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

Losing a job is terrifying and reading about it probably doesn’t sound like much fun either. However, Lancaster seems to be able to turn anything into a hysterical, fun-filled ride. That’s not to imply that Lancaster is flippant about her situation (though she is a tiny bit). Lancaster details quite honestly her life before and after the economic downturn and is very precise about the conditions and situations in which she and her husband find themselves. But she also manages to find the humor in their situations, like taking her Prada purse to the unemployment office.

Lancaster comes off as a little obnoxious in the beginning of this book, but I think that is important to the person she becomes through her financial trials. I really show more enjoyed this book and, like Lancaster’s other works, highly recommend it. 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

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 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