- Paperback: 240 pages
- Publisher: Portobello Books Ltd (1 July 2010)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1846272254
- ISBN-13: 978-1846272257
- Product Dimensions: 20.8 x 14.8 x 2.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 281,928 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Review
`Hilarious, absolutely hysterical ... she's a really brilliant writer ... she's up there with David Sedaris ... I loved it' --Alex Heminsley, BBC 6 Music
`Shines a bold comic light on life's everyday absurdities' --Sunday Telegraph
'Crosley's humour sparkles like a black diamond ... her wit and wisdom make her an entertaining commentator on the pitfalls of contemporary life' --Metro
`Crosley winningly captures that stumble into true adulthood ... generous, terrifically bright and charmingly unhinged' --Irish Times
`Talented and twisted ... Crosley's eye for detail, particularly the absurd or tragic, is dangerously sharp'
--Independent
`Shines a bold comic light on life's everyday absurdities' --Sunday Telegraph
'Crosley's humour sparkles like a black diamond ... her wit and wisdom make her an entertaining commentator on the pitfalls of contemporary life' --Metro
`Crosley winningly captures that stumble into true adulthood ... generous, terrifically bright and charmingly unhinged' --Irish Times
`Talented and twisted ... Crosley's eye for detail, particularly the absurd or tragic, is dangerously sharp'
--Independent
Product Description
What happens when the minibus full of your fellow wedding travellers hits a bear in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness? Or you hear the voice of your high school's long lost queen bee from a bathroom cubicle? For Sloane Crosley, these are the kind of transformative experiences that define our daily struggle to connect, however reluctantly, to our fellow man. While the title "Show Me on the Doll" refers to the afternoon TV specials of the 80s and 90s, it doubles as a plea from the author for a kind of instruction manual to navigate the difficult journeys of adulthood. From a lonely excursion to a Lisbon cafe to the sometimes disorienting experience of emerging from a New York subway, Sloane's new collection of essays will focus on a range of subjects related to travel.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
In her first book, "I Was Told There'd Be Cake," 20-something Sloane Crosley introduced herself as a suburban girl new to the big city. Childhood and college were fresh in her mind, and her deft wit and unique writing style had an authenticity Carrie Bradshaw couldn't match.
Two years later, about to turn 30 as the book opens, life has moved on. This time, she comes to terms with the realities of adulthood and all the responsibilities and experiences that go with it.
It's immediately clear that the tone of the two books is very different. The first regarded the gluing of a flatmate's toothbrush to the ceiling as a reassurance that those carefree days of adolescence could last for ever. The second sees Sloane more troubled by a new anorexic kleptomaniac rent sharer - so much so that the idea of living in a defunct historic brothel becomes appealing.
Having learned previously of her parents' loose interpretation of religion, and plenty of her `early years' stories; this volume gives the feeling that Sloane wishes to somehow make sense of them. Her introduction both castigates and begs forgiveness of her parents, while one of the better essays - on meeting a former schoolmate in a ladies' restroom - both questions and reassures her of her new place in the world.
This is what Sloane seems to be searching for most. Travel is one of the strongest themes, and we encounter several of her early life issues along the way. It is small wonder she appears unsure of what she is seeking, with her inbuilt `directional dysfunction disorder' to contend with. A note to her editor at this point - the opening meander through Lisbon would have made more sense (and had greater charm) if this last had been explained here, rather than waiting until the next story.
Pace is a slight problem with the early part of the book. The best trademark Sloane witticisms, observations and stories happen from around the half way mark. Freely admitting that some events probably didn't actually occur, the squirrel episode is but one hilarious moment that you hope was true but probably wasn't (I'm sure I read it elsewhere on the web, anyway, even if not so well told.) Later, you also sense that her `Lorry Friend' probably didn't exist either - but it makes a good tale all the same.
For a reader ten years older, of a different gender and nationality, the appeal of Crosley's work remains as an intimate insight into how a younger generation think, act and interpret the world. Her attitude to life, contrasting morality and general non-conformity continue to provide a refreshing read. The wise-cracks could maybe have been spread a little thicker in some chapters and tightened in others, but by the end the reader is right there wanting to pick her up when her life reaches a low.
Even if sometimes the `Fawlty Towers' line, "There's enough material there for a conference" crossed this reader's mind, Sloane Crosley should be reassured that in her 7 year residency she remains one of the brighter cookies in the jar that is New York City, and a third volume would be welcome.
Two years later, about to turn 30 as the book opens, life has moved on. This time, she comes to terms with the realities of adulthood and all the responsibilities and experiences that go with it.
It's immediately clear that the tone of the two books is very different. The first regarded the gluing of a flatmate's toothbrush to the ceiling as a reassurance that those carefree days of adolescence could last for ever. The second sees Sloane more troubled by a new anorexic kleptomaniac rent sharer - so much so that the idea of living in a defunct historic brothel becomes appealing.
Having learned previously of her parents' loose interpretation of religion, and plenty of her `early years' stories; this volume gives the feeling that Sloane wishes to somehow make sense of them. Her introduction both castigates and begs forgiveness of her parents, while one of the better essays - on meeting a former schoolmate in a ladies' restroom - both questions and reassures her of her new place in the world.
This is what Sloane seems to be searching for most. Travel is one of the strongest themes, and we encounter several of her early life issues along the way. It is small wonder she appears unsure of what she is seeking, with her inbuilt `directional dysfunction disorder' to contend with. A note to her editor at this point - the opening meander through Lisbon would have made more sense (and had greater charm) if this last had been explained here, rather than waiting until the next story.
Pace is a slight problem with the early part of the book. The best trademark Sloane witticisms, observations and stories happen from around the half way mark. Freely admitting that some events probably didn't actually occur, the squirrel episode is but one hilarious moment that you hope was true but probably wasn't (I'm sure I read it elsewhere on the web, anyway, even if not so well told.) Later, you also sense that her `Lorry Friend' probably didn't exist either - but it makes a good tale all the same.
For a reader ten years older, of a different gender and nationality, the appeal of Crosley's work remains as an intimate insight into how a younger generation think, act and interpret the world. Her attitude to life, contrasting morality and general non-conformity continue to provide a refreshing read. The wise-cracks could maybe have been spread a little thicker in some chapters and tightened in others, but by the end the reader is right there wanting to pick her up when her life reaches a low.
Even if sometimes the `Fawlty Towers' line, "There's enough material there for a conference" crossed this reader's mind, Sloane Crosley should be reassured that in her 7 year residency she remains one of the brighter cookies in the jar that is New York City, and a third volume would be welcome.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A great funny sharp book that is easily digested as is in essay form - so great for the commute, or (like me) between dealing with the kids!
Sharp observations about living in New York which are easily translatable to any urban single living experience.
I also read 'I was told there'd be cake' which is the same - equally enjoyable, buy both!
Sharp observations about living in New York which are easily translatable to any urban single living experience.
I also read 'I was told there'd be cake' which is the same - equally enjoyable, buy both!
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
You know what made me read Sloane Crosley's first book (which is called "I was told there'd be cake" and is, ultimately, much better than this one)? One of the glossy magazines referred to her as the new Carrier Bradshaw. Funny, sexy, and now a New Yorker.
There is nothing much I can say about this book, which I finished today (one of my friends gave up after the first two essays). I would not recommend it as a book by a comedian or by a woman with a gorgeous sense of humour you can relate to. I don't think there are many people out there who would like to live in a house haunted by ghosts of suicidal prostitutes, or tell sad (almost verging on cruelty) stories about pet animals, or blow up a big deal out of the usage of tampons or pepper sprays. It might all sound good in Ms Crosley's mind, but not so exciting on the paper. The truly worth-reading essay is called "Light Pollution" (published in the Vice magazine some time ago), about the State of Alaska, which made me want to go and see it for myself even more than I wanted to before. But maybe it's just me.
Maybe you will enjoy this book of, in my opinion, quite unsatisfactory collection of stories, which might have had a potential were they not so badly administered by Ms Crosley's language. It seems that she is much too proud of her vocabulary and tends to construct sentences bursting with words that you never hoped to see within one paragraph. The sentences themselves are too long to grasp for a book which is, let's face it, no Booker prize, but merely a beach holiday read. This book is trying hard to be a sophisticated beach read. So sophisticated, that by the time you finish the sentence (that feels as long as a paragraph), you are not quite sure what the storyteller tried to tell us and, frankly, was it worth the effort?
Just when I was about to give up and braced myself for the last essay, not surprisingly called "Off the back of the truck", Sloane pulled a trick I haven't seen before. The story is not about furniture. The story is about relationships, deluded relationships and, to be more precise, break-ups. We have all been through at least one, but I haven't read a story so heartbreakingly real in describing all the break-up cycles you agonize through, all those questions, all those "time heals" mantras. That essay is one amazingly written piece of work of a broken heart. Brava, girl!
Maybe you will find your own gem in this collection of stories. Maybe you will love the book. Good luck. I was left a bit disappointed.
There is nothing much I can say about this book, which I finished today (one of my friends gave up after the first two essays). I would not recommend it as a book by a comedian or by a woman with a gorgeous sense of humour you can relate to. I don't think there are many people out there who would like to live in a house haunted by ghosts of suicidal prostitutes, or tell sad (almost verging on cruelty) stories about pet animals, or blow up a big deal out of the usage of tampons or pepper sprays. It might all sound good in Ms Crosley's mind, but not so exciting on the paper. The truly worth-reading essay is called "Light Pollution" (published in the Vice magazine some time ago), about the State of Alaska, which made me want to go and see it for myself even more than I wanted to before. But maybe it's just me.
Maybe you will enjoy this book of, in my opinion, quite unsatisfactory collection of stories, which might have had a potential were they not so badly administered by Ms Crosley's language. It seems that she is much too proud of her vocabulary and tends to construct sentences bursting with words that you never hoped to see within one paragraph. The sentences themselves are too long to grasp for a book which is, let's face it, no Booker prize, but merely a beach holiday read. This book is trying hard to be a sophisticated beach read. So sophisticated, that by the time you finish the sentence (that feels as long as a paragraph), you are not quite sure what the storyteller tried to tell us and, frankly, was it worth the effort?
Just when I was about to give up and braced myself for the last essay, not surprisingly called "Off the back of the truck", Sloane pulled a trick I haven't seen before. The story is not about furniture. The story is about relationships, deluded relationships and, to be more precise, break-ups. We have all been through at least one, but I haven't read a story so heartbreakingly real in describing all the break-up cycles you agonize through, all those questions, all those "time heals" mantras. That essay is one amazingly written piece of work of a broken heart. Brava, girl!
Maybe you will find your own gem in this collection of stories. Maybe you will love the book. Good luck. I was left a bit disappointed.
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