Pretty In Plaid: A Life, A Witch, And A Wardrobe, Or, The Wonder Years Before The Condescending, Egomanical, Self-Centered Smart-Ass Phase (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
I've read all of Jen Lancaster's books and just ordered her newest one. While I thoroughly enjoyed this one it didn't quite give me the same number of laugh out loud's that the others had. I read this one on my Kindle and wonder if I simply didn't read it with enough consistency. However, I still found Jen to be on her game and continue to look forward to each of her publications. I appreciate her candor and ability to laugh at herself. She adds a lot to the memoir genre. I really wish I could give this 2.5 stars but since half-stars are not an option, 2 feels more appropriate than 3. I've been working on not being such a picky reader and when I saw this at Goodwill on 50% off day for $1, I thought "why not"? The back cover referred to Lancaster as a "David Sedaris with pearls and a supercute [bad grammar from an excerpt in the book's summary should be a dead giveaway] handbag" so I was actually excited about reading this. The excitement quickly faded when two chapters in, it felt like I was reading something written by a 17-year-old.The book is flat, its authenticity questionable (most notably Vegas) and NOTHING like a Sedaris book, NOTHING. The narrative is confusing (especially for a memoir) because it switches between present and past tense and even though you get used to it, you never feel like you surpass a 7th grade reading level. Lancaster tries way too hard to be brutally funny and the footnotes are a 10 out of 10 regarding pointlessness; they're not cute and they're not funny, they're just annoying. Some parts made me laugh and overall, I thought it was an entertaining read, but there was absolutely nothing that would make me consider recommending it to anyone. All negativity aside, I wouldn't say no to another one of her "memoirs" but I definitely won't be going out of my way to find one. On a final note, for someone who is supposed to be "fashion savvy", her style has the same pulse of excitement as motel room wallpaper.
What do You think about Pretty In Plaid: A Life, A Witch, And A Wardrobe, Or, The Wonder Years Before The Condescending, Egomanical, Self-Centered Smart-Ass Phase (2009)?
Read her books. My cheeks hurt from laughing!
—lasouza
