I Was Told There'd Be Cake

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 240 pages
• Published by: Riverhead Trade April 1, 2008
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 159448306X
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-1594483066
• Book Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Weighs: 4.8 ounces

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. This debut essay collection is full of sardonic wit and charm, and Crosley effortlessly transforms what could have been stereotypical tales of mid-20s life into a breezy series of vignettes with uproariously unpredictable outcomes. From the opening The Pony Problem to the hilarious Bring-Your-Machete-to-Work Day (which will ring true for any child of the early 1990s who played the first Oregon Trail computer game), Crosley is equal parts self-deprecating and endearing as she recounts her secret obsession with plastic ponies and the joys of exacting revenge via a pixilated wagon ride. In less capable hands, the subjects tackled—from unpleasant weddings of long-forgotten friends to horrendous first jobs—could have been a litany of complaints from yet another rich girl from the suburbs. But Crosley, who grew up in Westchester and currently lives in Manhattan, makes the experiences her own with a plethora of amusing twists: a volunteer job at the American Museum of Natural History leads to a moral quandary, and a simple Upper West Side move becomes anything but. Fans of Sarah Vowell's razor-sharp tongue will love this original new voice. (Apr.)
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Product Review
"Charming, elegant, wise, and comedic, these essays absolutely sparkle and entertain. Sloane Crosley is a 21st century Dorothy Parker, and this book is a gem and heralds a wry new voice in American letters. Gorgeous writing, outrageous humor-it's all here!"
-Jonathan Ames, author of Wake Up, Sir!

"Sloane Crosley is another mordant and mercurial wit from the realm of Sedaris and Vowell. What makes her so funny is that she seems to be telling the truth, helplessly."
-Jonathan Lethem, author of The Fortress of Solitude

Reader Reviews
While the writing is pretty good, and this collection of essays has its moments of cleverness, overall it's not as funny (by no means would I call it "hilarious") or interesting as hyped. The essays suffer somewhat from a steeping in twentysomething self-absorption/middle-class angst, and don't qualify for inclusion in the same league as David Sedaris and Dorothy Parker, because they lack a certain edginess. The stardard white-girl fare (first job, mean boss; being in a wedding), is, at times, mildly entertaining, but not particularly memorable. Bottom line: it's okay. Comment | | (Report this)