BOOK #68

Having 90+ books lying around my house finally paid off! Martin Scorcese just released a documentary about this author, Fran Lebowitz, on HBO titled "Publicly Speaking". She is a very funny woman. After watching it, I dug out her book. I remembered I had ordered it by its colorful cover. Does her humor translate to her essays? Yes and no. I thought she was more charming and funny in person than in her essays. Yet, this book was published in the late 70s so there is a huge difference between the Fran of the 70s and the Fran of 2010.

She's been compared to Dorothy Parker and some other great wits of the past. I think she has developed her own niche of NY smugness, high intellect and the always obvious refusal of modern technology. She drives a fifty year old restored cab, for god's sakes (which is very cool, BTW).

Some of the essays are dated and only mildly amusing. While the others are hilarious and highly quotable. I am sure somewhere there is more than one website devoted to exclusive Fran Lebowitz quotes. I know I put up a number of her quotes on my FB page.

I think, if you are traveling to New York, then take this along for the read on the plane. That would be about perfect.