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The Daily AztecThursday,
September 2, 201020 ENTERTAINMENTBETWEEN THE COVERS
Author’s sophomorenovel is bittersweet
Finished with the newest People maga-zine and dying for something to read witha little more substance than a tabloid?Well have no fear, Sloane Crosley is backwith another book chock-full of entertain-ing essays, perfect for browsing inbetween massive quantities of requiredreading material.
Unlike her last book, “I Was ToldThere’d Be Cake,” which consisted mainlyof comical tales about growing up and liv-ing in New York City, the newly released“How Did You Get This Number” is anemotional rollercoaster that, at times, getsa little dark, but then shoots right back upinto the light at breakneck speed.
After a painfully boring and utterlyuneventful first chapter, Crosley bringsit back to her hilarious trademarkmonologue with a style only a womanwill understand.
Sorry fellas, this book is definitely aNew York gal’s shout-out to the ladies.See, Crosley is the character womenhave been identifying with their wholelives. She is Liz Lemon; she is ElizabethBennet; she is Harriet the Spy. ExceptCrosley is not make-believe: She’s outthere somewhere experiencing life asthe everywoman.
This book, unlike its predecessor,focuses less on Crosley’s time spent inNew York and more on the relationships
she has developed in her time spent there.She also writes about her travels to differ-ent parts of the world, including an oddtale about a drunken night in Lisbon,Portugal and a depressing antic about get-ting kicked out of Paris. While the chap-ters previously mentioned are more oftenfunny than not, it’s the trip to Anchorage,Alaska that shows the reader a hauntingmemory from the author.
From that point on, Crosley gets moreserious in her writing, leaving little roomfor laughter and more space for thought-provoking clichés.
The final chapter is certain to be a tear-jerker for all those nursing a broken heart.Crosley reminisces about a relationshipthat was at first sweet and later went sourat the realization of her boyfriend’s scan-dalous affair with another woman. Sheparallels the story to a time she partook ina Manhattan furniture crime ring andappropriately titles the chapter “Off theBack of a Truck.” Here, Crosley identifieswith all the ladies who’ve been cheatedout of something worthwhile, and insteadof ending with a punch line she indirectlytells the reader to remember the lessonstheir elders taught them. She suggests it ismothers who know best and have likelylived through enough heartbreak to knowa thing or two about relationships.
Ending with a bittersweet note, onehopes Crosley will continue writingessays for all to enjoy. Hopefully nexttime, she’ll have a few happier tales to tell.
SSAARRAAHH GGRR II EECCOOM A N AG I N G E D I TO R
Title: How Did You Get This NumberAuthor: Sloane CrosleyPublisher: Riverhead TradeGrade: B+
New York native SloaneCrosley returns with a
new collection of essays.
Courtesy of Riverhead Press
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