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

My sister made me read this book. No, really, she did. There was a deal involved and as part of it I found myself downloading this book to my Kindle while on the phone with my sister. (I would like it noted for posterity that my sister has yet to keep her part of the bargain.)

At the beginning of the book I was thinking "Who is this Jen Lancaster? I hate her." I know she assured her readers she really was that bad but who believes that sort of assurance? In this case it's true, she really was that bad. I kept wondering why my sister wanted me to read this book. Was I that bad? Did she really think I could relate to this terrible person? OH MY GOD WHY DOES MY SISTER HATE ME?! You see where this was going.

But then I started laughing. show more First a little chuckle, then a guffaw, and finally some of that truly dignified laughing complete with streaming tears and some snorting. Because Jen Lancaster is funny. She knows who she is--good parts and bad--and she tells a great story. And she never hesitates to laugh at herself.

If I play my cards right my sister--who had better keep her part of the bargain--will buy me these books for many holidays to come. If you don't have a sister you might have to buy them yourself but, trust me, it's worth it. show less

I ended up re-reading this book yesterday because I needed something to make me laugh. I have always gotten a kick out of Jen Lancaster's older memoirs and even though I know them by heart, I still laugh each time. I think my main take away at reading this again after several years of reading her latest memoirs is that her older memoirs were more honest and up front about her life and family. Nowadays it feels like she always keeps things back. And she mentioned in one of her memoirs she was estranged from her family. And now it seems she is only estranged from her brother (who I loathed in this book and the others where he makes an appearance).

Jen Lancaster in her first memoir details how she and her now husband (then boyfriend and show more fiancee) were living the high life in Chicago, and then they were not. Due to the economy and dot.coms being on the upswing prior to 9/11 it seemed like the young and up and comers were making money hand over fist. And then Jen is fired due (according to her) her boss wanting to make sure that her family member got a job that Jen was already doing quite competently. From there we go from Jen being angry and then depressed when it becomes readily apparent she is not able to find a job that matches her skill level. When her boyfriend Fletch loses his job as well the two of them have to dig deep and move elsewhere while their finances keep spiraling out of control.

I liked seeing Jen go from being in her own words spoiled and realizing that the choices she made in life (spend thousands and thousands of dollars on stuff instead of saving it all) were partially to blame for the situation that she ended up at. Also I think this book really showcases how hard it is sometimes to trust people you work with cause they will stab you in the back to get ahead. I always wonder what happened with Jen and her co-worker that she was close to who she was trying to talk out of having an affair with some idiot they worked with. She like many of the characters in this book disappear never to be heard from again.

Ultimately Jen and Fletch make it out okay though they had a hard time in their lives.

I will say that since I read the other memoirs you can definitely see that Jen's writing and stories have gotten better over time. I found her a bit hard to take at times while re-reading this. And God knows I tend to not have a lot of sympathy with formerly upper middle class people who don't realize that saving their money is a good thing. But I feel for Jen since it was definitely a hard thing for her to swallow.

Jen's family is a bit much to deal with in book #1. I didn't care for her brother who seemed nasty and a piece of work. Her mother also seemed overly dramatic. We only get bits and pieces about her father though. And we learn enough about Fletch's family to understand why they are not part of their lives. When Jen delves into things like this, it really is when the book gets better. I really didn't get her obsession with her dogs, (I have a cat) and thought that some of that could have been cut. And maybe I am a jerk, but reading this years later, I don't understand why they kept two dogs that I am sure cost a lot for them to pay for when they were days away from being evicted from their apartment. Heck, it sounds like Jen gave her one dog to her parents before, so I am puzzled why that wasn't a solution here (just having the two days stay with her parents til they were back on their feet). show less

Loved it, loved it! Jen and her boyfriend Fletch are living high in Chicago; luxury apartment, designer clothes, fabulous social life, and then the bottom falls out. They both get laid off from their high-paying jobs. This memoir is all about what happens when you can't afford your old life anymore and you can't find a new job. Although there is an underlying ache of pathos in her stories she is hysterically funny. When she and Fletch decide to tie the knot they plan a fairly low-key affair in a Las Vegas hotel. Unfortunately that same hotel has booked an "adult film industry" convention for the same time frame. But, I think my favorite story was a now-overweight Jen picking up a Chicago marathon info kit (for a friend) at the show more convention center in the midst of thousands of spandex-clad hard bodies shooting her unbelieving glances and making rude comments. When a particularly thin young lady snarks "I thought this was a fitness fair, not Lane Bryant" Jen informs her that if they ever were to crash land in the Andes the thin ones would be happy to have Jen there as "all this extra fat would make me absolutely delicious!"
If you want 400 pages of laughs this is definitely the book for you! show less

Jen Lancaster’s memoir is an unflinching, yet deeply funny, look at herself and her over-the-top life. She is the embodiment of why I avoided sororities like the plague in college. She’s mean to everyone around her, always wants to be the center of attention, spends money like there’s no tomorrow and generally thinks she’s better than everyone on the planet. That being said, she can be hilarious and she understands that she is all of the above. She’s proudly proclaims, throughout the book, that she’s a “huge bitch.”

For the first half of the book I just couldn’t get past Jen’s general attitude towards those around her. Somewhere along the way (after getting laid off) she seems to recognize that humility isn’t a bad show more word and she becomes tolerable. She absolutely has a strong voice and a really funny way of describing things; I understand how she got a book deal after writing her blog. She’s personable and I felt like I knew both her and her husband Fletch.

Bottom line: Did I like reading Jen’s snarky memoir? Yes. Would I want her as a friend or co-worker? Absolutely not. show less

I thought I would hate this book. I put off reading it for so long (it's been in my queue for years), but I finally manned up and requested it from the library.

And I loved it.

I think I loved it because it's the story of a woman who is laid off and can't find a job. I can totally identify with that, um, right this minute.

But it was great. She has an excellent voice and definitely doesn't sugarcoat her personality.

I love Jen Lancaster! She isn't afraid to be her sarcastic self, just like me, and I love her for that. Not everyone can "get" her humor, but really, if you don't, you shouldn't be reading one of her books anyway. Big girls just seem to have their own brand of humor and sarcasm that smaller girls just don't get. Probably because smaller girls are happy and NOT bitter like Jen and the rest of the world's "big girls." My favorite anecdote was when she was picking up the packet at the marathon with all the fitness freaks. I think Jen did learn something along her unemployment journey, and all was not for naught. She learned that having the "best" and most expensive things isn't necessarily the best way to live, or what makes you happy. I show more appreciate her open, straight-forward, call-it-like-I-see-it attitude. It gives me hope that I too will make it through rough times and come out on top.

I would recommend any of Jen's books for anyone with an "attitude" or "sarcasm" problem. If you want an honest look at life in a down economy and need a laugh, Bitter should be your choice. Basically, this is for anyone that can appreciate good humor. show less

This book came highly recommended by several people and, after reading it, I can sort of see why. I thought the author was hilarious at moments and I definitely enjoyed her storytelling. I just found her annoying for a large portion of the book. I could totally see why companies wouldn't hire her if her attitude in interviews was even 70% of the attitude she portrays (though usually, I hope, tongue-in-cheek) in her memoir. She made me laugh, and laugh hard at many points, so I'll definitely continue to read her work--especially since Danielle says the second one is better than the first.