for you! You tell them your story and they will put your words into a readable book! Who knew!!! Seriously, what is going on in the publishing world that so many celebrities are being allowed to write their own books without any help. Is it a financial thing? The celebrity gets more money if a ghostwriter is not involved? In rare instances a celebrity is able to write a well crafted memoir but usually it's a shitshow when they attempt to do it solo.

What is this book supposed to be anyway? A memoir? A collection of humorous essays? I don't think Andrea knows so how can the reader tell? Well, it turns out that is it neither! It's a rambling, meandering stream of consciousness detailing Andrea's tv shows that she likes, how nice her gynecologist is, how messy her astrologer's house is, what animal videos on Youtube Andrea finds funny, how much she dislikes writing this book you are reading, how once she went to a party and there was a woman there hired to analyze the party guests signatures, what books are on her nightstand that she feels like she should read but instead she watches Dancing With The Stars or cat videos on YouTube, a chapter detailing the kind of haircut she prefers etc. Just go visit your grandmother and sit with her one afternoon and let her ramble about her life - that will give you the same experience as reading this book.

If you want to learn about her career, I suggest visiting IMDB.com. That site gives you more information than this book does. Too bad this wasn't a traditional memoir written by a ghostwriter. It would have been a lot more enjoyable.

[Sue · Rating 1 out of 5]

My book club struggled with whether to rate this book 1 or 1.5. We are all of an age that we grew up watching SCTV and we like Andrea Martin's work as an actress/comedian but were really disappointed with the book. Not well written. Not enough substance. Sorry Andrea.

[As You Wish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Andrea Martin is hilarious. Now I need to go watch some SCTV from Youtube so I can know more of what she's talking about. Don't tell any of the other Canadians, but I've only seen like one episode.

One more thing not to tell the Canadians, Andrea Martin ISN'T Canadian. They wouldn't believe you even if you did tell them. Until wikipedia gets involved.

It was interesting reading about her life in show business, and all the asides like getting carjacked at gunpoint outside her home and trying to rescue baby squirrels from her eaves troughs. I have a greater appreciation now of her work, although I think her writing is not as funny as any single minute of her on screen.

[Cheryl Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating read giving lots of insight into her life. Someone you would love to sit and have coffee with.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wanted to like this book, but couldn't. It jumped all over the place and was quite long.

[Jennifer Rayment · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Good Stuff

I had to request this one as I have been told all my life that I look like her (Even Gordon Pinsent) and well quite frankly I grew up on SCTV
Such a beautiful, honest, open and bloody hilarious memoir
Excellent choice with title, but Fake Beaver and Perky Tits would have been wonderful titles as well, though might be hard to market in a family bookstore
After reading her memoir I even feel more close to her. Especially the parenting aspects and the low self esteem about ones body
Enjoyed the story of her first appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson
Silly I know but it made me happy when she mentioned Nora Short, who went to nursing school with my mom
I admire her openness about talking about her battle with Bulimia, that takes courage my twin
Balled my eyes out when she begs forgiveness from her children about not being present while fighting her battle with Bulimia - That is very open and I believe helpful those that might be still fighting this battle
The story about Snow Whites inner thoughts - priceless
She loves Libraries
The chapter on Old Lady Parts is worth the price of the book alone (and I totally understand)
Truly did make me laugh and cry.
Perfect for fans of Andrea, but as well as any women over the age of 30 (Younger women too, but they aren't going to get some things like us old broads)

The Not So Good Stuff

Totally flabbergasted that I didn't know she was an American (shocked I tell you, shocked) I's ok I still love you though

Favorite Quotes/Passages

"I had no conception of what I looked like. I had always adapted to what other people wanted me to be. Without their input my face was a blank canvas."



"I will still camp out on Toronto mayor Rob Ford's front lawn if he brings up the ludicrous and decadent idea of closing libraries again."

"Recently, I accepted the invitation to write a monthly humour column for ParentsCanada magazine. What was I thinking? I don't remember my kids' names, never mind the way I parented them nearly thirty years ago. Except hat I was anxious all the time. Worried that I was not doing it right, whatever "Doing it right| is supposed to mean."

4.75 Dewey's

I received this from HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review - Thanks Cory!

[Mediaman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly this wonderful actress and comedian has written a pretty boring book, one that sounds like an old lady sitting in a nursing home looking back at life with faded memories. It was nice that a Canadian book company gave her a contract, but then she had to deliver the product and for the first hundred pages it's promising. Then the book takes a nasty turn to nothingness at page 119. After wasting a chapter on why she can think of nothing to write about the next chapter is "Here Are Some Other Things I'd Rather Do Than Write." Not a good sign since she has 230 pages left. She then writes about her love of chimps, a visit to the gynecologist, and having her fortune told. Could be funny but it's not and then it's all down hill from there.

Stories about her wonderful career are few and far between. She has no problem, however, sharing about her health problems and mental issues (surprisingly open about her bulimia and breakdown). Most won't be reading the book to hear details about how lonely she is, how insecure she is, or how she has such a poor body image. It is surprising that a woman of such talent can have such low self-esteem and anxiety over work. It seems like she has been in so many projects but she acts as if she has barely done anything professionally.

Thus she fails to provide many stories about her career. She waits until the end to write about SCTV, and those 40 pages are mostly filled with her complaints that her co-stars didn't return her emails asking for ideas of what to put in the book. Either her memory is bad or she doesn't want to reveal the truth about working with the cast, but if you're looking for great inside stories you won't find them here.

She does sound like a good mother, though she refuses to talk about her children's father. She alludes to marrying a guy so he can get a green card, which could be interesting if she said more than that sentence. And she has a few fun sections about her love life as she ages. But those all lack details and some of her best stories are so poorly told that the book is a real disappointment. Wish should would have written as well as she performs because she's one talented person.

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I’m a huge SCTV fan. I watched it every week and still occasionally watch clips on YouTube. Hilarious, timeless comedy from every regular performer on the show.

This book just isn’t any good for so many reasons. It has none of the clever, nuanced humor I expected. I suppose it was zany in some ways but in a low-brow, vulgar, pandering sort of way.

I’m not sure if AM’s neurotic insecurity was intended to be funny but I found it simply irritating. Other than her descriptions of her parents every other character was monochromatic, friends are just the best people on earth and almost all of the strangers are horrible and annoying. She may have been going for humor there but if she did I completely missed it. And virtually every chapter ended with a tidy wrap-up a la The Last Lecture (Randy Pausch) that was feeble and predictable.

Don’t expect a unified memoir (I did). It’s described as a collection of essays within the book. They seemed very disjointed to me. This felt like a project done solely for the money. Very soulless.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered SCTV as a young teen,and I would force myself to stay up long enough to watch it every week. I fell in love with the whole cast, so it's always exciting to get a glimpse of what it was like working with such comic geniuses. I have Dave Thomas's book, and I plan on getting Martin Short's as well, but I'm glad Andrea Martin wrote this book because she provides the, well, lady parts (sorry). Her essays encompass nearly her entire life and career, and she has many stories to tell, both hilarious and heartbreaking. Much of it is also very relatable. I came away from this book with fresh admiration for a brave woman who isn't afraid to reveal her vulnerabilities and has never let them stand in her way.

[kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this memoir. I've been a big admirer of the author on TV and in movies. It's nice to know her background story. I was impressed while I read this book with everything she has gone through. It has been quite the journey! I think it is a brave thing to write about yourself exposing not only the good stuff but the struggles too. This book is worth reading.

[Patrick · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very superficial "autobiography" coupled with a disjointed narrative. A disappointing read.

[Marie-France Leclerc · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always liked her. I loved her honesty!

[Nada Loughead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrea Martin is a very funny lady - this book gives you a glimpse into the back story of Martin and the joys and sorrows behind the laugh. http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/1...

[Andrea Schemehorn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I. Am. Bad. At. Reviewing. Memoir.

I try so badly not to compare one memoir to another, but in this case, it was very difficult for me to do. I watched SCTV whenever I could as a child (I moved around and of course, you can't catch it everywhere in the US), and can safely say I've read most memoirs from most of the cast members, and they're all fantastic. This one just happens to be a little less fantastic.

I in no way claim that Martin is less interesting or funny or entertaining than any of her former cast mates, but of the memoirs, this is the only one that isn't chronological. It is essentially a collection of essays. This in itself is fine, but the essays weren't thematic either. It was really a collection of anecdotes. They were all good, though. Grade A anecdotes.

Because this is the main criterion on which I base reviews on memoir and personal essay, I don't have much else to say. Worth reading, though, and I would recommend it.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Andrea Martin’s Lady Parts memoir is a dynamic and quirky slice into the psyche of the comedienne herself. She reveals her Armenian heritage, a brief reminiscence about her complex parents (of which this reader wanted to know more), her neuroses, her mama-bear love for her boys, her performance anxiety, her willingness to face all that scares her, and finally her career on SCTV. Chapters and content don’t necessarily follow a chronological order, and some bits feel like stream-of-consciousness journal entries that wrestle with dating, age, eating disorders, and appearance. Her willingness to lay much of herself bare was somewhat unexpected, as even writers of memoir tend to shine themselves up a bit, but Ms. Martin practices the 1970s philosophy of letting it all hang out. Be ready to be slapped between the eyes with honesty so raw it will make readers tear up at times.

[Tammy Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grew up loving Andrea Martin as an actress and comedian - now I love her even more as a woman (even if she isn't Canadian LOL). I had no idea about a large majority of the things she went through and it makes me love her even more for her strength, and for her humour about life. She's the kind of woman you'd love to sit down and have a coffee with and just yap. Writing is done with such fantastic humour and wit. Love it, love her.

Unfortunately, had to read it in spurts because of extremely active 5-year-old child, but if I had had the opportunity, I could easily have read this in one sitting - I wouldn't have wanted to put it down. Very engaging and humorous book.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually have a really hard time with actors’ memoirs- too self-indulgent, too self-deprecating, trying too hard to be funny, spending too much time complaining about how hard writing it, and not enough editing are among the many problems in the memoirs I’ve read.

Andrea is a natural storyteller. She organizes her thoughts well, and everything she shares has a through line and is clearly meant not for her own reminiscing but because she sincerely strives to entertain the reader. She dares not to be funny, she is generous in her detailing of friends and family, and at the end of the day, she is just a darn good writer. Highly recommend.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrea Martin's "Lady Parts" needs a better editor, but there are some very funny lines and even a moving essay, especially "My Lost Youth," or two. I loved Martin in the revival of "Pippin," and she worked very hard to be able to do the trapeze bit in the show. Hats off to Ms. Martin.

I find her use of adjectives to describe her showbiz friends annoying (they are all some variation of "brilliant"), but you can feel her affection for her old SCTV colleagues, which I have admittedly never seen. I love much of their movie work though. It did make me wonder why Martin was never in a Christopher Guest movie or a guest star in a "Schitt's Creek" episode.

[Bert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrea Martin is one of my favourite funny lady’s, she’s the character actress to end all character actresses. Reading her memoirs was a lot of fun, finding out all these little tidbits about the woman who had Brough so much joy to so many of her fans, she’s a gem. I like that it got pretty deep in parts, we don’t often think of these celebrities as being real people with real problems. I like that even though tis was funny to read that it actually still dealt with and talked about some pretty big issues that Andrea has had in her life.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike others, I didn’t grow up watching SCTV. I watched Andrea Martin on Sesame Street, where she played kid-friendly versions of Edith Prickley and Wanda the Word Fairy (Mrs. Falbo). Her memoir is full of hysterical memories about her childhood, diary entries, showbiz and SCTV stories, and more. I enjoy watching her on Great News now. I hope she will write another memoir, and I wish she would do an audiobook of this one! Thanks, Andrea!

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not so much a biography of Andrea Martin, just kind of her musings and recollections on different topics. I believe she referred to it as a series of essays in the book. There are 4 or 5 really good chapters and a few duds, but most were just decent. Worth a look if you're a fan of hers, but I would have LOVED to have read a more thorough account of her life and career.

[Evelyn Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have often enjoyed Andrea Martin's funny performances, but sorry, this book is a dud. Really felt like she wrote it because someone said she should, and not because she had a message or key learning to share. At the very least, I would have liked to read how she tackles a subject to make it funny, but no luck.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I adore Andrea Martin (if you ever get the chance, watch the production ACT ONE, which was filmed and broadcast on PBS’s “Live From Lincoln Center”; Ms Martin is brilliant and moving in it, as are Tony Shalhoub, Santino Fontana, and the entire cast). I was happy to get to know more about this marvelous actress, known best for comedy, but capable of a broader range than that.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very unusual construction for a memoir not only in how it jumps around so much but also in how the author seems to expect the reader to know so very much about her going in. I kept thinking, is this part two of her story? But in the end all of the random pieces patchwork a story of her life. Mostly a sad and lonely story.

[Jonno · Rating 1 out of 5]

In a 350 page book, why include multiple chapters about how much you hate writing? After forty years on stage and screen, why write about your broken boots and the squirrels in your gutter?

I liked Andrea Martin in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” and “Difficult People”, but in this book she’s self-absorbed, out of touch, and not at all funny.

[Lynda K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading, I could hear Andrea Martin’s voice in my head. She writes as she speaks.
She gives a lovely, heartfelt tribute to her lifelong friend, Tina.
Joyful and moving reminiscences of John Candy who was loved by so many and still missed by so many.

A quote…always at least one quote in every book…””Choose to be optimistic. It feels better.””