She is the quirky girl artist. I always wish her books would be funnier. She so wants to be Sarah Vowell. She just doesn’t make it to that level. I keep reading her books, however. Book #23 of my 2005 Book List, finished reading it on 7-9-05.

I'm consistently entertained, even if not blown away, when listening to Laurie Notaro's comic essays on audio. Hillary Huber is always an outstanding narrator, and although some of the pieces sound like filler, there is enough that is truly funny to keep me listening.

Non-Fiction, Short Stories. I wouldn't call Notaro the dorkiest girl alive, but she has her moments. These are just short little snapshots: the giant rat haunting her kitchen, a few minutes spent searching for her drunken husband in a mass of St. Patrick's Day partiers, her strange obsession with the guy who works at the pet food store. Notaro herself is sort of all over the place -- aren't we all, even if it's just in the privacy of our own heads? -- but she's also more or less equally sarcastic and sympathetic, and her writing is smart, breezy, and familiar, like reading someone's journal. There was one story, The Midas Touch, that totally baffled me in the concluding paragraphs, and took some hard minutes of thinking before I figured out what she was trying to say, but I'm willing to pass that off as a fluke because the rest of the book is very easy to read.

More essays from Laurie’s life. Not as funny as her first few, but maybe that’s because I’m getting used to her. I do like reading about her neighbors, her mother and her job. She’s got a great turn of phrase and I’m usually smiling when I read.

This book kicks ass!!! Like all her others do. If you love short stories/essays or just love to laugh until you cry you will absolutely love her style. Also it is pretty easy to relate to some of these stories.

Laurie Notaro is cranky yet lovable, which makes me enjoy and appreciate her stories. while not necessarily the most well written book, she makes up for it in the giggle department.

my favorite chapter was the one where Laurie has a farting incident in a bookstore bathroom. then moments later, realizes that a woman who witnessed said events is the only person who showed up for her book reading. the mortification was obvious. and fart stories always make laugh.

So freakin' funny!

Another funny one from Laurie Notaro! I find myself liking her personal stories better than her fiction, but only slightly. Any book that can make me guffaw out loud and exclaim "I've totally done that!" is tops on my list. :)

If you like books that contain sentence after sentence jam-packed with metaphors, this book is for you. (Some single sentences ACTUALLY contain TWO metaphors!)

I read somewhere that Notaro's books are written with "acerbic wit"... huh? In my opinion, her words feel labored and inauthentic, robbing her stories of any endearing qualities. Remember the old "Kathy" comics? That's what this book reminded me of, which is why I only got half-way through before abandoning it out of sheer annoyance.

i was disappointed. okay, i had no idea who this author was or what her style was, so perhaps that was why. i was expecting stories about a bad childhood, stupid things that happened to her, etc. instead, it was just like seinfeld, dooce, shenuts, and every other blog. ‘ebay should have training wheels’ shit like that.
the last few chapters were okay, and i laughed out loud twice during them.
but overall, i’m sad that i spent the money on this book. just not what i was expecting nor what i wanted to read.

I always enjoy Laurie Notaro's essays. Here, she offers tales that are absurd and stories that are wonderful blends of wit and warmth. I can count on Notaro to make me laugh, and know I have to be careful where I read her work. Having a giggle fit in an open-space work environment, even if it is lunchtime, can be embarrassing.

The subtitle says it all - "True Tales of the Dorkiest Girl Alive". I thought that was me, but after reading Notaro's tales of everyday life, I have to say she's got the crown. Laurie is back with tales of her day-to-day struggle through life, and she's funnier than ever.

Witness "I'm Gonna Kick Your Ass", which is said not to a person, but to his hair. The completely weenie-ass kid at the pet food store, the one who can barely lift a 20 lb bag of dog food into Laurie's cart, has Flippy Hair. Yes, the hair that every girl in the 70s wanted to have - desperately. Laurie is so entranced by this kid's hair that she actually threatens the hair (under her breath, of course). When her hubby demands to see this guy and the damn Flippy Hair, things take an even stranger turn... Never underestimate the power of a good 'do.

I also give her a big "Hell Yeah!" for "Attack of the XL Girl". Laurie is confronted with fat discrimination when shopping with her cute friend in several boutiques. Yeah, fat discrimination - not because they won't wait on her but because these lame-ass stores don't carry anything larger than an 8. Maybe a 10, if you're lucky. Considering that Notaro wears - gasp! - a 14, which is evidently way too fat to shop in said stores. As Notaro points out to several sales clerks, a 14 is pretty much the AVERAGE size of the American female. Even worse? Some stores did have her size, but they kept them stowed away in a back room of the store, much too embarassed that there might be clients that size. I was right there with her in my outrage. I'm sorry, but considering anything about an 8 to be "plus-size" is just evil. If you're going to market your clothing that way, put something on the damn sign outside - "Fashions for the Painfully Thin" or "Clothes for the Very Trim".

The best one of all, though, has to be "Curse of the Squinky Eye". Never heard of the Squinky Eye? I bet you've had one before. Really, you have! Ever have one of your eyelids start twiching on you, sort of spasmodically, not really enough to be noticeable but enough to drive you nuts? Yeah, you've had the Squinky Eye!

Do yourself a favor and find this book, along with the others by Notaro. You won't be sorry!