Bitter is the New Black: Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass,Or, Why You Should Never Carry A Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office
Jen is a vice-president at a major finance firm in Chicago. She is very high-maintenance, spoiled, and self-involved. But when her world comes crashing down in the post 9/11 recession, she is forced to re-evaluate her life. But she fights it all the way. And she does it with humor, sarcasm, and bluntness.
my review: I decided to read this memoir after reading a review of it by Rebecca from Lost in Books.
This book was incredibly funny with its biting humor. Reading about Jen's search for a job, from those equal to what she was doing and eventually down to a barrista at Starbucks, while scary in this economic climate, was hilarious. Jen and her fiance', Fletch, who also has job problems of his own, struggle to maintain their lifestyle, but deal with eviction, repossesion, and almost get to the point of moving in with her parents. She is not particularly PC and even though she is a Republican :), I couldn't help but like this strong-willed woman and enjoyed her antics. She eventually begins blogging about her adventures and gains a following, which led to the writing of this book.
This was the perfect antidote for what ailed me. I will definitely be checking out more of her work.
my rating: 4/5 ( )

This book was absolutely hilarious. I've read it at least three times and each time makes me laugh. If you're looking for something with a little edge to it, this is for you! Bitter is most definitely the new black!

Opening Sentence: '…"Camille said you stole a bag from a homeless guy"...'

This is a very hard book to review, have really mixed feelings about it. The sub-title is 'Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smart ass,Or, Why You Should Never Carry A Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office' and in this sense the author hold nothing back. You want to slap her and hug her all at the same time. She would describe herself as straightforward - I think at times she verges on down right malicious, and of course you are only hearing her side of the story.

I am not sure that I like her as a person - she certainly would be exhausting to have as a friend. Jen is a selfish, unsympathetic character but son the odd occasion when she was saying the things she was saying - I have to admit that I agreed with her - just wouldn't have the guts to say them myself. Mind you this was the very odd occasion, more often my mouth dropped to the floor in horror over what she was saying and doing.

Her boyfriend (then husband) Fletch stood by her, mostly letting her get on with it - ignoring the constant tantrums, and shopping expeditions. When he put his foot down though, and he did, Jen listened. Then Jen loses her high paying job, and Fletch loses his, times got really tough. I really admired how they stuck together and supported one another.

So what did I like about this novel? Jen had to learn some hard lessons and rearrange her priorities. She learned not to blow thousands of dollars on senseless things, and learned some respect for menial jobs, and she kept on fighting the system, uncowed, even when at the bottom of despair. However the experience didn't change who she was inside, and you could see that Miss 'high and mighty' was still there lurking and the self serving princess would be back as soon as the good times return.

There were several laugh out loud moments which saved the book - the highlight of these being her wedding; held in Las Vegas, where, unfortunately a porn convention (sorry - Adult Entertainment Expo) was being held at the same time. The only time in the book where her insistence on being the centre of attention was justified.

So what didn't I like - well a lot to be honest - Jen is a very selfish cow of a woman. I am not sure what she feels gives her the right to speak her mind whenever she wants. Yes, some people in the world are rude and horrible - but what if we all gave voice to our opinions whenever we felt like it? In a sense she is an utter bully. If I worked with her - I certainly would never trust her. Those who live by the sword - die by the sword, as evidenced by her friend selling her out over a job by pointing out how Jen had stupidly written how horrible and organisation was on her blog - then went for a job there. Hello!!!!!

I won't read any more of her books. ( )

Wonderful memoir from a woman who says what we would all love to say. ( )

We all know the Divas of the Workplace -- they're usually easy to spot. Whether you work in a chain store, a restaurant or an office, Power Women permeate every cell of the place. Jen Lancaster was one of these ladies -- intense and hard-working but also intensely spoiled. Not very many years out of college, she'd already landed a six-figure job as an associate vice president at an investment research firm in Chicago, where she lived with her long-time boyfriend Fletch.

Jen is a self-proclaimed narcissist, so we can't hold any of her hubris against her -- or so we're told. She's beautiful, rich and important, a lethal combination for any numbskulls who make the mistake of crossing her . . . or just crossing in her path. Life carries along just fine for Ms. Lancaster -- filled to the brim with expensive shoes, clothing and an enviable lifestyle -- until the economy begins to tank around 2001. Now I'm not all about the corporate lingo, but anyone could see terms like "merger" and "lay-offs" were going to spell disaster for our heroine. When she finds the ax has come down, she's been efficiently chopped out of her comfortable life, possibly forever.

Bitter Is The New Black: Confessions Of A Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass, Or, Why You Should Never Carry A Prada Bag To The Unemployment Office, aside from bearing one of the longest subtitles I've ever seen, is a hilarious, often poignant look at Jen's fall from grace -- and her eventual reckoning with who she once was in order to change.

Jen is larger than life, a bit crass but always truthful, and I absolutely loved the fact that she was honest with herself and about herself. Bitter Is The New Black is really her journey out of corporate life and into a whole new life -- one as a writer. But way beyond that, it's about a serious paradigm shift -- yes, I just used the work paradigm, who's pretentious now? -- that forces her to reclassify everything in her life that's important. Suddenly the purchase of a $6,500 couch that once seemed life or death for Jen is seen as a terrible, terrible misuse of funds (thank goodness they didn't really buy it). When unemployment checks begin to run out for both she and Fletch, all the dollars dropped on those Kate Spade bags and designer clothes? A waste. When you can't pay your electricity and face constant harrassment from your landlord about getting behind on rent, living hand-to-mouth, nothing in your life can be the same.

Because things get bad for Jen and Fletch. Scary bad. Knot-in-my-stomach bad. They were never in danger of losing a roof over their head -- they always had Jen's parents in Indiana to fall back on -- but they were definitely in some hot water. And it was only through their perserverance and ability to stick together that brought them through that.

Oh, and because Jen is one wickedly hilarious writer.

Bloggers in particular will appreciate Jen's riches-to-rags-to-riches story, mostly because everything turned around after her blog Jennsylvania began to take off. Much like Julie Powell of Julie & Julia fame, we see the power of the Internet -- and the written word -- in action.

If you're looking for a funny read with a very healthy dash of comeuppances mixed into articulate but chatty prose, Jen Lancaster is your best bet. Laurie Notaro is still my reigning Queen of the Hilarious Memoir, but I'm totally willing to invite Lancaster to court. ( )

I was skeptical at first. I wanted to dislike Jen. But even at here worst moments I found her honesty refreshing. Her self-deprecating humor made me laugh and I was really rooting for her by the end. This was one of those books that you read in one sitting, because you can't bear to put it down. ( )

Snarky to the max! ( )

This book is absolutly funny! I can not seem to put I down! Jen is great, she has the same problem I have, I say what other people think. I like this book so much that I ordered another one of her books, if you are looking for something to make you laugh out loud than this is it. I have reccommended this book to all my friends.

I have finished the book and all I can say is FUNNY! Jen Lancaster is witty with her words, this is a must read. This book is a guaranteed to make you laugh till it hurts book. ( )

Honestly one of the funniest books Ive read in a long time... I cant recall ever really laughing out loud while reading a book and this book had me laughing non stop. Especially her voicemail on page 389, I was laughing so hard I cried.

The story itself is very good, it shows you that even in hard times if you never give up you can make the best out of the situation. Jen is a very hard worker and despite her attitude sometimes she never had anything handed to her. I totally respect that.

Jen is an awesome writter and I definitely recommend this book. I cant wait for my book club meeting Wednesday, Im anxious to hear what all my ladies thought about my pick. I wish I could give this 6/5 stars! ( )

Jen Lancaster is SO funny... and she's also real. This book outlines the beginning of her writing career and the depths she got to before finding her gift. A great read. ( )

Book Overview
I usually don't like to use the blurbs on the back of the book to do my story overviews, but the one on this book is just too good to pass up:

This is the story of how a haughty former sorority girl went from having a household income of almost a quarter of a million dollars to being evicted from a ghetto apartment. It's a modern Greek tragedy, as defined by Roger Dunkle in The Classical Origins of Western Culture: a story in which "the central character, called a tragic protagonist or hero, suffers some serious misfortune which is not accidental and therefore meaningless, but is significant in that the misfortune is logically connected." In other words, the bitch had it coming.

In many ways, this is a classic Greek tragedy -- if you use Greek in the sorority sense and tragedy in the sense of "spending and not saving leads to a complete change in lifestyle once the dot com boom falls apart." At the start of the book, Jen Lancaster is living the dream -- a well-paying job, a to-die-for apartment in a ritzy section of Chicago, a live-in boyfriend, Prada handbags, designer shoes, regular highlight appointments at a trendy salon -- in other words, the lifestyle that many bright young people enjoyed during the dot com craziness when money seemed to grow from trees.

Then things start to fall apart. First, Jen is laid off for reasons that remain somewhat murky -- but seem to be due to the fact that her boss doesn't care for her straight talk and competence. Seeing this as a minor blip, Jen doesn't realize the gravity of the situation at first. Surely someone as competent as her would be able to get another job easily. But the jobs seems to dry up overnight -- and not just the executive level jobs she's enjoyed in the past. All jobs. She can't even get hired for a retail position.

Despite her increasingly lower standards, no employment opportunities come her way -- despite daily efforts to locate another job. So she starts a blog (which I suspect was a rarity back in the good old days of 2003) and starts writing about her life and job search efforts. (Eventually, her smart ass comments about companies that reject her actually cost her a shot at a job.) The years go by and nothing appears. Money is getting tighter and tighter -- and her former lifestyle of "easy come, easy go" money begins to catch up to her. Selling her handbags on eBay barely stems the increasingly hard to meet rent payments. So Jen does what any good woman would do -- gets married in order to get lots of gifts!

Yet even the wedding doesn't pull her and her new husband Fletch out of an increasingly dire financial situation. They face the inevitable -- a move to a less expensive neighborhood. But then even Fletch loses his job and falls into depression. Things gets worse and worse, and they begin contemplating the unthinkable: moving in with the parents. But at the last moment, Fletch manages to secure a job. And, at long last, Jen finally receives a job offer and -- almost simultaneously -- inquiries about her writing. (Her blog Jennsylvania has grown quite popular and some publications and a literary agent take notice.) She faces a classic dilemma -- take the job that will offer financial security or pursue her dream of writing? What to do? What to do? The fact that Jen Lancaster just released her fourth book -- Pretty In Plaid -- answers this question nicely.

My Thoughts
Putting aside my intense jealousy of her writing success and the fact that she "rose out of the blogosphere," I must admit that I loved this book. Jen Lancaster's writing style is funny, brash and in-your-face -- the reader can totally see why her blog became incredibly popular. And her use of footnotes must be admired -- I've never seen an author since Dave Egger's A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius make such good use of this underused literary device. Treating herself almost as a larger than life protagonist, Jen Lancaster is a person you would want to hang out with -- but maybe not work for.

Her stories all have the ring of truth but come off as so dramatic and hysterical. She has a knack for self-depreciation mixed with smartassedness (not sure if that is really a word) that makes what might be a boring story in lesser hands turn into comedy gold. Her story of trying to discover which neighbor is stealing her Wall Street Journal is a stellar example of this. If a less talented writer had written it, it might go something like this:

Someone is taking my Wall Street Journal. I decide to find out who and set up a stakeout to find out. The guy in 3F seems like he might be the thief, but he takes USA Today instead. The lady with the big boobs from 2C walks right by. But seeing her drink her coffee reminds me I have to pee really bad as I've already had 6 cups of coffee.

In Jen Lancaster's hands, it sounds more like this:

Wait, I think I see something.....The guy in 3F has just left his apartment -- WHY DON'T YOU PICK UP THAT GODDAMNED TRASHBAG --and is heading down the catwalks. I grab the phone while holding the binoculars steady, fingers itching to dial 911. Aha! He's stopping to grab a paper! Thief! Thief! You are so busted, motherfu--Oh, damn. He took USA Today. At least that proves he's a moron. And I still really have to pee. However, I'll ignore the physical discomfort because I'm committed to seeing this through.

Uh-huh, here comes President Jugs out of 2C, bouncing down the stairs. Boing, boing, boing. She just bought an Audi convertible and still has her Mercedes. You'd think with all that extra cash she could afford a bra with decent support. She pauses to take a pull from her travel coffee mug. Oh, please don't drink that. Can't stand the idea of more liquid. Am crossing my legs at this point. But I must focus to catch this criminal. And jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, she's headed for my paper ... and walks right past it. She heads out the door and I see her drive away. So she's innocent. For now.

Let us all be happy Jen Lancaster decided to pursue writing instead of taking another high-paying corporate position. This way, we're all the richer for it ... not just her.

My Final Recommendation
Fun and filled with attitude, this book is a fast read that will leave you wanting more -- good thing she wrote three other books after this one! And underneath all the humor, snarkiness and wit, there are some important reminders about what is really important in life -- and guess what, it isn't a Prada bag. I will definitely be reading more by this author. If you want to get a feel for Jen Lancaster, I recommend a visit to her blog Jennsylvania. ( )

I had to re-read this book after I got laid off for my job. It was a relief to hear about someone going through the same struggles as I face. Jen, tells it how it is. If you are looking for a book that's savvy and will make you hoot and holler, and if you have soft spot for gucci, prada, or kate spade, you will enjoy this memoir! ( )

Great read. Was even more fun to know that the story was true. ( )

Funny Funny Funny. Lancaster is a bit older than me, but from time to time I could hear people I know in her expressions – which were good for an extra laugh. It is neat to watch someone transform through the course of a book, although it is apparent that Lancaster has always been true to herself, even in her transformation. Also, it was quite brave of her to write about herself for the whole world to read. A great book. I think I will pick up some of her other books.

Anyone who likes chick lit will probably like this little gem of a memoir. ( )

Talk about a hard book to get your hands on - all of these Jen Lancaster books that I hear about all of the time are highly sought after in many communities. My library doesn't carry any of them, so I resorted to trying my best with used book stores and swapping. I ended up not reading it as soon as I got it because I was afraid I had too high of expectations from the anticipation, but I just finished it yesterday and I loved it.
I used to read memoirs exclusively because it gives a book an extra kick (in my opinion) when the situations are real and you know they aren't exaggerating for more readers (now, I will admit I did get scammed by James Frey and his Million Little Pieces, but I have read many many other great memoirs to make up for it). The book mostly centers around Jen, her husband Fletch, and their troubles with money. As you may be able to figure out from the extended title (Bitter is the New Black: Confessions of a condescending, egomaniacal, self-centered smart-ass, or why you should never carry a Prada bag to the unemployment office), Jen loses her job and is faced with many decisions and situations accordingly. It seemed especially appropriate to read right now because of our economy, even though the book is based in the early 2000's. I laughed out loud in many parts, and even found myself second guessing the way she reacted to some situations, but as I said, memoir means real (usually), which added some spice. ( )

Hilarious! One of the best authors of chick lit. Laugh out loud funny. ( )

Delightful!! ( )

This book starts off making me cringe for the author as I know she really does deserve what I know must be coming. Her honesty is really something and her humor even more. I laughed while reading and cried at the end. She found redemption in seeing her foolish ways of the past and she "got it", meaning that she understood her new priorities. Such a wonderful read for the humor as well as the life lesson learned. One of my favorites. ( )

This was the funniest, most laugh-out-loud read that I've ever had the pleasure of reading!! I literally laughed myself to tears and a rib ache! And although I'm not much into memoirs, it definitely added to the enjoyability of this book. Jen is real. Her situation is real. And she makes no bones about how she feels about it all. From her high profile job raking in the dough, to being evicted from her apartment to live in the 'ghetto and selling her prized bags on e-bay, she keeps searching for a job knowing that she has something to offer. Jen's relationship with Fletch is one that we all dream of. He truly loves her unconditionally, and their communication skills are to be admired. I loved this book so much, I'm now a follower of her website and can't wait to crack the spine of the other 3 books that she's written since Bitter is the New Black. Really...you HAVE to read this book! ( )

This book was a lot better than I initially thought it would be. I had reservations because I'm one of those oddballs who doesn't like the Shopaholic series and thought Becky was an annoying twit. However I did enjoy Save Karyn (which the author also mentioned at one point) and so decided to give it a go. I'm glad I did. I think there are a lot of lessons that can be learned from the author's experience, and her tongue in cheek sense of humour and way of putting her experiences forth makes it not sound like your grandmother giving you the 'back when I was your age' lesson.

Some favourite bits:

-I loved when Fletch is explaining about why she's eligible for and should take advantage of unemployment benefits how she asks "Are you about to start singing about how a bill becomes a law?". Squee. She's a bit older than I am but gotta love the Schoolhouse Rock tie-ins. Unfortunately I now have the Simpsons version of it in my head. On a more serious note, it reminded me of how many people didn't always take advantage of the opportunities provided to them--there's a big difference between being a dole bludger and taking advantage of a system developed for such situations. I think that in the unlikely event I do find myself in her situation I will heed her advice and not take a Prada bag. Lucky for me, it would have to be Kate Spade ;) The Kate Spade is authentic, from what I can tell. They're made in Korea and sold cheaply there. The Burberry is a China Town original :D

-I liked her theory and decision process on starting the website. Publishing has changed so much in the last five years and it seems that a lot of book deals are coming from blogs and vice versa in that you can almost now count on a favourite author having a blog. I also think the nature of blogs can lead to a book, whether it be something like this, any of the Written Road authors, or even Belle du Jour. Different topics, different situations but all maintain contact via a web presence. Now only if I hadn't been so lazy with my own :)

- Totally get the 'if onlys' wherein you realise what you could have had 'if only' you hadn't spent $X on Y. Hello, beanie babies? A lot of other stuff I buy second hand but I also have a fair bit of body products and hardcover books that are really taking up space. At least Half.com has proved useful for DVDs and the like. She mentions listing some of her bags and clothes on eBay but due to the nature of her book not being a blow by blow account--which kept it interesting--we don't know whether she was successful. I really need to read back through her website, she's quite the engaging writer. ( )

Very entertaining, if sometimes off-putting, account of a woman who describes herself accurately (in the subtitle). Too much success, too soon sets Jen up to an unsustatinable lifestyle when she and Fletch lose their jobs in the same week. Still, she continues to view and cope with the harsh realities of life, off-putting as they are, through her skewed but laugh-out-loud lens. ( )

I just finished Bitter is the New Black, by Jen Lancaster. I've been reading it for a while now, probably 2-3 months. It was my bed-time book. I usually have at least two books going, one to read before bed and one to drag around with me. I chose Jen's book to read before bed because I knew it was a memoir and since I follow her blog, there isn't that anticipation to see if she survives. I know she's still alive, so no tragedy befalls the heroine. The reason it took me so long to finish is because I don't always read before bed. Sometimes I'm just too tired, or not in the mood. I read blogs at night on the computer and sometimes I am done reading and just need to close my eyes.

As for Jen's book, I really loved it. I am enjoying Such a Pretty Fat a little more but I'll review that when I'm done. Jen is a woman who I wouldn't have liked very much when the memoir started. She was mean, entitled, and someone who would have made me cry if I had to work with her. The Jen I read about now could totally be my friend. Bitter is the New Black is essentially a book about a woman who keeps getting knocked down a peg, and then another, until she reaches bottom. Through her struggles, she always looks cute, which is very important. It's one of those books that is supposed to be funny and it is, but it's also heartbreaking because of all she and her husband lost. In the end, they are ok and have learned from their past mistakes. I do recommend picking up one of Jen's books if you want to laugh. A lot. I've got to go out and get Bright Lights Big Ass soon. Jen, if you are reading this? You are awesome! ( )

I liked this book better than Bright Lights, Big Ass which I actually read first even though it's Jen's second book. This book made me laugh out loud several times and I felt much more sympathy for Jen than I did in Bright Lights, Big Ass. ( )

I bought this book because of the title, I'm a sucker for a sassy title. I read the book because once I got started, I couldn't walk away. I tried, my TBR pile is very high. I liked it in one part because I did 26 years Hard Time in Chicago, so I knew where she was.
Many of the Gen X kids are hitting thirty, getting fired, finding out that the world is not made of money and they are not the center of anything. Jen Lancaster writes about this in prose that is sometimes grating because she is so self-centered, but sometimes makes me wonder what our generation did to make our kids think this way. Having said that, the book is terribly funny, I found myself laughing out loud and reading bits to my husband, who mostly didn't get it. Well worth the price. ( )

Just plain hilarious. Laugh out loud in public until people stare at you hilarious. ( )