Author– Amy Schumer
Book– The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo
Previous Works– Debut Novel
Blurb-
From award-winning comedian, writer, producer and actress Amy Schumer comes The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, a thoughtful, honest and hysterical collection of (very) personal essays.
Never one to shy away from the uproarious, challenging and remarkable moments that make up life, this exceptionally candid book will have readers wincing with recognition, nodding their head in solidarity and laughing out loud. Written with Amy’s signature candour, she reflects on her often raucous childhood antics, her hard won and incomparable rise to comedic stardom and the courage it takes to approach the world with astounding honesty every single day. Surely the most anticipated collection of the year, Amy shines bright as a friend, daughter, sister, unforgettable comedian and most notably, a masterful (and always entertaining) storyteller.
Review-
The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer is a memoir. I could have called it an autobiography (because that’s what it is), but the author has specifically mentioned that the book is not an autobiography. She has gone ahead and added that she would write an autobiography when she is ninety, so this is not it.
The book is about Amy Schumer’s journey into the world of comedy. A well-known face in the comic industry, Amy wasn’t all she is. Though the book is about her struggle, it doesn’t paint a clear picture of what Amy wanted to be as a child. The only crystal clear point we get from the book is, she loved performing. Be it dancing, singing, acting, or telling jokes, Amy loved being on the stage, it gave her a sort of high.
In the book, Amy Schumer talks about her sex life. How her jokes on stage make her seem like a rather irresponsible lady, even when she has had just one one night stand (Spoiler alert! Sorry!). She talks about her family, her relationship with her mother, her father’s Multiple Sclerosis, her sister’s companionship, and also a bit about her brother. She recalls all those weird activities that she had done in her past and all the important lessons that she had learned from it.
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Reading the book feels like you are in a conversation with the author, and she is talking to you about life. There aren’t too many important takeaways from the book, but simply the usual moral of working hard and being nice. The author shares her experience about the life she has had and the unapologetic love she has for everything that feels right. She empowers you to embrace yourself.
There were times when I felt that the book was written because the author wanted to point out that she wasn’t an overnight success because of the TV show Last Comic Standing, she had worked hard to be where she is. In all reality, it’s true. She has mentioned in the book how she caught the comedy bug and would go from one place to another, trying to get a spot to perform, just so that she can be better. She writes about how she felt when she realized she wasn’t good enough but worked hard to have more content and jokes so that she would be better.
There have been times when Amy Schumer has been forced to fit into society’s unrealistic and pathetic standards for women and she readily speaks against it.
This book is of a woman who feels sorry for herself at times, and still respects and loves herself. She stands tall in the face of the hate that people spread and happily gives them the finger. This book is so honest that I feel women would relate to it a lot. They would relate to the days they have felt unwanted, unloved and the days when dark clouds hover over them. They would also relate to the days when they had felt enough and full as the sun has finally decided to shine. This book is like a pat on the back saying, “We all make mistakes, we all have done things we aren’t proud of, but that doesn’t mean we can’t shine”. And above all, this book makes you laugh, quite a lot.
Ratings- 4.5 stars out of 5
This book isn’t for everyone. This isn’t something that you would recommend to a fellow reader if asked, but you would be glad that you read it. This is just a book that is supposed to be picked without any expectations. It is also a one-time read, but the one time you read it, you won’t want to put it down until you have completed it.
Reviewed by- Banaja Prakashini
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About the author-
Amy Schumer has proven herself one of the entertainment industry’s leading forces as a stand-up comedian, actress, writer, producer, and director. Her smash hit television series Inside Amy Schumer has won a Peabody Award, a Critics Choice Television Award, and two primetime Emmy awards. She wrote and starred in her first feature-length film, Trainwreck, which dominated the 2015 summer comedy international box office and was nominated for two Golden Globes and won a Hollywood Film Award for “Comedy of the Year.” As a stand-up comedian, she continues to tour to sold out shows around the world.
