Gail Parent

A very funny take on a male chauvinist pig becoming, sort of, a feminist. Chock-a-block with awesome 70s references. The narrator often speaks directly to Gloria Steinem as if pleading his case to her and other feminists. Very Jewish Hollywood and New York.
From the perspective of 2010, the chauvinism he evinces at the start seems patently unbelievable. Was it really this bad? I am too young to know for sure, but am inclined to think it actually was.
The end of the book would probably be show more more radical if written today. It's black humor. I wonder if Parent meant it to seem somewhat sad that the man is losing his hyper-masculine edge? It is so nostalgic for the good old days when men were men and women were there to be used by men. One of those books that was called 'relevant' at the time. Now it exists as a window into a bygone era and one that was laughably mock-able even when it was happening. show less

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Filled with zingers and wisecracks, but poignant too. Super glad girdles are not part of my daily life.

DO YOU WANT TO LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE PEOPLE LIE ABOUT CALORIES? Thirty-five years after I first read this book, I still laugh out loud. Achingly funny.

This book is not at all what I thought it would be. It's a straightforward book, and I didn't find any mystery or tension in it as I thought there would be.

On the other hand, there is something in this book that makes you want to read it until it ends. I fell in love with the heroine of the novel, with her wit and humor, and although there was nothing in the book that I was looking to read, I finally felt a desire to read some more of it.