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I Was Told There'd Be Cake: Essays

Sloane Crosley

Why we're reading this: Recommended by Marcy
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Sep 02, 2010 jess rated it liked it

Shelves: 2010, audiobook-d

I used to love the Sedaris/Burroughs/Rackoff/Vowell genre of dry, hilariously NPR-ready personal essays that walk a delicate line between hometown main street and midtown manhattan. I've spent weeks of my life listening to David, David & Sarah's audio books. I've poured over Augusten's childhood memories and discussed them at cocktail parties. In this genre it is best if you are gay (male) or have gay friends (female), grew up in a suburb, still speak to your parents, and majored in something un I used to love the Sedaris/Burroughs/Rackoff/Vowell genre of dry, hilariously NPR-ready personal essays that walk a delicate line between hometown main street and midtown manhattan. I've spent weeks of my life listening to David, David & Sarah's audio books. I've poured over Augusten's childhood memories and discussed them at cocktail parties. In this genre it is best if you are gay (male) or have gay friends (female), grew up in a suburb, still speak to your parents, and majored in something unmarketable or unremarkable that landed you on a path toward A. publishing or B. radio production. Maybe it's how Sloane fits into this context, or maybe I'm getting old, but there's something about her self-important Nice-ish White Jewish Girl from Westchester-cum-NYC-publishing-industry stories that are kind of, well, Yawn.

There are moments of goodness in this book, and true hilarity. I liked the Pony essay, although I imagine many people would struggle with it. I LOL'd at Mr. and Mrs. Universe and told the story to my family over dinner. Overall, though, Sloane is neither the kind of person I would aspire to be or the kind of person I'd necessarily find myself happy to be friends with. I certainly would never ask her to be a bridesmaid. Unable to relate to her as someone I'd want to be or know, and unable to find anything really special or interesting in her stories or point of view, I was just passing time while I sat through the audio book.

I am fully willing to admit that it's possible this book is extraordinary, touching, shining human brilliance, insight and hilarity and I missed it entirely. I just read it while I was PMS-ing, overly emotional, and wracked with job-related stress, but I suspect that other, sane, normal readers would take home the same impression: mediocre NYC-female memoir essays, with all the elements of teen struggle you haven't gotten over yet, roommates, apartments, jobs, bosses, the city, parents. Struggling with recipes and dinner parties, trying to be friendly with friends from high school you don't talk to anymore, satanic evil bosses, fellow bridesmaids, your friends' idiot boyfriends, all while trying to find your voice and your way in the world. It's relatable, but not extraordinary, and rings hollow with empty "insight." The writing style is a little too "self-aware English major writing a memoir," where the descriptions live somewhere between contrived and superfluous.

Also, her evil boss, Ursula? I've had worse. Buck up, pussycat. ...more

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