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The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo
Goodreads Choice Award
Winner for Best Humor (2016)The Emmy Award-winning comedian, actress, writer, and star of Inside Amy Schumer and the acclaimed film Trainwreck has taken the entertainment world by storm with her winning blend of smart, satirical humor. Now, Amy Schumer has written a refreshingly candid and uproariously funny collection of (extremely) personal and observational essays.
In The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, Amy mines her past for stories about her teenage years, her family, relationships, and sex and shares the experiences that have shaped who she is - a woman with the courage to bare her soul to stand up for what she believes in, all while making us laugh.
Ranging from the raucous to the romantic, the heartfelt to the harrowing, this highly entertaining and universally appealing collection is the literary equivalent of a night out with your best friends - an unforgettable and fun adventure that you wish could last forever. Whether she's experiencing lust-at-first-sight while in the airport security line, sharing her own views on love and marriage, admitting to being an introvert, or discovering her cross-fit instructor's secret bad habit, Amy Schumer proves to be a bighearted, brave, and thoughtful storyteller that will leave you nodding your head in recognition, laughing out loud, and sobbing uncontrollably - but only because it's over.
In The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, Amy mines her past for stories about her teenage years, her family, relationships, and sex and shares the experiences that have shaped who she is - a woman with the courage to bare her soul to stand up for what she believes in, all while making us laugh.
Ranging from the raucous to the romantic, the heartfelt to the harrowing, this highly entertaining and universally appealing collection is the literary equivalent of a night out with your best friends - an unforgettable and fun adventure that you wish could last forever. Whether she's experiencing lust-at-first-sight while in the airport security line, sharing her own views on love and marriage, admitting to being an introvert, or discovering her cross-fit instructor's secret bad habit, Amy Schumer proves to be a bighearted, brave, and thoughtful storyteller that will leave you nodding your head in recognition, laughing out loud, and sobbing uncontrollably - but only because it's over.
323 pages, Hardcover
First published July 25, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 9,474 reviews
August 16, 2016
I liked this book more than Amy Poehler's or Issa Rae's or Ellen DeGeneres' or Sloane Crosley's or Laurie Notaro's. I liked it less than Mindy Kaling's or Caitlin Moran's or Lindy West's or Roxane Gay's or Jessi Klein's or Melissa Broder's or Tina Fey's. But more than anything else I am grateful that there are so many interesting, troubled, funny, wise, extraordinary female voices that I can read and relate to and be horrified and inspired by.
October 23, 2019
I am not impressed.
Amy was very inconsistent. She asked readers not to judge her - but she judged others. So... I AM going to judge her. It's not that I don't feel some amount of heart compassion for this young woman-- but she doesn't make me feel proud.
She said she wasn't going to give advice - but she did give advice.....'several times'.
Even when I agreed with a couple of her advice tips - her delivery was righteous-aloof and cold.
Most of the time I was bored. Did I really need to listen to her TIME SCHEDULE of her work day with her staff....of peeing, listening to staff going down on girls, talking about their lunch, playing on YouTube, and eating snacks? Oh and the 40 plus things Amy listed that we don't know about her were only semi-interesting. Nothing stands out on that list that really inspires me. She doesn't like to jump out of airplanes, ( so? not many people do). She has not had anal sex. WHY do we need to know these things?
She likes to eat pasta before falling asleep.
Wow.... AND THIS BOOK IS A BEST SELLER WHY???
And....
......as for the 'way' Amy 'started' her book?......PLEASE,....MY GOD.....
Sharing with us about forgiving her vagina? As her 'opening'? REALLY? It was more 'odd' than shocking... more of a puzzle as to why she started her book this way than funny- sincere - or wise.
I thought her comments about being an introvert were 'GOOD'. A plus for AMY!
I thought everything she shared about her father was 'awful' ... LACKING RESPECT. A minus for Amy!
I thought her sharing about her 'experience' of losing her virginity was sad, unfair, unfortunate to say the least. But truthful. A plus for Amy..
But....when she goes into details 'soon' after --giving young girls instructions on how to masturbate - in detail -then talks about some guys fingers in her butt hole ( she says "not cool".....but still keeps on talking about it).... she gets a big minus from me. It's like Amy is cookin sex-chatter bouillabaisse.... serving it is ceramic bowls for us to chow down. I'm not crazy about her cooking!
From pot to shoplifting -- ( A felony on her record: had she known the people who first caught her with the stollen goods .. she would have 'ran'), to a passionate love for her stuffed animals-- ( she loves them 'more' than some of her family members), to lots of bragging about her being as asshole with the NEW MONEY she makes.
Yep... this girl is a class act! Ha!
I'm all for self expression-- but I also admire a some amounts of reserved 'dignity'. When did our culture become THIS??? Amy-ish???
I find the way she presents herself to the world a little sad!!!!
Tacky - raunchy - juvenile- and mostly pointless!
Amy was very inconsistent. She asked readers not to judge her - but she judged others. So... I AM going to judge her. It's not that I don't feel some amount of heart compassion for this young woman-- but she doesn't make me feel proud.
She said she wasn't going to give advice - but she did give advice.....'several times'.
Even when I agreed with a couple of her advice tips - her delivery was righteous-aloof and cold.
Most of the time I was bored. Did I really need to listen to her TIME SCHEDULE of her work day with her staff....of peeing, listening to staff going down on girls, talking about their lunch, playing on YouTube, and eating snacks? Oh and the 40 plus things Amy listed that we don't know about her were only semi-interesting. Nothing stands out on that list that really inspires me. She doesn't like to jump out of airplanes, ( so? not many people do). She has not had anal sex. WHY do we need to know these things?
She likes to eat pasta before falling asleep.
Wow.... AND THIS BOOK IS A BEST SELLER WHY???
And....
......as for the 'way' Amy 'started' her book?......PLEASE,....MY GOD.....
Sharing with us about forgiving her vagina? As her 'opening'? REALLY? It was more 'odd' than shocking... more of a puzzle as to why she started her book this way than funny- sincere - or wise.
I thought her comments about being an introvert were 'GOOD'. A plus for AMY!
I thought everything she shared about her father was 'awful' ... LACKING RESPECT. A minus for Amy!
I thought her sharing about her 'experience' of losing her virginity was sad, unfair, unfortunate to say the least. But truthful. A plus for Amy..
But....when she goes into details 'soon' after --giving young girls instructions on how to masturbate - in detail -then talks about some guys fingers in her butt hole ( she says "not cool".....but still keeps on talking about it).... she gets a big minus from me. It's like Amy is cookin sex-chatter bouillabaisse.... serving it is ceramic bowls for us to chow down. I'm not crazy about her cooking!
From pot to shoplifting -- ( A felony on her record: had she known the people who first caught her with the stollen goods .. she would have 'ran'), to a passionate love for her stuffed animals-- ( she loves them 'more' than some of her family members), to lots of bragging about her being as asshole with the NEW MONEY she makes.
Yep... this girl is a class act! Ha!
I'm all for self expression-- but I also admire a some amounts of reserved 'dignity'. When did our culture become THIS??? Amy-ish???
I find the way she presents herself to the world a little sad!!!!
Tacky - raunchy - juvenile- and mostly pointless!
December 10, 2020
Brilliant title, brilliant writing
I've never seen Amy Schumer's comedy, aside from a couple of clips. From what I can tell, I would instantly dislike her. I don't get her humor - there's too much genitalia and crass jokes.
Yet.
Her Book.
Surprised me.
I was riveted by the peek into her childhood. She conveys the joyful highs and heartbreaking lows as her once affluent family plummeted into poverty.
We see a bit of her early comedic life and how she found her niche. And while that niche may be far away from what I would consider funny, I respect and admire her for how hard she worked to get there.
She has no problems switching from the hilarity of her first real joke to the disparity of learning her father's fate. The way she portrayed her dad just tugged at all the right heartstrings.
I have rarely seen a celebrity speak with such honesty and raw emotion about the toil that long-term disease takes on a family.
Note: if you don't get the the title, just you wait until the end. It was beautifully and hilariously tied into the book.
Audiobook Comments
---She read her own book. And her comedic timing made all the difference!
YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads
I've never seen Amy Schumer's comedy, aside from a couple of clips. From what I can tell, I would instantly dislike her. I don't get her humor - there's too much genitalia and crass jokes.
Yet.
Her Book.
Surprised me.
I know my worth. I embrace my power. I say if I'm beautiful. I say if I'm strong. You will not determine my story. I will.I am convinced that we would not only get along but become long-time friends.
I was riveted by the peek into her childhood. She conveys the joyful highs and heartbreaking lows as her once affluent family plummeted into poverty.
We see a bit of her early comedic life and how she found her niche. And while that niche may be far away from what I would consider funny, I respect and admire her for how hard she worked to get there.
She has no problems switching from the hilarity of her first real joke to the disparity of learning her father's fate. The way she portrayed her dad just tugged at all the right heartstrings.
I have rarely seen a celebrity speak with such honesty and raw emotion about the toil that long-term disease takes on a family.
Note: if you don't get the the title, just you wait until the end. It was beautifully and hilariously tied into the book.
Audiobook Comments
---She read her own book. And her comedic timing made all the difference!
YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads
September 10, 2016
I really don't know why I bought this. I don't even watch Amy Schumer's stuff, but for some reason, I thought this would be hilarious. But to be honest I was just bored. I didn't end up finishing it. I got about halfway through when I said to myself, 'you could be reading something else right now' and that was that.
August 23, 2016
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
I’m going to begin this review by addressing the pink elephant in the room. In what could only be an effort to prove that the lowest lifeform on the planet is, in fact, the Subredditor, a smear campaign has been created in order to give Schumer’s book the lowest Amazon rating possible. Way to stay classy people who live in your mama’s basements (credit to the Huff Post for the basement dweller line). Now here’s what I think y’all should do . . . .
Oh, and to the author of the speshul snowflake that has accumulated a whopping seven reviews on Amazon and an even more impressive six on Goodreads who apparently started this whole mess . . . .
Now that that’s out of the way let’s talk about the book, shall we?
As most of you know I am an oldie (but a goodie) and also a reality television aficionado. Therefore I was present for Amy Schumer’s debut on Last Comic Standing and was even informed by a co-worker that I would probably burn in hell for belly laughing at the following joke from that show . . .
This old woman on the subway asked me, “Have you heard the good news?” She was trying to save me. I said, “Ma’am, I’m so sorry. My people are Jewish.” She said, “That’s okay, your people just haven’t found Jesus yet.” I said, “No, we found him. Maybe you haven’t heard the bad news.”
Schumer went on to be not-quite-so-funny in later episodes (winding up in 4th place), but she was also a fetus who was pretty obviously cast to fill the “cute young female” demographic required in all reality T.V. competitions. After her loss, she pounded the pavement and ran the gamut of comedy clubs (many of them “pay to play”) in order to hone her craft. And now she wrote a book . . . because that’s how it do what it do when you reach a certain level of fame as a comedian.
Amy’s book is a little different. If you liked Lena Dunham’s book (well, you know before the world collectively lost its shit about her looking at her sister’s vag) you might like this one as well. Have no fear, Schumer does not admit to being a pedophile – she just insults the entire population of Tampa instead. She is, however, another voice for young women . . . but I’ll get back to that.
As a lady of a certain age, I don’t go looking for my feminism in a raunchy comic’s autobiography. Thus the 3 Stars. I like Schumer because she tells a lot of vagina jokes and she writes catchy little diddies that you can sometimes find me singing while folding laundry or doing dishes . . . .
♪♫this is where my poop comes out♪♫
I was expecting her to make me laugh with stories about her sex life. Which she did . . . .
“I was in heat, as they say. Who says this? I don’t know. Shut up and keep reading about my getting pummeled by this British superhero.”
I also expected her to make me laugh with self-deprecating statements regarding her looks. Which she did . . .
“. . . who resemble that eighties doll Kid Sister or one of the Garbage Pail Kids.”
^^^^Hehehehehehehe. She totally effing does.
And I expected more self-deprecating stories regarding her not-model-perfect body. Which she did (in the form of footnotes attached to her journal from when she was 18) . . . .
JOURNAL ENTRY: “I wore this tube shirt from Zara that ties in the back.”
FOOTNOTE: “I remember this shirt. It was made of wool and thin brown leather straps with three ties in the back. It was insanely itchy and gave me a rash all over my body. It looked like what a poor commoner who gets raped by a soldier on Game of Thrones would wear. It was too short, so my belly stuck out, and I had no waist and was shaped very much like an old-timey radio, which I must have wanted to accentuate.”
It being the age of the interwebs I even expected her to make me laugh with comments about trolls. Which she did . . .
UNDER THE CHAPTER “THINGS THAT MAKE ME INSANELY FURIOUS” - #7. People who misspell the word “you’re” when telling me I’m fat (“your fat”).
Due to the fact that she’s one of the biggest up-and-comers in female comedy, I expected her to take a stance on the never ending “women aren’t funny” attitude. Which she did . . .
“I don’t usually like female comics.” That one really gets to me. It’s not like anyone would so casually say, “I don’t usually like black people.” Either way, it’s offensive to say this to a female comic. And let me guess, you’ve only ever seen one female comic in your life and it was in the eighties and guess what? You probably fucking loved her.”
Seriously dudes. Get over it. No one forces you to watch Trainwreck or the Ghostbusters remake (or to spend your entire fucking life trolling Reddit, for that matter). Doing this shit just makes you look . . . .
Obviously I expected her to tell the story about the infamous lower back tattoo. Which she did . . .
“When I say it killed, no, it fucking KILLED. It was like being stung by a thousand bees every second, or dozens of tracker jackers for all of you young-adult fiction fans.”
I expected her to open up and confess some things the general public might not know about her. Which she did in the form of admitting she’s an introvert . . . .
As well as a couple of kind of terrifying tales of being a blackout drunk . . . .
He said, “Amy, we each get two pillows,” to which I elegantly responded, “Not tonight, motherfucker!” Cue the Stevie Wonder song “Isn’t She Lovely.”
And I was stoked when I began the chapter “An Introduction to my Stuffed Animals.” Turns out her idea of “stuffed” is a little more traditional than mine, but she’s obviously still pretty fucked in the head just like me when it comes to the undead creatures she chooses to snuggle with . . . .
The parts I really hadn’t planned on were talk about rape and domestic violence. I realize I’m coldhearted, but I grab comedy books for the funny, not in yo’ face real life shit (which is why I always recommend David Spade's book when someone wants a ha-ha). However, I do realize the importance of famous young women being a voice for other young women. Surprisingly, Schumer does a pretty damn good job of it too . . . .
“I know my worth. I embrace my power. I say if I’m beautiful. I say if I’m strong. You will not determine my story. I will. I’ll speak and share and fuck and love, and I will never apologize for it. I am amazing for you, not because of you. I am not who I sleep with. I am not my weight. I am not my mother. I am myself. And I am all of you.”
And on that note . . .
I’m going to begin this review by addressing the pink elephant in the room. In what could only be an effort to prove that the lowest lifeform on the planet is, in fact, the Subredditor, a smear campaign has been created in order to give Schumer’s book the lowest Amazon rating possible. Way to stay classy people who live in your mama’s basements (credit to the Huff Post for the basement dweller line). Now here’s what I think y’all should do . . . .
Oh, and to the author of the speshul snowflake that has accumulated a whopping seven reviews on Amazon and an even more impressive six on Goodreads who apparently started this whole mess . . . .
Now that that’s out of the way let’s talk about the book, shall we?
As most of you know I am an oldie (but a goodie) and also a reality television aficionado. Therefore I was present for Amy Schumer’s debut on Last Comic Standing and was even informed by a co-worker that I would probably burn in hell for belly laughing at the following joke from that show . . .
This old woman on the subway asked me, “Have you heard the good news?” She was trying to save me. I said, “Ma’am, I’m so sorry. My people are Jewish.” She said, “That’s okay, your people just haven’t found Jesus yet.” I said, “No, we found him. Maybe you haven’t heard the bad news.”
Schumer went on to be not-quite-so-funny in later episodes (winding up in 4th place), but she was also a fetus who was pretty obviously cast to fill the “cute young female” demographic required in all reality T.V. competitions. After her loss, she pounded the pavement and ran the gamut of comedy clubs (many of them “pay to play”) in order to hone her craft. And now she wrote a book . . . because that’s how it do what it do when you reach a certain level of fame as a comedian.
Amy’s book is a little different. If you liked Lena Dunham’s book (well, you know before the world collectively lost its shit about her looking at her sister’s vag) you might like this one as well. Have no fear, Schumer does not admit to being a pedophile – she just insults the entire population of Tampa instead. She is, however, another voice for young women . . . but I’ll get back to that.
As a lady of a certain age, I don’t go looking for my feminism in a raunchy comic’s autobiography. Thus the 3 Stars. I like Schumer because she tells a lot of vagina jokes and she writes catchy little diddies that you can sometimes find me singing while folding laundry or doing dishes . . . .
♪♫this is where my poop comes out♪♫
I was expecting her to make me laugh with stories about her sex life. Which she did . . . .
“I was in heat, as they say. Who says this? I don’t know. Shut up and keep reading about my getting pummeled by this British superhero.”
I also expected her to make me laugh with self-deprecating statements regarding her looks. Which she did . . .
“. . . who resemble that eighties doll Kid Sister or one of the Garbage Pail Kids.”
^^^^Hehehehehehehe. She totally effing does.
And I expected more self-deprecating stories regarding her not-model-perfect body. Which she did (in the form of footnotes attached to her journal from when she was 18) . . . .
JOURNAL ENTRY: “I wore this tube shirt from Zara that ties in the back.”
FOOTNOTE: “I remember this shirt. It was made of wool and thin brown leather straps with three ties in the back. It was insanely itchy and gave me a rash all over my body. It looked like what a poor commoner who gets raped by a soldier on Game of Thrones would wear. It was too short, so my belly stuck out, and I had no waist and was shaped very much like an old-timey radio, which I must have wanted to accentuate.”
It being the age of the interwebs I even expected her to make me laugh with comments about trolls. Which she did . . .
UNDER THE CHAPTER “THINGS THAT MAKE ME INSANELY FURIOUS” - #7. People who misspell the word “you’re” when telling me I’m fat (“your fat”).
Due to the fact that she’s one of the biggest up-and-comers in female comedy, I expected her to take a stance on the never ending “women aren’t funny” attitude. Which she did . . .
“I don’t usually like female comics.” That one really gets to me. It’s not like anyone would so casually say, “I don’t usually like black people.” Either way, it’s offensive to say this to a female comic. And let me guess, you’ve only ever seen one female comic in your life and it was in the eighties and guess what? You probably fucking loved her.”
Seriously dudes. Get over it. No one forces you to watch Trainwreck or the Ghostbusters remake (or to spend your entire fucking life trolling Reddit, for that matter). Doing this shit just makes you look . . . .
Obviously I expected her to tell the story about the infamous lower back tattoo. Which she did . . .
“When I say it killed, no, it fucking KILLED. It was like being stung by a thousand bees every second, or dozens of tracker jackers for all of you young-adult fiction fans.”
I expected her to open up and confess some things the general public might not know about her. Which she did in the form of admitting she’s an introvert . . . .
As well as a couple of kind of terrifying tales of being a blackout drunk . . . .
He said, “Amy, we each get two pillows,” to which I elegantly responded, “Not tonight, motherfucker!” Cue the Stevie Wonder song “Isn’t She Lovely.”
And I was stoked when I began the chapter “An Introduction to my Stuffed Animals.” Turns out her idea of “stuffed” is a little more traditional than mine, but she’s obviously still pretty fucked in the head just like me when it comes to the undead creatures she chooses to snuggle with . . . .
The parts I really hadn’t planned on were talk about rape and domestic violence. I realize I’m coldhearted, but I grab comedy books for the funny, not in yo’ face real life shit (which is why I always recommend David Spade's book when someone wants a ha-ha). However, I do realize the importance of famous young women being a voice for other young women. Surprisingly, Schumer does a pretty damn good job of it too . . . .
“I know my worth. I embrace my power. I say if I’m beautiful. I say if I’m strong. You will not determine my story. I will. I’ll speak and share and fuck and love, and I will never apologize for it. I am amazing for you, not because of you. I am not who I sleep with. I am not my weight. I am not my mother. I am myself. And I am all of you.”
And on that note . . .
September 23, 2016
I'm about a 3.75 here, so I rounded up because she makes me laugh.
Because I spend more time reading and going to the movies than watching television, I'll admit I was a little bit late to the party where Amy Schumer was concerned. I know I heard her name, but wasn't familiar with her comedy until I saw an article on Facebook referencing an appearance she made on Ellen DeGeneres' show, where she made Ellen laugh out loud more than a few times. (Needless to say, I did, too.)
Once I found her, I became a pretty big fan, watching most of her stand-up specials and her television show, and of course, seeing her movie debut, Trainwreck . Her humor is certainly not for everyone, and as a man, some of her jokes get lost on me, but I love her comic timing and her talent to be self-deprecating in a hysterical way. So while I don't traditionally read celebrity books, I decided to give The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo a try, not really sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised at the way she balanced her humor (including some things she has done in stand-up) and her journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance.
"I know my worth. I embrace my power. I say if I'm beautiful. I say if I'm strong. You will not determine my story. I will. I'll speak and share and fuck and love, and I will never apologize for it. I am amazing for you, not because of you. I am not who I sleep with. I am not my weight. I am not my mother. I am myself. And I am all of you."
Schumer made me laugh out loud more than a few times (if you're a fan, don't read this on public transportation unless you don't mind people thinking you're losing your mind), she made me chuckle and smile quite a bit, made me a little uncomfortable sometimes, and beyond that, made me think. She's not afraid to say exactly how she feels about issues, people, sex, drugs, her family, stand-up comedy, women's rights, even gun control. She touches on growing up as a child of a broken marriage, and how her parents' issues affected her. She also talks about her insecurity about her own looks, and how she finally was able to embrace confidence in the face of those who criticize and disparage her.
This is a fun and occasionally moving read, and while I felt she went on a little too long at times, I really enjoyed it. Schumer doesn't try to be anyone other than who she is, and I think she'd be a fascinating person to know and spend time with. If you're not a fan, or if strong language and sexual references make you uncomfortable, this might not be a book for you. But if you like a good laugh, and like to know how different celebrities are in "real" life versus their onstage/onscreen persona, check this one out.
"I look at the saddest things in life and laugh at how awful they are, because they are hilarious and it's all we can do with moments that are painful."
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
Because I spend more time reading and going to the movies than watching television, I'll admit I was a little bit late to the party where Amy Schumer was concerned. I know I heard her name, but wasn't familiar with her comedy until I saw an article on Facebook referencing an appearance she made on Ellen DeGeneres' show, where she made Ellen laugh out loud more than a few times. (Needless to say, I did, too.)
Once I found her, I became a pretty big fan, watching most of her stand-up specials and her television show, and of course, seeing her movie debut, Trainwreck . Her humor is certainly not for everyone, and as a man, some of her jokes get lost on me, but I love her comic timing and her talent to be self-deprecating in a hysterical way. So while I don't traditionally read celebrity books, I decided to give The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo a try, not really sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised at the way she balanced her humor (including some things she has done in stand-up) and her journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance.
"I know my worth. I embrace my power. I say if I'm beautiful. I say if I'm strong. You will not determine my story. I will. I'll speak and share and fuck and love, and I will never apologize for it. I am amazing for you, not because of you. I am not who I sleep with. I am not my weight. I am not my mother. I am myself. And I am all of you."
Schumer made me laugh out loud more than a few times (if you're a fan, don't read this on public transportation unless you don't mind people thinking you're losing your mind), she made me chuckle and smile quite a bit, made me a little uncomfortable sometimes, and beyond that, made me think. She's not afraid to say exactly how she feels about issues, people, sex, drugs, her family, stand-up comedy, women's rights, even gun control. She touches on growing up as a child of a broken marriage, and how her parents' issues affected her. She also talks about her insecurity about her own looks, and how she finally was able to embrace confidence in the face of those who criticize and disparage her.
This is a fun and occasionally moving read, and while I felt she went on a little too long at times, I really enjoyed it. Schumer doesn't try to be anyone other than who she is, and I think she'd be a fascinating person to know and spend time with. If you're not a fan, or if strong language and sexual references make you uncomfortable, this might not be a book for you. But if you like a good laugh, and like to know how different celebrities are in "real" life versus their onstage/onscreen persona, check this one out.
"I look at the saddest things in life and laugh at how awful they are, because they are hilarious and it's all we can do with moments that are painful."
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
October 14, 2016
I would probably give this less than 4 stars if I hadn’t listened to the audio, but listening to Amy Schumer tell her story in her own voice adds a lot of dimension to The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo. I didn’t really know much about Schumer before I started listening to this book -- I’m definitely more of a reader than a tv or movie watcher. But I had read enough positive reviews of her book to make me curious. This “sort of” memoir is in step with a growing body of books by comedians writing about their lives well before you would expect people to write a memoir – think Amy Pohler, Tina Fay, etc… It’s a hodge podge of good humoured self-deprecation, more serious chapters dealing with her parents and gun violence, and a call to young women to be themselves and to be confident. I enjoyed some of Schumer’s humour, but I didn’t love it all – some of it made me feel a bit old. But her voice and her perspective made me like Schumer – I especially liked her honest assessment of her relationships with her mother and father, and her strong love for her sister. I like that there is an increasing number of young women like Schumer telling young women to be strong, and to be comfortable with being present, funny and loud. It was well worth listening to even though I didn’t laugh at all the jokes, and Schumer was a good companion on my morning walks to work.
September 20, 2016
Who the hell is Amy Schumer? I have no idea. Since I picked up this book I've learned she's a comedian, she has her own show, an HBO special, and she starred in and wrote the movie Trainwreck. So why did I listen to this book? Because I read in Huff Post that some internet trolls were trying to tank the book's ratings and that just made me feel rebellious, so here I am.
Now, I LOVE this girl. She's strong, she works hard, (really, really hard), she's (brutally) honest, she has a heart and most importantly she loves herself. She wants YOU to love yourself. She also doesn't want any more people to be shot while at a theater watching her movie. She talks honestly about what that felt like and why she is so passionate about background checks for gun owners.
All that and some vagina jokes. What's not to love?
Recommended for everyone, but especially young women. She has an important message that I think needs to be heard. Love yourself ladies!
Now, I LOVE this girl. She's strong, she works hard, (really, really hard), she's (brutally) honest, she has a heart and most importantly she loves herself. She wants YOU to love yourself. She also doesn't want any more people to be shot while at a theater watching her movie. She talks honestly about what that felt like and why she is so passionate about background checks for gun owners.
All that and some vagina jokes. What's not to love?
Recommended for everyone, but especially young women. She has an important message that I think needs to be heard. Love yourself ladies!
December 8, 2017
2.5 Ok to Interesting
For Amy's die hard fans. If you don't know who she or don't appreciate her particular humor then I would not recommend.
Amy Schumer is a well known stand-up comedian in the US. She has her own comedy show and wrote and acted in two movies . I accidentally found her Apollo show while looking for something interesting on TV. I enjoyed her humor and watched the whole thing. I also loved her first movie and not so much her 2nd one. So, I can say that I like her but I am not a fan.
This book is a sort of memoir but not really. It is a collection of essays around a certain subject or a moment from her life. Some are funny, others are quite sad, like the ones about her father's MS.
I've listened to Amy Schumer's narration while running and she does a wonderful job. I believe it is the best way to go with this book as she is the most a fitting person to let us know how to read her memoir.
It is probably not the best celebrity memoir (this is my first) but it has interesting insights in Amy's life and some good advice for life in general.
For Amy's die hard fans. If you don't know who she or don't appreciate her particular humor then I would not recommend.
Amy Schumer is a well known stand-up comedian in the US. She has her own comedy show and wrote and acted in two movies . I accidentally found her Apollo show while looking for something interesting on TV. I enjoyed her humor and watched the whole thing. I also loved her first movie and not so much her 2nd one. So, I can say that I like her but I am not a fan.
This book is a sort of memoir but not really. It is a collection of essays around a certain subject or a moment from her life. Some are funny, others are quite sad, like the ones about her father's MS.
I've listened to Amy Schumer's narration while running and she does a wonderful job. I believe it is the best way to go with this book as she is the most a fitting person to let us know how to read her memoir.
It is probably not the best celebrity memoir (this is my first) but it has interesting insights in Amy's life and some good advice for life in general.
August 24, 2016
The most empowering book I’ve read since my fabulous, fashion-forward grandma and I paged through Color Me Beautiful circa 1991 and I learned why I always look like a warmed-over corpse in pale yellow. (It’s not my fault! I’m a Summer!)
Amy Schumer is just the BEST. If you’re not 100% sold on her raunchy brand of humor, read her book and prepare to be totally convinced of her awesomeness. If you thought her book would simply be a series of vag jokes, you thought wrong.
What most impressed me: she can switch gears from funny to serious and back again with no lapse in momentum. A list of topics Amy covers in the book would be downright depressing: rape, terminal illness, bad parenting, domestic abuse, and gun violence are all on the menu, and she somehow covers everything in an uproarious way without ever making light of it. How?! Thus is the genius of Amy Schumer.
Truly confident people make everyone around them feel confident too, and that is the effect this book had on me. I’m trying so, so hard to come up with a way to explain it that isn’t horribly corny. Trying and failing. Let’s all be ourselves! Unapologetically and with gusto! Grab life by the horns! (This is why Amy Schumer has the book deal and not me, guys.)
As I always do with celebrity memoirs, I heartily recommend you listen to the audio version. Let the stand-up comedian do her job and deliver those one-liners in her own voice.
Easily makes the list of my top five books of the year.
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
Amy Schumer is just the BEST. If you’re not 100% sold on her raunchy brand of humor, read her book and prepare to be totally convinced of her awesomeness. If you thought her book would simply be a series of vag jokes, you thought wrong.
What most impressed me: she can switch gears from funny to serious and back again with no lapse in momentum. A list of topics Amy covers in the book would be downright depressing: rape, terminal illness, bad parenting, domestic abuse, and gun violence are all on the menu, and she somehow covers everything in an uproarious way without ever making light of it. How?! Thus is the genius of Amy Schumer.
Truly confident people make everyone around them feel confident too, and that is the effect this book had on me. I’m trying so, so hard to come up with a way to explain it that isn’t horribly corny. Trying and failing. Let’s all be ourselves! Unapologetically and with gusto! Grab life by the horns! (This is why Amy Schumer has the book deal and not me, guys.)
As I always do with celebrity memoirs, I heartily recommend you listen to the audio version. Let the stand-up comedian do her job and deliver those one-liners in her own voice.
Easily makes the list of my top five books of the year.
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
Read
January 23, 2020
(note: i read this book in january 2017 and wrote a really long nice review about it. i do not really want to advocate for amy schumer's work anymore, so now - january 2020 - i'm removing my rating and review. woohoo!)
March 28, 2017
Times the words "a", "and", and "the" appear in this book combined: 1,230
Times the word "vagina" appears in this book: 6,732
Some of this book is funny, some of it is serious. I have seen Amy Schumer in a few things (SNL, movies, etc.) and enjoyed them, but I am not sure if her brand of comedy is for me in an 8 hour audio dose. It was cool that it was her reading it, though.
This book is for you if you don't mind crude comedy interspersed with serious monologues about sexual assault, gun control, broken homes, etc. (which are serious issues, I agree, but seemed out of place here. And, I know Amy doesn't give a crap if I feel that way because she says so in the book). If these are not for you, you may want to check out Amy Poehler or Tina Fey instead.
Times the word "vagina" appears in this book: 6,732
Some of this book is funny, some of it is serious. I have seen Amy Schumer in a few things (SNL, movies, etc.) and enjoyed them, but I am not sure if her brand of comedy is for me in an 8 hour audio dose. It was cool that it was her reading it, though.
This book is for you if you don't mind crude comedy interspersed with serious monologues about sexual assault, gun control, broken homes, etc. (which are serious issues, I agree, but seemed out of place here. And, I know Amy doesn't give a crap if I feel that way because she says so in the book). If these are not for you, you may want to check out Amy Poehler or Tina Fey instead.
March 19, 2017
Was this book supposed to make me laugh?
September 9, 2016
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I keep picking up these memoirs written by my favorite female comedians expecting them to be funny, and then the memoir inevitably turns out to be a "I may be a funny person for a living, but I'm so much more - let me list out the innermost details of my psyche for your pleasure so you can understand my soul" type of deal. Which is fine. I can totally understand why comedians would want to do that. I'm sure you have off days where you don't want to be funny, where the last thing you want to do is laugh, where you'd like to talk politics seriously without being expected to toss out a Hillary Clinton/Donald Trump joke. But on the other hand, that's exactly why people are suckered into these memoirs.
People like me.
Even when she's in "funny mode", Amy Schumer is one of those celebrities you will likely love or hate. She's brassy and bold, and outspoken about sex and girl power. Her comedy sketches push the line on the things that it's acceptable for women to talk about, and her movie, Trainwreck, is basically a gender-flipped take on the Judd Apatow "foul-mouthed slacker gets the girl" trope. I've heard pro-Amy and anti-Amy spiels, and I can understand both camps to a degree. She's controversial. She's assertive. She's in-your-face. But hey, it certainly gets her noticed.
Going back to this memoir, Amy decides to turn "funny mode" down a few bars. She still tries to be funny, but she also tries to tell us about the woman behind the humor. She talks about her childhood, her adolescence, her struggle to get her foot in the door. This is a pretty typical arc for celebrity memoirs, so I'm sure you expected all this. I was. What I didn't expect were some very odd digressions in this collection of essays. Essays about Amy's horror carnival collection of stuffed animals. Excerpts from Amy's childhood and teenage diaries, replete with footnotes and analyses from adult Amy. An essay about the difference between Old Money and New Money. Lists about things that annoy Amy. Lists about things that Amy loves. A two chapter long instruction guide for what Amy wants at her funeral. I'm sorry, what does any of this have to do with anything?
There are a few good essays, but for every good essay there's at least one bad one. I was expecting THE GIRL WITH THE LOWER BACK TATTOO to be controversial or provocative, but what I wasn't expecting it to be was boring. The second half is disproportionately variable in terms of the quality of content, so I found myself skimming over the last 50% of the book, especially the self-promo bits. I liked the photographs at the back, and thought it was nice that she paid homage to the women who were shot at one of the showings of Trainwreck, but I had zero interest in seeing Amy's analysis of her favorite things and what kind of eulogy she wants.
Like her or hate her, Amy does bring attention to feminism. She might not always go about it in the most PC or ideal of ways, but PC doesn't always grab the spotlight in the same way. Some of her sketches are really funny, especially the Last F*ckable Day and the Makeup one. This book, however, was not, and I can't really say that I'd recommend it to Amy Schumer fans, feminists, or celebrity memoir aficionados. Maybe if the collection had been better curated, and funnier, it could have been a decent read. But the way it is now, I could barely make it through the pages without glazing over.
1.5 to 2 stars.
April 24, 2023
Amy Schumer
Amy Schumer is an American stand-up comic and actress. She wrote and starred in the 2015 movie 'Trainwreck', made the entertaining film "Snatched" (with Goldie Hawn) in 2017, has a sketch comedy series called 'Inside Amy Schumer', does specials for Comedy Central, and tours the country with her live stand-up show.
Schumer is also an activist who uses her bully pulpit to rail against shaming women for their looks and weight, and to support responsible gun ownership - especially since a deranged gunman opened fire at a showing of 'Trainwreck', killing two people and wounding nine.
Amy Schumer speaking out against gun violence
In this memoir, Amy talks about her childhood, family, boyfriends, sexual peccadilloes, jobs, career, social/political advocacy, and more. Though many of the stories are entertaining and funny, the underlying theme is serious - particularly since Amy's been through some rough patches in her life.
When Amy was a child her family was rich, thanks to a high-end baby furniture business that sold European imports.
Toddler Amy Schumer with her father Gordon Schumer
Young Amy Schumer
The Schumers had a big home in Manhattan, drove fancy cars, took exotic vacations, and enjoyed all the trappings of wealth. Amy had a happy childhood, and started performing as a little girl - putting on shows for her family that her delighted dad always filmed.
Amy Schumer started performing when she was a child
In time, commercial competition drove Amy's father out of business, and the family's economic status took a nosedive. Still, Amy and her siblings were happy, and Amy didn't mind the changes to her lifestyle. The Schumers moved to Long Island, went to Temple every week, and threw Amy a nice Bat Mitzvah - which she used as an opportunity for one of her performances.
Things started to go badly wrong, however, when Amy's father got sick with multiple sclerosis, which "hit like a tidal wave." Amy's anecdotes about her dad's illness include two stories about his uncontrollable diarrhea - at Adventureland and the airport - which are part of her comedy routine. (I can't say I found them too funny though.) Over time, Mr. Schumer's declining health made it necessary to move him to a care home, but Amy notes that he never showed any signs of self pity.
Amy Schumer with her father Gordon Schumer after he was struck with multiple sclerosis
Around the time Mr. Schumer started to decline, Amy's mother had an affair that led to divorce. To make things worse, Mrs. Schumer's boyfriend was Lou, the father of Amy's best friend. So Amy lost her best friend; felt like a spectacle in the community; stopped going to Temple; developed severe headaches; got shooting pains when she passed Mia at school; and lost her father to a small, cramped apartment. To top it off, Mrs. Schumer's affair with Lou ended after a couple of months, and she went on to have one relationship after another.
Amy Schumer's mother Sandy Schumer
Amy Schumer with her mother Sandy Schumer
Amy avers that she grew up thinking her mother was a saint, but the divorce - and its aftermath - demonstrated that Mrs. Schumer was a flawed human being. Still, Amy remained very close to her mother and continually defended her - though Amy now acknowledges that her mother caused much hardship.
At fourteen, Amy volunteered at a summer camp for people with special needs. She confesses that she took the position because her crush, Brett, worked there - and "If I fell on his penis and got pregnant, he'd have to marry me." In any case, Brett liked another girl. However, Amy was a wonderful help to her charges.....women over thirty-five who had Down syndrome, schizophrenia, or other problems.
Adolescent Amy Schumer
Amy was a hustler all her life. She got her first job as a infant, because her parents needed a model for their store's baby cribs, and "they knew she'd work for free." As a teenager, Amy became a shoplifter, and was quite successful until she and her sister pulled off a HUGE heist at Bloomingdales. This led to a felony charge and the end of that career. Amy's next (and best) hustle was making people laugh. While in college, Amy started doing stand-up routines at comedy clubs. Amy struggled in those years, and - during and after college - took jobs as a bartender, housepainter, fitness instructor, pedi-cab driver, and more.
For budding comics, Amy has this advice: "If you do a ton of open mikes, and do bringers (bring paying guests to be allowed to go on), and if you bark (stand on the street corner inviting people to your show), and do it several times every night, you get a little better. It takes years and years to be good." In Amy's case, she GOT GOOD, and GOT RICH - and she now uses her money to have fun, treat her friends and family, and leave $1,000 tips if she feels like it.
Amy Schumer broke into show business doing standup comedy
One of Amy's biggest mistakes was hooking up with a young man called Dan, who she met when she was eighteen. Amy liked Dan right away and - though he wasn't interested in her - pursued him relentlessly. When Amy was 21, she and Dan moved to Las Vegas, where they "worked, ate, drank, and f**ked." Sometimes Dan got jealous or angry, and would give Amy a shove, or squeeze her arm too hard, leaving bruises. These were always 'accidents.' Furthermore, Dan would criticize Amy's looks, make fun of her, and humiliate her.
Amy asserts that she wasn't passive and meek, and didn't think she was in an abusive relationship. Amy confused anger and aggression with love, and says, "The worse Dan acted, the more I stood by him." The situation came to a head when the couple returned to New York, and Dan pushed Amy onto the hood of a car, purposely banging her head and elbow. Later, back in their apartment, Dan pulled a knife. Amy notes, "This was my moment of clarity. I raced out of the apartment, knocked on neighbors' doors, and took shelter in an elderly couple's apartment." Still, Amy didn't call the police.....and later reconciled with Dan briefly.
Now Amy admits, "I was a domestic violence victim." She goes on to talk about domestic abuse affecting women of all economic levels, and from all walks of life.
Amy wraps up the book with a story about her lower back tattoo, which is not only crooked, but raised because it got infected. Still, Amy wears her tattoo proudly.....and why not?
Much of the book is taken from Amy's comedy skits, and there are plenty of laughs. I especially enjoyed a story about Amy writing an article about sex for 'Men's Health' magazine, which she expected to feature a picture of herself. Instead, the magazine illustrated the piece with photos of three beautiful young models. Amy gave the editor what for (in a nice way) and observes: "I don't look like the models they use in Men's Health - girls with huge boobs on what looks like a boy's body. But I don't accept that's the way it should be. Other women are beautiful too." Right on Amy.
In the book, Amy also discusses her heavy drinking (in college) and blackouts; her hijinks with her sister Kim; her half-brother Jason; her introvert personality; the biggest penis she ever saw (it's a whopper); the people who work on her show; and much more.
Amy Schumer with her sister Kim
Amy Schumer with her half-brother Jason
I enjoyed this memoir and recommend it to Amy Schumer fans.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
December 29, 2016
I've based my rating of Amy's book entirely on how it left me feeling, and I just have this warm glow in my chest and I smiled too much while reading the last paragraph and, I'm not gonna lie, I got all teary once it ended. I took my time reading this book, not caring how many pages I read that day (which I usually do), and just enjoyed spending a little time with Amy every day. This book was just honest. It was full of not just the good stuff, but a lot of the ugly stuff from her life. She just put it all out there, making me both laugh and cry. Her voice was really strong; it sounded just like her. This was just Amy Schumer, plain and simple, leave it or take it. There's something very special about memoirs from famous people who you love--they are in full control of what they give you, and if you're lucky they give a lot. But it's also a chance to feel more connected to the person. I'll never be friends with Amy Schumer, obviously, but I feel like I know her so much better now and that feels really special. I felt like this when I finished reading Amy Poehler's memoir too--just warm and glowing and grateful. The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo just made me happy and made me happy to be alive.
(this might be the cheesiest thing you read today but I don't care, I loved this book and I love Amy Schumer and I just wanted to gush for a second ok)
(this might be the cheesiest thing you read today but I don't care, I loved this book and I love Amy Schumer and I just wanted to gush for a second ok)
February 10, 2017
This was such a nice surprise! I wasn't really expecting much because I have to admit to not really knowing Amy Schumer before I started, other than knowing that she is a comedian famous for talking about her vagina a lot. Don't get me wrong, she does talk about her vagina, a lot, but she also talks about so many other things, important things, and she actually did make me cry (to be fair, I cry fairly easily). As usual with memoirs, I listened to her tell her own story in audio format and, as usual, I absolutely recommend that approach.
This memoir is so relatable, at so many points I found myself nodding; especially when she talks about her college years, I so saw myself in her stories. She has a way of being super honest about her experience and her maybe not so great decision-making processes (especially when drunk and especially in regards to men) - and I so so so could relate and many of my experience were similar. It felt like talking to one of my female friends over wine and reminiscing about our mistakes and our triumphs and all the ways in which we have grown since then (and as far as I can tell after listening to Amy Schumer tell her story, I am very sure she would be pleased with that description).
The best parts of the book were not her jokes but the times when she was painfully honest about her life. The chapter about her abusive ex-boyfriend was especially harrowing; the way she tells that story and how long it took for her to realize that she was in fact in an abusive relationship made my heart hurt so much for her, and for everybody else in similar situations.
What I loved most about this book is how absolutely unflinchingly feminist it is. And yes, she misteps (sometimes she takes her own experiences to be way more universal than they are) but you can absolutely see that she wants to improve the world in any way she can - and if telling vagina jokes is her weapon of choice to show the hypocrises of society, than I am seriously fine with it.
This memoir is so relatable, at so many points I found myself nodding; especially when she talks about her college years, I so saw myself in her stories. She has a way of being super honest about her experience and her maybe not so great decision-making processes (especially when drunk and especially in regards to men) - and I so so so could relate and many of my experience were similar. It felt like talking to one of my female friends over wine and reminiscing about our mistakes and our triumphs and all the ways in which we have grown since then (and as far as I can tell after listening to Amy Schumer tell her story, I am very sure she would be pleased with that description).
The best parts of the book were not her jokes but the times when she was painfully honest about her life. The chapter about her abusive ex-boyfriend was especially harrowing; the way she tells that story and how long it took for her to realize that she was in fact in an abusive relationship made my heart hurt so much for her, and for everybody else in similar situations.
What I loved most about this book is how absolutely unflinchingly feminist it is. And yes, she misteps (sometimes she takes her own experiences to be way more universal than they are) but you can absolutely see that she wants to improve the world in any way she can - and if telling vagina jokes is her weapon of choice to show the hypocrises of society, than I am seriously fine with it.
November 13, 2016
3.5 Unsurprisingly blunt and funny. But surprisingly sentimental and heartfelt at times. I thought the two chapters about her mom and dad were some of the best writing and when I felt like I was really getting to know her as a person. There were some messages in here that are all well and good but not wholly original; I felt like I'd read them in previous memoirs. But her stories—and if you know Amy Schumer at all you know she's got to have some crazy stories—were worth the price of admission alone. Absorbing and a great read if you're in the mood for a laugh or maybe even a cry, and you'll probably end up crying from laughing too.
September 19, 2016
This is an easy book to recommend: If you like Amy Schumer's comedy, you will enjoy this book.
Wait, I'm going to add to that: If you like Amy Schumer because she's a female performer who likes to talk about sex and relationships and confront gender stereotypes, then you will probably like this book.
Miss Schumer's career has really taken off in the last few years — her movie "Trainwreck" was fun, her TV show "Inside Amy Schumer" is still going strong, and she had her first comedy special for HBO.
So, naturally, it's time to put out a book. The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo is a collection of mostly funny stories, but there are also some dark ones in there. Like the time she was in an abusive relationship, but kept making excuses for the boyfriend that would beat her. Or the time a guy took her virginity without her consent. Or all the sadness that comes from having a father diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Or her frustrations over getting more gun control laws in the U.S.
Whoa, sorry, I skipped over the funny parts and jumped straight to the difficult and painful ones. This book did have lighter and funny chapters, and it often made me laugh. I especially enjoyed Amy's inclusion of a few diary entries from over the years, with her modern-day annotations. It was one of those sections that made me buy this book — I had been browsing this in a bookstore, debating whether to get it, and started laughing at her comments about a diary she wrote when she was 22. I also liked her snarky exchange with a men's magazine editor who offended her.
I ended up listening to this book on audio, which I recommend. Her comic timing made this a fun and thoughtful listen.
Schumer's comedy persona is a woman who likes men and sex, and someone who drinks and swears a lot. This book is a softer side of Amy, but there's still a lot of swearing.
Favorite Quote
"I'm a strong, grown-ass woman who's been physically, sexually, and emotionally abused by men and women I trusted and cared about. I've broken hearts and had mine broken, too. Beautiful, ugly, funny, boring, smart or not, my vulnerability is my ultimate strength. There's nothing anyone can say about me that's more permanent, damaging, or hideous than the statement I have forever tattooed upon myself. I'm proud of this ability to laugh at myself — even if everyone can see my tears, just like they can see my dumb, senseless, wack, lame lower back tattoo."
Wait, I'm going to add to that: If you like Amy Schumer because she's a female performer who likes to talk about sex and relationships and confront gender stereotypes, then you will probably like this book.
Miss Schumer's career has really taken off in the last few years — her movie "Trainwreck" was fun, her TV show "Inside Amy Schumer" is still going strong, and she had her first comedy special for HBO.
So, naturally, it's time to put out a book. The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo is a collection of mostly funny stories, but there are also some dark ones in there. Like the time she was in an abusive relationship, but kept making excuses for the boyfriend that would beat her. Or the time a guy took her virginity without her consent. Or all the sadness that comes from having a father diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Or her frustrations over getting more gun control laws in the U.S.
Whoa, sorry, I skipped over the funny parts and jumped straight to the difficult and painful ones. This book did have lighter and funny chapters, and it often made me laugh. I especially enjoyed Amy's inclusion of a few diary entries from over the years, with her modern-day annotations. It was one of those sections that made me buy this book — I had been browsing this in a bookstore, debating whether to get it, and started laughing at her comments about a diary she wrote when she was 22. I also liked her snarky exchange with a men's magazine editor who offended her.
I ended up listening to this book on audio, which I recommend. Her comic timing made this a fun and thoughtful listen.
Schumer's comedy persona is a woman who likes men and sex, and someone who drinks and swears a lot. This book is a softer side of Amy, but there's still a lot of swearing.
Favorite Quote
"I'm a strong, grown-ass woman who's been physically, sexually, and emotionally abused by men and women I trusted and cared about. I've broken hearts and had mine broken, too. Beautiful, ugly, funny, boring, smart or not, my vulnerability is my ultimate strength. There's nothing anyone can say about me that's more permanent, damaging, or hideous than the statement I have forever tattooed upon myself. I'm proud of this ability to laugh at myself — even if everyone can see my tears, just like they can see my dumb, senseless, wack, lame lower back tattoo."
September 2, 2020
I have never seen Amy Schumer perform, on TV or in film; I've read a few comments about her on Twitter and that's about it, so I went into this memoir blind. What started off looking like a female 'shock-jock' style memoir becomes anything but, as the book progresses, with surprising and almost outrageous frankness Schumer shares her childhood, her family, her relationships, her striving to survive as a lone young adult in New York, and her final road to fame and riches.
What makes this a lot fresher and more compelling than many other memoirs is the quite direct message asking women to maybe learn from Schumer's experiences about self-worth, about not letting other people define you, about not having to conform to norms imposed on you from the outside. It's, as Schumer fans will know, also a book that includes graphic sexual language, but even that in itself is a message, a lesson learned, about women not being apologetic for being sexual beings. A very funny (so much great comedic content), honest and with a message for the world, including a heartfelt chapter on gun control. - 8.5 out of 12.
What makes this a lot fresher and more compelling than many other memoirs is the quite direct message asking women to maybe learn from Schumer's experiences about self-worth, about not letting other people define you, about not having to conform to norms imposed on you from the outside. It's, as Schumer fans will know, also a book that includes graphic sexual language, but even that in itself is a message, a lesson learned, about women not being apologetic for being sexual beings. A very funny (so much great comedic content), honest and with a message for the world, including a heartfelt chapter on gun control. - 8.5 out of 12.
February 7, 2017
5 stars
Yep. All the effing stars, yo.
And I'm sure some of you are saying "Robbie's drunk-reviewing again!" (Nope. Not even a vicarious buzz from all of Amy's liquor and pot consumption she unapologetically describes; and it's Sunday night/Monday morning in Alabama: can't buy liquor within a 40 mile radius of here on Sunday anyway). Or, "Robbie's got it bad for Amy!" (Not so much, really. I really like "Inside Amy Schumer" in teeny doses, but all of her stand-up vagina jokes just intimidate me; besides, I've {embarrassingly enough} already got it bad for another female empowerment advocate, Caitlin Moran).
So why the 5 stars?
Simply put, I don't ever recall reading a celebrity memoir as consistently engaging and as candid as The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo. Sure it's crass and loaded with sex-humor and scatology. But (thankfully) this is a 320+ page love letter to her fans, not an extension of her stand-up shtick. I came to find out what makes a (seemingly) sex-obsessed comedian like Amy 'tick'. I was not disappointed. She professes to be an "open book", and I would completely agree with that self-assessment. She's got plenty of life experience to draw from, and doesn't shy away from the icky bits. I was amazed by her candor in her unflinching descriptions of key events in her life that have made her who she is today. I admire her work ethic. I love her politics, and how she stands up for what she believes in (even while running the risk of offending her fan base). She'd be the first to admit she's not perfect, and owns up to her foibles. I love that, although her collection of essays (and its underlying message of being confident in who you are) is directed toward women, men are clearly welcome to crash this party.
Okay, never mind; I guess I really do have it bad for Amy. I just never really realized it until reading this remarkably funny and poignant memoir. (I'm still intimidated by her, though. She's a badass.)
Yep. All the effing stars, yo.
And I'm sure some of you are saying "Robbie's drunk-reviewing again!" (Nope. Not even a vicarious buzz from all of Amy's liquor and pot consumption she unapologetically describes; and it's Sunday night/Monday morning in Alabama: can't buy liquor within a 40 mile radius of here on Sunday anyway). Or, "Robbie's got it bad for Amy!" (Not so much, really. I really like "Inside Amy Schumer" in teeny doses, but all of her stand-up vagina jokes just intimidate me; besides, I've {embarrassingly enough} already got it bad for another female empowerment advocate, Caitlin Moran).
So why the 5 stars?
Simply put, I don't ever recall reading a celebrity memoir as consistently engaging and as candid as The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo. Sure it's crass and loaded with sex-humor and scatology. But (thankfully) this is a 320+ page love letter to her fans, not an extension of her stand-up shtick. I came to find out what makes a (seemingly) sex-obsessed comedian like Amy 'tick'. I was not disappointed. She professes to be an "open book", and I would completely agree with that self-assessment. She's got plenty of life experience to draw from, and doesn't shy away from the icky bits. I was amazed by her candor in her unflinching descriptions of key events in her life that have made her who she is today. I admire her work ethic. I love her politics, and how she stands up for what she believes in (even while running the risk of offending her fan base). She'd be the first to admit she's not perfect, and owns up to her foibles. I love that, although her collection of essays (and its underlying message of being confident in who you are) is directed toward women, men are clearly welcome to crash this party.
Okay, never mind; I guess I really do have it bad for Amy. I just never really realized it until reading this remarkably funny and poignant memoir. (I'm still intimidated by her, though. She's a badass.)
April 3, 2017
I was very surprised by this book. I expected myself to think it was only "okay" or to not enjoy it. I have been reading a lot of comedy books and not loving them, but I really enjoyed this book.
Amy Schumer is someone that I knew very little about. I had seen her act in a couple of movies (less than a handful). However, when I saw that she wrote a book and saw how extremely popular it was, I had to read it. I had this book on hold at the library forever. They had 35 copies of it and it still took me months and months to get it. But I am glad I requested and read it :) It was well worth my time.
The title of the book: The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, comes from when Amy got a terrible lower back tattoo in high school. It is crooked and too deep. But instead of being embarrassed by it, Amy wears it proudly. She wears her mistakes for everyone to see and I think this is a good matto for life. We shouldn't be embarrassed or ashamed of our past decisions, instead we should learn from them and move on. Just like Amy did.
This book covered more than that. For everyone that knows Amy knows that she does not hold anything back from her fans. She is completely open and honest and so was her book. She talked about her own personal sexual experiences (a lot), but she also covered much deeper topics. She talked about being a female in the comedy and movie director fields. She talked about her body and the struggles she used to go through to star in movies. She shared her personal story of being sexually molested and how no one should ever feel ashamed or like it was their fault. She shared how her dad has MS and all the struggles that he goes through and she witnesses. She shared how both of her parents have been married three times and she lost a best friend in middle school because her mom had an affair with that girl's father. And lastly, she shared her point of view on gun violence and how she is trying to stop it. Two women were killed at a movie theatre watching Train Wreck (a movie that Amy directed and starred in). The women were killed by a man that purposely targeted a movie that helped empower women.
This book was not only funny, but really deep and personal. I loved reading about Amy's life and I hope she writes a second book.
Amy Schumer is someone that I knew very little about. I had seen her act in a couple of movies (less than a handful). However, when I saw that she wrote a book and saw how extremely popular it was, I had to read it. I had this book on hold at the library forever. They had 35 copies of it and it still took me months and months to get it. But I am glad I requested and read it :) It was well worth my time.
The title of the book: The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, comes from when Amy got a terrible lower back tattoo in high school. It is crooked and too deep. But instead of being embarrassed by it, Amy wears it proudly. She wears her mistakes for everyone to see and I think this is a good matto for life. We shouldn't be embarrassed or ashamed of our past decisions, instead we should learn from them and move on. Just like Amy did.
This book covered more than that. For everyone that knows Amy knows that she does not hold anything back from her fans. She is completely open and honest and so was her book. She talked about her own personal sexual experiences (a lot), but she also covered much deeper topics. She talked about being a female in the comedy and movie director fields. She talked about her body and the struggles she used to go through to star in movies. She shared her personal story of being sexually molested and how no one should ever feel ashamed or like it was their fault. She shared how her dad has MS and all the struggles that he goes through and she witnesses. She shared how both of her parents have been married three times and she lost a best friend in middle school because her mom had an affair with that girl's father. And lastly, she shared her point of view on gun violence and how she is trying to stop it. Two women were killed at a movie theatre watching Train Wreck (a movie that Amy directed and starred in). The women were killed by a man that purposely targeted a movie that helped empower women.
This book was not only funny, but really deep and personal. I loved reading about Amy's life and I hope she writes a second book.
September 5, 2016
When I started reading this book, I had no idea who Amy Schumer was. I was sent a review copy unsolicited (and I was thrilled about that, btw), and a friend of mine told me that Amy Schumer is a famous comedian. Before reading, though, I decided to look her up on YouTube, and when I found an interview with her on the Ellen Degeneres show, I immediately fell in love. This woman was HILARIOUS! And I don't easily laugh from comedians' jokes, but Amy made me smile and laugh.
I was so pleased to find out that this autobiography is just as fantastic as Amy Schumer's humour is. It carries her tone of voice brilliantly throughout, and from the very first pages I was cracking up. Amy loves to eat pasta while falling asleep - who couldn't love a candid, blunt girl like that?
This biography furthermore comes with its tragic and very honest moments, and I really appreciated those. For instance, there is a chapter on the shooting of two women who were watching a cinema showing of Amy's film "Trainwreck". But Amy manages to mingle the tragic with the funny in a balanced way that I respect a lot.
This is definitely one of the better autobiographies I've ever read. I'm so happy I was sent this book, and I'm so happy that I now know of Amy Schumer - I'm pretty sure that she and I would become best friends if we ever met :)
I was so pleased to find out that this autobiography is just as fantastic as Amy Schumer's humour is. It carries her tone of voice brilliantly throughout, and from the very first pages I was cracking up. Amy loves to eat pasta while falling asleep - who couldn't love a candid, blunt girl like that?
This biography furthermore comes with its tragic and very honest moments, and I really appreciated those. For instance, there is a chapter on the shooting of two women who were watching a cinema showing of Amy's film "Trainwreck". But Amy manages to mingle the tragic with the funny in a balanced way that I respect a lot.
This is definitely one of the better autobiographies I've ever read. I'm so happy I was sent this book, and I'm so happy that I now know of Amy Schumer - I'm pretty sure that she and I would become best friends if we ever met :)
January 6, 2019
I was going to start off this review by saying "Surpsingly I was a fan of this one!"
...But then I realized I only feel the need to add "surprisingly" because it's trendy to hate Amy and to shout from the rooftops "ACKCHYUALLY I watched one youtube video someone made that proves she steals jokes so I get to call her whatever disgusting name I want and you're not allowed to get upset." (side note - the more I read about the "joke stealing" the less I think she did.)
So my actual review - 3.5/5 stars. I downloaded this on a whim because it was free/available on the Libby app and I was curious to learn more about Amy Schumer. I thought it was an excellent balance of autobiography, light funny banter, and serious subject matter. For personal reasons, the chapter on gun violence resonated me. Overall, I highly recommended whether your love, despise, or have no opinion on her.
...But then I realized I only feel the need to add "surprisingly" because it's trendy to hate Amy and to shout from the rooftops "ACKCHYUALLY I watched one youtube video someone made that proves she steals jokes so I get to call her whatever disgusting name I want and you're not allowed to get upset." (side note - the more I read about the "joke stealing" the less I think she did.)
So my actual review - 3.5/5 stars. I downloaded this on a whim because it was free/available on the Libby app and I was curious to learn more about Amy Schumer. I thought it was an excellent balance of autobiography, light funny banter, and serious subject matter. For personal reasons, the chapter on gun violence resonated me. Overall, I highly recommended whether your love, despise, or have no opinion on her.
Want to read
May 25, 2016Even though this season of her show has been a little message-y, and her movie about an author named Spence (that's an inside joke for readers in the know) wasn't as sharp as it could have been, I'm actually really looking forward to this book. The title is hilarious though.
Plus, guys, she's doing a movie with J. Law.
Plus, guys, she's doing a movie with J. Law.
August 7, 2016
I expected something just straight up funny and silly, but the book had some surprising depth to it. The best chapter by far, in my opinion, is "The Worst Night of My Life", where she details a particularly horrible night with her abusive ex. She goes on to emphasize how abusive relationships can happen to ANYONE, even those who have always considered themselves "strong-ass women" such as herself. I thought that was a really important message to put out there, because there is so often the belief that only weak, submissive women end up in abusive relationships when that is truly not the case at all. Bravo to Amy for sharing her story!
August 18, 2016
Another celebrity memoir in the form of essays hit the stand.
The book is good, some parts are funny, some are sad.
Amy shares a lot of stories about her childhood, how her parents lost their fortune and began all over again. She describes her lovers, her one night stand, the athletes and musicians she was with.
Amy talks about how she became a stand up comedian and how it was hard and it took her years to perfect her routine. Trainwreck is discussed along with the horrible shooting that took place during a screening of Trainwreck.
Enjoyable read, suitable for a weekend or just a day in bed.
The book is good, some parts are funny, some are sad.
Amy shares a lot of stories about her childhood, how her parents lost their fortune and began all over again. She describes her lovers, her one night stand, the athletes and musicians she was with.
Amy talks about how she became a stand up comedian and how it was hard and it took her years to perfect her routine. Trainwreck is discussed along with the horrible shooting that took place during a screening of Trainwreck.
Enjoyable read, suitable for a weekend or just a day in bed.
March 1, 2023
MEU DEUS, ESSE LIVRO É UMA AULA!
Uma aula pra quem tem um sonho e não tem coragem de seguir, pra quem tá entendiado com a própria vida, pra quem tem problema de auto estima, pra quem é introvertido, pra quem já viveu algum relacionamento abusivo, pra quem tem um problema grave de doença na família... sério... esse livro serve pra todo mundo.
Amy Schumer naturalmente já é uma pessoa extremamente engraçada. Depois de ouvir o audiobook desse livro (que é narrado por ela) é impossível não gargalhar pela rua. Foi uma leitura tão gostosa que me prendeu tanto, que eu já me vejo relendo. Eu quero de novo passar várias manhãs andando pela rua e ouvindo Amy me contanto uma história.
Mesmo pra quem não a conhece a leitura vai ser excelente. Eu mega recomendo de verdade, gente!
Uma aula pra quem tem um sonho e não tem coragem de seguir, pra quem tá entendiado com a própria vida, pra quem tem problema de auto estima, pra quem é introvertido, pra quem já viveu algum relacionamento abusivo, pra quem tem um problema grave de doença na família... sério... esse livro serve pra todo mundo.
Amy Schumer naturalmente já é uma pessoa extremamente engraçada. Depois de ouvir o audiobook desse livro (que é narrado por ela) é impossível não gargalhar pela rua. Foi uma leitura tão gostosa que me prendeu tanto, que eu já me vejo relendo. Eu quero de novo passar várias manhãs andando pela rua e ouvindo Amy me contanto uma história.
Mesmo pra quem não a conhece a leitura vai ser excelente. Eu mega recomendo de verdade, gente!
October 14, 2017
I expected laughs coming out of my butt and instead I got a relative dud. I did not see that coming!
I am a fan of Amy Schumer, yes warts and all*, and so I expected to love this book. Her show is hilarious, her stand-up is good stuff, and I really enjoyed her movie Trainwreck...or A Girl Without Complexes as it is known in Russia. This book, however, does not meet expectations.
The subject matter is hit and miss. I really enjoyed when she got on the topic of her show or movie. There was some snort-laugh-worthy material in her dating stories. I wasn't so interested in her stuffed animals, though, and didn't feel like they needed a full chapter of their own. There is a lot of time spent on her mom and dad, who are honestly more interesting people than Amy comes off as in this book.
She's just not a truly wild and crazy gal. While it didn't make for an exciting read, it was interesting to find out that she's actually an introvert of sorts who forces herself to perform. She'd be more at home spending most nights, well, at home. She's a movie-on-the-couch-in-PJs-with-a-bowl-of-brownie-mix kind of date night girl. And I don't hate on that! Hell, that sounds like heaven to me. Problem is, when you're writing an autobiography and that's the kind of a material you're working with, the book ain't gonna thrill ya.
Amy is also not a terribly dynamic reader. There isn't a lot of life in her reading voice. I chose to listen to this in audiobook format, because I feel like you should always read a comedian's book that way. They're writing about themselves, they're natural performers, this is right up their alley! Well, looks like I have to amend my "always" when it comes to comedians' audiobook narration. Schumer sounded like she was on valium a third of the time, bored to death during another third, and on top of things and engaged for the third third.
Now, I've bagged on this book for most of this review, but in fairness, it's not horrible. Yes, it did take more than a month to get through seven cds, which is an astronomical amount of time for such a short book. However, I have read worse and this doesn't come close. As a Schumer fan, let's just say I was let down. I expected a laugh-riot and was surprised when I didn't get it. That doesn't mean there isn't merit herein. It just means I set the bar too high.
* Mostly I'm talking about the few a-holes that have dug up her past and tried to throw it in her face. Others claim she's stealing jokes. I've looked into it, and to me this just sounds like jealousy and sour grapes. The rumors and accusations I've seen have all been from dudes and the ax they're grinding stinks of fear, as if they're afraid vaginas have invaded and will one day rule the world if dudes don't whip out their penises and beat them back!
I am a fan of Amy Schumer, yes warts and all*, and so I expected to love this book. Her show is hilarious, her stand-up is good stuff, and I really enjoyed her movie Trainwreck...or A Girl Without Complexes as it is known in Russia. This book, however, does not meet expectations.
The subject matter is hit and miss. I really enjoyed when she got on the topic of her show or movie. There was some snort-laugh-worthy material in her dating stories. I wasn't so interested in her stuffed animals, though, and didn't feel like they needed a full chapter of their own. There is a lot of time spent on her mom and dad, who are honestly more interesting people than Amy comes off as in this book.
She's just not a truly wild and crazy gal. While it didn't make for an exciting read, it was interesting to find out that she's actually an introvert of sorts who forces herself to perform. She'd be more at home spending most nights, well, at home. She's a movie-on-the-couch-in-PJs-with-a-bowl-of-brownie-mix kind of date night girl. And I don't hate on that! Hell, that sounds like heaven to me. Problem is, when you're writing an autobiography and that's the kind of a material you're working with, the book ain't gonna thrill ya.
Amy is also not a terribly dynamic reader. There isn't a lot of life in her reading voice. I chose to listen to this in audiobook format, because I feel like you should always read a comedian's book that way. They're writing about themselves, they're natural performers, this is right up their alley! Well, looks like I have to amend my "always" when it comes to comedians' audiobook narration. Schumer sounded like she was on valium a third of the time, bored to death during another third, and on top of things and engaged for the third third.
Now, I've bagged on this book for most of this review, but in fairness, it's not horrible. Yes, it did take more than a month to get through seven cds, which is an astronomical amount of time for such a short book. However, I have read worse and this doesn't come close. As a Schumer fan, let's just say I was let down. I expected a laugh-riot and was surprised when I didn't get it. That doesn't mean there isn't merit herein. It just means I set the bar too high.
* Mostly I'm talking about the few a-holes that have dug up her past and tried to throw it in her face. Others claim she's stealing jokes. I've looked into it, and to me this just sounds like jealousy and sour grapes. The rumors and accusations I've seen have all been from dudes and the ax they're grinding stinks of fear, as if they're afraid vaginas have invaded and will one day rule the world if dudes don't whip out their penises and beat them back!
September 8, 2016
I know its not cool anymore to like Amy Schumer, but guess what? I'm not cool. I love books by smart, funny women & Amy Schumer is both this book was funny but also serious. It made me like her even more than I already did. If you enjoyed Amy Poehler, Tina Fey or Mindy Kaling's books than I think you'll enjoy this book.
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