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Autobiography of a Fat Bride: True Tales of a Pretend Adulthood
by
Laurie Notaro
(Goodreads Author)
The author of the "New York Times" bestseller "The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club" tackles her biggest challenge yet: grown-up life.
In Autobiography of a Fat Bride, Laurie Notaro tries painfully to make the transition from all-night partyer and bar-stool regular to mortgagee with plumbing problems and no air-conditioning. Laurie finds grown-up life just as harrowing a ...more
In Autobiography of a Fat Bride, Laurie Notaro tries painfully to make the transition from all-night partyer and bar-stool regular to mortgagee with plumbing problems and no air-conditioning. Laurie finds grown-up life just as harrowing a ...more
Paperback
,
257 pages
Published
July 8th 2003
by Villard Books
(first published 2002)
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Community Reviews
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Meg, Laurie's coworker said after Laurie came in distraught over her gynecologist calling her fat,] ".... I have a nice story to tell you. There was a chubby girl in my class and she used to get made fun of all the time. Then, one day, she said something that I'll never forget. She turned around and told the skinny girls who were making fun of her, 'I'd rather be a happy Magic Marker than a toothpick with boogers on it.'
Oh my God.
"Who is the Magic Marker in this scenario?" I asked. "I'm the Shar ...more
Oh my God.
"Who is the Magic Marker in this scenario?" I asked. "I'm the Shar ...more
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I've tried to read two of Laurie Notaro's books because I love funny/wry/awesome memoirs, but I just can't deal with her over-exaggeration and her endless ways to call herself fat and gross. Body snarking gets old fast with me.
"Each one of my hips has more shelf space than my refrigerator and freezer combined."
"I'm in the body of a white, hairless gorilla."
"I hadn't tinkled since the night before, and my bladder felt as heavy and big as a watermelon."
"I felt my fat, and particularly my two most ...more
"Each one of my hips has more shelf space than my refrigerator and freezer combined."
"I'm in the body of a white, hairless gorilla."
"I hadn't tinkled since the night before, and my bladder felt as heavy and big as a watermelon."
"I felt my fat, and particularly my two most ...more
This is my favorite Laurie Notaro book (so far). Notaro is simply hilarious, writing personal essays about her life that will make many women (including me) laugh in embarrassed recognition. There are so many, "YES, I've been there!" moments. Comparisons with David Sedaris are inevitable, although really, the main similarity is simply that both are funny enough that they cause rib pain.
I think this might be my favorite simply for the author's photo, which shows Ms. Notaro in her wedding dress, ...more
I think this might be my favorite simply for the author's photo, which shows Ms. Notaro in her wedding dress, ...more
I found this book to be absolutely hysterical, so much so, that I was laughing so hard while reading it, the bed was shaking. The book is more memoirs from the author during the time she's dating her future husband, their wedding, and when they're first married. I find her writing style to be absolutely a riot, but what appeals to me, may not appeal to everyone. She's very self-deprecating and there's a lot of potty humor. Think farts and poop. Maybe that sort of humor is my level, but I do find
...more
This woman is hilarious! When I first picked it up, I assumed it would be chapter upon chapter of some chick ranting about trying on wedding dresses and then eating too much sample cake. The chapters were little stories in themselves, all laugh out loud funny, about being a newlywed who basically lives in her husband's sweatpants and is trying to manage her life in marital bliss.
I loved every single page. Yes, even the afterward with a picture of her in her wedding dress with the caption, "As h ...more
I loved every single page. Yes, even the afterward with a picture of her in her wedding dress with the caption, "As h ...more
I just hated this book. It seemed like the author just sat down and said "I am going to write a funny, self-deprecating book" and then used that "humor" as a club to beat the reader with on every page. It's a 257 page definition of "trying too hard."
This may just be me nit-picking about semantics, but the constant "And then I said, 'Blah blah blah whatever I said!'" to his parents at Christmas dinner, and no you did not. There is no possible way that the author is going through life literally ve ...more
This may just be me nit-picking about semantics, but the constant "And then I said, 'Blah blah blah whatever I said!'" to his parents at Christmas dinner, and no you did not. There is no possible way that the author is going through life literally ve ...more
May 09, 2014
Meg
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone who likes satire, those who aren't easily offended.
I'm busy with school these days so my luxury reading time is limited. Generally I have my nose in a textbook! Because my "goof off" time is so rare, and often disjointed (snatches of time here and there over a period of months), I need a luxury read I can easily pick up and put down. This book fit the bill. Each installment is meant to stand alone and is a small window into Notaro's wacky, wonderful, weird, and highly amusing world. This book had me crying from laughter at one point. She is an a
...more
I loved this book. I knew nothing about Laurie Notaro nor had I read anything of hers before. But, I thought it looked funny, so I got it from my library. First, her writing is hilarious! She writes in such a way that I feel as if I'm sitting with her having a conversation over dinner or coffee. The analogies were so funny & creative that I had to highlight & make note of the ones that had me laughing out loud. I marked something in every chapter - literally.
Like I said, I knew nothing ...more
First book of her's and I laughed alot. She has a great way with words and is completely honest and self-deprecating. We're the same person really except I don't have a writing career. Yet.
I gave this sorry piece of literature two stars on amazon because I was feeling generous, but that moment has passed.
If this chick can get a book deal, then so can I. I kept reading because I am a hopeless optimist. Honestly, I lie. I kept reading because I hate to give up on anything. The book did have a few funny parts, but it seemed like an overblown exaggeration by a slacker who can't hold down a real job. We learn early on that she thinks hippies are dirty, but she goes on to describe her ...more
If this chick can get a book deal, then so can I. I kept reading because I am a hopeless optimist. Honestly, I lie. I kept reading because I hate to give up on anything. The book did have a few funny parts, but it seemed like an overblown exaggeration by a slacker who can't hold down a real job. We learn early on that she thinks hippies are dirty, but she goes on to describe her ...more
This is the type of book I've been looking for! Recommended by a bookcrosser at a meetup, I went out and bought it the next day. Notaro's hilarious autobiography is broken into 1 1/2 - 3 page essays that I can read a bit at a time. I've been needing a book that I can pick up and put down when I can find a minute here and there to read.
Laurie Notaro's stories are about mundane daily occurrences that normal adults seemed buried in and would hardly take the time to discuss, but she turns them into ...more
Laurie Notaro's stories are about mundane daily occurrences that normal adults seemed buried in and would hardly take the time to discuss, but she turns them into ...more
If you haven't read anything by Laurie Notaro then you're living a life devoid of humor. She has written a half dozen books, almost all of which I own and just get funnier as she goes! This particular book, her second, Laurie goes from being a single woman living the high life of a bar stool to a married old lady paying bills on time. Her little vignettes are laugh-out-loud hilarious, especially when talking about her husband who accepts her for the idiotic and mean person she is -- and still lo
...more
I picked up this book by Laurie Notaro because I was in the process of writing my own set of humorous personal essays and was ruminating about just how far I could go. Writing about the people in your life (and by people, I mean a husband, mother, and/or mother-in-law) is an Evil Kneivel kind of thing to do in any case. It takes a certain amount of bravery and a deficit of common sense. Writing about loved ones with the goal of making readers laugh can be especially terrifying, and, like jumping
...more
Sep 21, 2015
Martina
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mine-3
,
2015-reading-challenge
Il titolo è la cosa meno azzeccata del mondo. ma vabbè.
È piuttosto carino e divertente, anche se alcuni riferimenti non li ho capiti e a volte il ritorno su certi temi mi ha un po' stufato.
Ottimo per una seratina in cui non si ha voglia di pensare molto e di ritrovare quelle situazioni imbarazzanti che ci hanno colpite tutte.
È piuttosto carino e divertente, anche se alcuni riferimenti non li ho capiti e a volte il ritorno su certi temi mi ha un po' stufato.
Ottimo per una seratina in cui non si ha voglia di pensare molto e di ritrovare quelle situazioni imbarazzanti che ci hanno colpite tutte.
I absolutely adore Laurie Notaro. This is the third book I have read from her and she has not disappointed me yet. Spanning from her early days of dating to her life of marriage, this book left me smiling and laughing. Not because her stories are over-the-top antics but because I can relate to them so much. This may be my favorite memoir from her so far. Her constant moments of “wait, was I supposed to become an adult at some point?”, her sarcasm, and her wit left me unable to put down this book
...more
Laurie Notaro does it again! So many great chapters! The one about buying a new bra was so hilarious! And can you imagine your gynecologist calling you fat and other disparaging remarks. Laurie actually finds a man who loves her despite all her faults AND possible scary things associated with her past. Oh her poor husband he puts up with a lot from her you just have to have sympathy for him, especially the toothbrush incident.
These books are so much fun and I don’t care if I look like a crazy pe ...more
These books are so much fun and I don’t care if I look like a crazy pe ...more
I am super disappointed in this book. There were a few things that made me laugh, but as I read on I began to like the book less and less. Enough with the over-exaggerations, I have no idea what in this story was even true and what was just pure fantasy 'for laughs'. The tearing down of her body got pretty old quickly, there's only so many times you can whine about your thighs and hips before it gets annoying, thats what the majority of this book felt like.
I think you either love Laurie Notaro or you hate her. I checked out this book and her "Idiot's Girl Adventure..." book at the same time from the local libraries and read them back-to-back. Looking at the reviews I can see some people really love her style and some people hate her stuff.
I'm in the middle. I have respect. True the books weren't what I expected but they did seem to move in a chronological way through adulthood from getting married to babysitting her nephews to dealing with pets a ...more
I'm in the middle. I have respect. True the books weren't what I expected but they did seem to move in a chronological way through adulthood from getting married to babysitting her nephews to dealing with pets a ...more
I was in the mood for a memoir and since I'm on my way to becoming a bride myself, I thought this would quench my thirst. It started off very strong and I was quite enthralled by younger Laurie's taste in men, as I have also been guilty of committing to that type of guy once or twice. You know, those beautiful artistic slacker types that sometimes have a cloud of smoke following them. But as she slipped into married life, I found my attention span waning.
I know that once you get married all the ...more
I know that once you get married all the ...more
Laurie Notaro's work is the best place to turn to for comic relief. Her sarcasm is to be admired! She writes about the absurdity of life and all the lameness that comes our way. If you are looking for a book to give a girl friend of yours as a gift - turn to Laurie.
I read this book a few years back but just thinking of some of the chapters can make me laugh. Truthful, unabashed humor. I found this book to be a riot and would highly recommend it of you need a few laughs. A definite summer read.
I loved this book! I laughed out loud and the Frank Sinatra/grandparents story at the end made me cry because it reminded me how much my grandparents have meant to me throughout my life. Great book Laurie Notaro!
If you really want to laugh for a while, this is your book.
Nothing heavy here, just a hilarious look at life.
Nothing heavy here, just a hilarious look at life.
Totally hysterical and irreverent! I loved it and can't wait to read another one of hers.
Enjoyable and funny, but I liked some of her other memoirs better.
Just finished this for the second time. Hilarious perfection.
You know this old lady sounds like me, self-deprecating and all. She is funny. I laughed out loud to read some of the stuff she wrote, and that is odd, I usually just enjoy the thought, not laugh. This is sort of a study in psychology: why is she so adamant about her weight or her job? In Phoenix, I can imagine her worries about her lawn. Only rich people have lawns in Arizona, though I heard it said (by a cousin) that lawns make the temperature go down (around a house), it stills holds: only r
...more
This book is a true autobiography of Laurie Notaro. Actually, to call it an autobiography would be unfair. It’s more like a series of based-on-real-life-events stories.
Laurie is an odd woman, one I can identify with. She is funny and smart in her recollections of family and household antics.
I found the book similar to Candy and Me due to the efforts the author takes to distance herself from her readers and the one-story-at-a-time approach to writing. During the entire book, I’m not sure we ever ...more
Laurie is an odd woman, one I can identify with. She is funny and smart in her recollections of family and household antics.
I found the book similar to Candy and Me due to the efforts the author takes to distance herself from her readers and the one-story-at-a-time approach to writing. During the entire book, I’m not sure we ever ...more
Probably more of a 3 1/2 star rating, but I just had to round down on this one.
I just finished Notaro's first book, The Idiot Girl's Action-Adventure Club , which was a fun series of quick little anecdotes that made me giggle quite a few times. I dug into this one (her second novel) right away and was instantly overcome by deja vu.
I'm pretty sure these books are collections of Notaro's writings she did for her column, and we can tell. She repeats herself a lot, recaps stories we read only minutes ...more
I just finished Notaro's first book, The Idiot Girl's Action-Adventure Club , which was a fun series of quick little anecdotes that made me giggle quite a few times. I dug into this one (her second novel) right away and was instantly overcome by deja vu.
I'm pretty sure these books are collections of Notaro's writings she did for her column, and we can tell. She repeats herself a lot, recaps stories we read only minutes ...more
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“I need to learn to recognize and identify these danger signs when I see them, and not brush them off as "eccentricities," "lovable oddities," or "a sign that he s crying out for help and the comforting of a codependent nurturer that only I, Princess Enabler, can provide. Bad boyfriends don't disguise themselves; their girlfriends do it for them. ”
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“Whaddaya mean 'old maids,' ha? The term is 'unclaimed treasure,' buddy, 'unclaimed treasure!”
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