Bossypants

Bossypants
AuthorTina Fey
Audio read byTina Fey
LanguageEnglish
GenreAutobiography
PublisherLittle, Brown and Company
Publication date
April 5, 2011
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint
Pages277
ISBN0-316-05686-3
LC ClassPN2287.F4255 A3 2011

Bossypants is an autobiographical comedy book written by the American comedian Tina Fey.[1][2][3] The book topped The New York Times Best Seller list, and stayed there for five weeks upon its release.[4] As of November 2014, the book has sold over 2.5 million copies since its debut, according to Nielsen BookScan.[5] Additionally, Fey's Grammy nominated narration of the audiobook has sold over 150,000 copies on Audible.com.[6] A paperback reprint edition was released in January 2012, from Reagan Arthur Books, an imprint of Little, Brown. The front cover features hand model and actor Joe Rosario.

Background

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Fey holding a copy of Bossypants on her book tour at a Barnes & Noble in New York City April 8, 2011.

In 2008, the prospect of a Tina Fey book was reportedly the subject of a bidding war among publishers, which led to an advance of $6 million.[7] As part of her deal with Little, Brown & Co., a gift was made to the New York-based Books for Kids Foundation.[8]

Reception

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Bossypants received greatly positive reviews, Janet Maslin for The New York Times calls Bossypants "a spiky blend of humor, introspection, critical thinking and Nora Ephron-isms for a new generation."[1] Katie Roiphe for Slate is favorable toward the humor in Bossypants, especially how Fey wields jokes as a personal display of power.[9] The book was also praised by Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times, who wrote, "...any concern that Fey, like so many before her, has been ruined by fame is quickly dispelled by Bossypants, a book that reminds you why Fey has succeeded where so many have failed — because she is precise, professional and hilarious."[10] Ellen Wernecke of The A.V. Club similarly said of Fey, "The artistry of her autobiography-turned-polemic raises the bar for every comedian who dares put cursor to Word doc."[11]

It received a more mixed review from Carole Cadwalladr of The Observer, however, who opined, "There's lots to enjoy, particularly if you are, as I am, a Tina Fey fan girl. It's just the bookiness of it. Fey is out of her genre, and it shows: it takes an age to get going, and it's less like prose non-fiction than a sketch comedy in book form, with a disproportionate number of one-liners, not all of which work."[12]

References

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  1. ^ a b Maslin, Janet (3 April 2011). "'Bossypants' by Tina Fey – Review". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
  2. ^ Fey, Tina (2011). Bossypants. New York: Little, Brown and Co. ISBN 978-0-316-05686-1.
  3. ^ Fey, Tina; Narrated by Tina Fey (2011). Bossypants (Audiobook). London: Hachette Audio.
  4. ^ "Bestsellers: Hardcover Nonfiction". The New York Times. 24 April 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
  5. ^ Lewis, Andy (November 13, 2014). "Amy Poehler, Lena Dunham Books Debut on Par With Tina Fey's Megahit". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
  6. ^ Bosman, Julie (October 2, 2011). "Stars Will Read Amazon Unit's New Audio Book Series". Media Decoder (blog). The New York Times. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  7. ^ Kelly, Keith J. (October 1, 2008). "Fey Eyes Big Pay Day: Publishers Toss $6m Book Offer for '30 Rock' Star". New York Post. Archived from the original on September 8, 2012. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  8. ^ Neyfakh, Leon (October 3, 2008). "Little, Brown Will Publish Tina Fey Book". The New York Observer. Archived from the original on October 4, 2008. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  9. ^ Roiphe, Katie (30 March 2011). "Tina Fey's Tough Girl Feminism: The rough humor in Fey's new book Bossypants is exactly what the movement needs". Slate.com. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
  10. ^ McNamara, Mary (April 4, 2011). "Review: 'Bossypants' by Tina Fey is funny and heartfelt". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  11. ^ Wernecke, Ellen (April 28, 2011). "Tina Fey: Bossypants". The A.V. Club. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  12. ^ Cadwalladr, Carole (23 April 2011). "Bossypants by Tina Fey – review". The Observer. Retrieved September 30, 2016.