In the last few years, Amy Schumer has ascended into the upper echelons of celebrity. After a whirlwind break on the reality show Last Comic Standing, she went on to star in the acclaimed show Inside Amy Schumer and wrote and stared in the film Trainwreck. Amy is controversial, quick-witted, and was even named one of Barbara Walter's most fascinating people of the year. Naturally, I wanted to learn more about her.As other comedians have done, Schumer populates her book with a collection of essays. While they all contain bits of her biting humor, I was surprised at how many of these essays tackle serious issues. She juxtaposes hilarious descriptions of one night stands and dates with other celebrities with the darker story of being in an abusive relationship. We learn that beneath the hardened persona that the public sees on stage lies a vulnerable introvert who has known her fair share of heartache.
I went into The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo looking for laughs, but I came out of it with a deeper appreciation of Amy Schumer as a person. She writes of the moment she learned of two women who were shot to death at a screening of her film Trainwreck. When she says that she thinks about these women often and is determined that their memory never dies, I believe her. I admire that the tragedy inspired her to take action as an advocate against gun violence and as a voice for women's rights. The essay format naturally can be a bit disjointed, and this book is no different. Still, The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo showcases Shumer's talent as an entertainer and reveals a side of her that makes the book worth reading.
For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2017, 26)
I was on the fence about reading this but think I will pick it up. I've been playing a lot of the Zelda game and am almost finished so I can finally get some books going again. I never liked reading nonfiction books until recently when I discovered I loved "Let's Pretend This Never Happened". I realized books like that are my type of nonfiction and I'm guessing this book is written in that format.
ReplyDeleteI'd go a step further and recommend you listen to the audio version of this one. Schumer narrates the book, and I feel like this really adds to the experience.
DeleteI don't really have much to do with Amy Schumer myself. As someone who isn't a fan, I am very doubtful that I will read this one. But I am glad this one worked out so well for you. That you got more than the humor you bargained for.
ReplyDeleteI was pleasantly surprised that I liked this as much as I did.
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