**Originally posted @ReadingDiva's Blog**

 

REVIEW: Hilarious!, yes that’s how I describe this book. It is fresh and insightful, I can’t help but recommend it from the start. When I got the email inviting me to read it I couldn’t say no. I just had to, not only was it written by one of my favorite comedians but it was about something I have found myself wondering about a lot lately.

Aziz gives us his take on the romance of today, he explores the differences in times and evaluate his findings with experts in the fields of psychologists, sociologists, married couples, families and other interesting people. His findings are those things many of us have probably wondered and already discussed before with your friends and boyfriend(s)/husband(s).

Modern Romance comically explains how we are adapted to marrying for love rather than marrying for the purpose of creating a family, which might’ve been the number one of the reason for marriage in the past. It goes into explaining that today’s marriages have adapted to the changing times, and that marriage is not longer the only acceptable union in our society and hilariously explains how long lasting and fulfilling today relationships can be.

“Today we’ve become far more accepting of alternative lifestyles, and people move in and out of different situations: single with roommates, single and solo, single with partner, married, divorced, divorced and living with an iguana, remarried with iguana, then divorced with seven iguanas because your iguana obsession ruined your relationship, and, finally, single with six iguanas (Arturo was sadly run over by an ice cream truck).”

Aziz and these experts also go into explaining that when we do get married, with do it for love (more so these days but there may exceptions “gold diggers anyone?”) and we are finding our soul-mate, and that just in case there is trouble (such as oops he really wasn’t who I thought he was) we have the tools which are incredibly easy to use (name the internet and its infinite dating websites and social media channels).

“Marriage was an economic institution in which you were given a partnership for life in terms of children and social status and succession and companionship. But now we want our partner to still give us all these things, but in addition I want you to be my best friend and my trusted confidant and my passionate lover to boot, and we live twice as long. So we come to one person, and we basically are asking them to give us what once an entire village used to provide: Give me belonging, give me identity, give me continuity, but give me transcendence and mystery and awe all in one. Give me comfort, give me edge. Give me novelty, give me familiarity. Give me predictability, give me surprise. And we think it’s a given, and toys and lingerie are going to save us with that.”

I have to appreciate the humor in this book because even though it covers a very “serious” topic  (love & romance) it does it in a way that is easy to relate, it makes you laugh and makes you think. Many single people will be able to relate to Aziz anecdotes (which are hilarious), they will be able to sympathize and even understand his perspective. This book does not give you the formula to find love, but instead it shows that there are so many ways in which people find connection and via different means. And though I could keep going about why I think every young and single person (and married like me) should read this book, I think I will leave you with the certainty that Aziz will make you chuckle and laugh-out-loud from page one.

★★★★ What a hoot! This book was funny! Tina Fey was after my time of watching Saturday Night Live, I don’t watch 30 Rock, and I’ve only seen a couple of her movies, but I wanted to hear what this modern superwoman had to say. She mixes humor in with advice and some antidotes. I listened to this on audio and Tina Fey does a delightful narration; but, damn, that woman talks fast! Plus, she refers to pictures in “the pdf file” which, as I downloaded this from my public library, I didn’t get with the MP3 version. However, I did get to hear the Saturday Night Live audio sketch she referred to; so, it all balances out. I found myself LOL many, many times - over things I never thought I would even smile about.

Bossypants is generating buzz for good reason. Tina Fey rocks. Her ability to laugh at herself while making a point about the state of society or our current culture is as refreshing as it is hilarious. Expecting nothing more than a few good stories and some great jokes, I was surprised to find Ms. Fey sharing advice on being a leader, managing others, and being a working mother in today's cutthroat society. While a majority of the readers will not be able to relate to some of Ms. Fey's stories about dealing with actors or working on television shows, her advice crosses all areas of business, making it a welcome addition to an already excellent story. In Bossypants, Ms. Fey debunks myths of working mothers and the trappings of stardom. She takes great pains to point out how she is just like everyone else, with the same insecurities, skin and weight problems, and family issues that we all have. Granted, she is also more successful, funnier, and wealthier than I will ever be, but that's besides the point. The fact is that even though she is successful and supremely funny, she also has a point to make about being a woman and the traps into which women tend to fall thanks to societal pressure or custom. Much in the same way Ms. Fey was able to draw attention to the idea of sexism in the previous presidential race through an absolutely hilarious skit, she uses her humor to draw attention to female sabotage, pressure to fit a cultural norm, and other timely topics. In spite of all the jokes, Ms. Fey's ultimate point is timely and much-needed. There should be a disclaimer on this novel. One should not listen to Bossypants when in a meeting or in situations where distractions are a bad idea. Case in point, I was listening to it while working and had to choke back the audible laughter for fear of scaring my co-workers or causing them to think I had finally had a mental breakdown. Instead, I suffered in silence, laughing inaudibly so hard I had tears streaming down my face. (If any co-workers happened to walk past when this occurred, then they still probably thought I had that mental breakdown but because I wasn't making a huge, noisy scene, they let me go.) The best part was that I laughed, a lot. Whether it was over a joke, a scene, or even one little sentence, Ms. Fey's success as a comedic writer definitely shines as she turns the pen towards herself. As a narrator, Ms. Fey is one of the best I've yet enjoyed hearing. I felt like I was sitting across from her as she was sharing her story with me. While listeners do not have the visual cues to mark asides or sarcasm, she speaks in such a way that the listener has no doubts as to when Ms. Fey's sarcastic side has made an appearance. She also incorporates audio of some of her more famous SNL sketches, as well as her own interpretation of her co-workers' voices, which only enhances the audio experience. Any time I can get the opportunity to listen to or re-watch my favorite SNL skit ever, the first time she ever debuted her Sarah Palin impersonation, it is a good day. For those who doubted it, Bossypants truly is deserving of the hype. It is not glitzy or glamorous. Ms. Fey does not spill dark secrets about her fellow cast mates or Hollywood friends. Rather, she shares herself with her audience - an honest portrait of a supremely talented woman who worked hard to achieve her success in spite of all the odds stacked against her. The fact that she makes her audience laugh while doing so is just an added bonus.