I Was Told There'd Be Cake: Essays

Always on the lookout for a new, fresh voice, and one touted as a "mercurial wit" on a par with David Sedaris and Dorothy Parker, had to be good, right? Well . . . I'm sorry to report these front and back cover comparisons are just good copywriting. I'm not saying this author isn't talented. She is. She's funny, smart, quirky, writes well, and has a few 20-something stories to relate to, perhaps, essay-readers of her generation and fellow Manhattan-ites who may never tire of telling or hearing the same stories again and again and again. (Boss from hell, moving, etc.)I'm afraid there's nothing new here--a few chuckles and clever witticisms, but mostly I found this to be a monotonous collection of tales from a young woman shaking off the selfishness of youth and coming of age. Of varying length and format, these essays aren't polished and there are attempts to give a last-line/full-circle zinger in several cases; however, for me they didn't work. Further, I knew there was a generation gap when she started waxing nostalgic about video games in the excerpt entitled "Bring Your Machete To Work Day." And I didn't quite know how to take the proclamation: [I] "find people who publicly strive to make the world a better place to be moderately annoying." I feel I should have been more on board with her sense of humor by 117 pages into the book where this appears. Nevertheless, I can't blame the author for these particular criticisms--which means this book had more of an audience problem for me, rather than a talent problem. I'd love to read more of Crosley's work, say in another decade or two. My guess is that she's going to get better and better.Bottom line: Good writing, mildly humorous, nothing new for baby-boomers, but probably great for Gen X'ers and those who follow . . . what are they called? No doubt, Crosley knows.Michele Cozzens is the author of  It's Not Your Mother's Bridge Club

It left me with no empathy for the writer. Clever for clever sake and too revealing to be entertaining.

After having exhausted my supplies of David Sedaris books and most of Augusten Burroughs' work, I went on a search for more memoirs. I happened upon this slim volume, and found it funny and worth the money. Granted, Crosley's writing is not nearly as polished as Sedaris' or Burroughs'. Sentences tend to trail on and plots jump around, making stories a bit hard to follow. However, I found her work much more relatable than Sedaris or Burroughs. I am not a man, nor am I gay, nor am I a famous author, nor do I go on fancy vacations around the world. I am, however, a woman who grew up in a middle class family, and most of Crosley's stories center around this background.So all in all, Crosley may not be as entertaining as other authors of her genre, and her writing doesn't quite match up, but she is definitely interesting and perhaps a bit more relevant to the average American.

I believe this volume is a bit over-hyped in that it is billed as "hilarious," when it really is more the wry/sly brand of humor. I just did not laugh out loud - I found myself nodding in agreement but not crying with laughter. I did have a hard time getting into this book, because the author at first blush is a very recognizable type of girl - one I would not normally have much in common with. For example, she thinks Aldo is low-end, when I think of Payless as low-end. We just have different experiences. But as she moves into her adult life, I find myself identifying more and more with her. She isn't the kind of girl whose parents bought her a million dollar Manhattan apartment when she got her first job. She pays her own rent and tries to build her own career, and she is trying to be a better person. I'm not quite finished with this volume but plan to order the next one now so I can keep reading.

Perhaps the real Sloane Crosley is a transgendered junkie raised in foster homes by abusive religious fanatics. One never knows these days (and maybe not just these days, if you think of Daniel Defoe faking it). Anyway she writes in the persona of a young, healthy, good-looking heterosexual with Westchester parents, a New England College, and a Manhattan job. These are handicaps for the vendor of comic reminiscences, but Crosley overcomes them nobly, and was able to make me laugh out loud at several points. She makes the most of the childhood traumata of having an unusual name and being assigned the second best bedroom. Would Augusten Burroughs have managed as well with such scant material? He had it made. I was about to conclude with commiserating her for the fact that humor is a tough competitive market, and that even the most brilliant satire ends up on the reminder tables if it ever makes print, but I see that she's in the Amazon top one hundred bestseller list. No theodicy is needed.

When we're kids, we are taught not to judge a book by its cover. I obviously did not pay much attention when I was told this.I read the title and thought, "Cake? I love cake. Why wasn't there cake? WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CAKE?" And after reading the praise from Jonathan Ames and David Sedaris and having her compared to the latter, I was really excited to crack this baby open.I was over it by page 3.Now, when I begin a book, I have to finish it. I don't care how bad it is, I need to finish it. Even if it's so bad I have to skim the words just to get to the last page, I do just that and then hit myself over the head with it. I have to finish. Most of the time it's because I'm hoping that it will get better, and this book just didn't. It did have its funny moments, and she had some interesting things to say, but I would not recommend buying this book. A lot of the writing was very self-involved (given, it is a collection of essays about HER life) and seemed childish. It was almost like she was trying too hard to be funny.I'm a little offended that she has been compared to David Sedaris, and a little sad that he seems to be okay with it. But if you ever have trouble sleeping, she could help.

This is the first time I have had a less than great experience. The book was in poorer shape than I expected. Scrape paper between pages. Visibly more worn than described.

I liked the intimate chat with another woman especially as we can no longer go out for coffee andsimilar social gatheringsWe used this book in the scattered family as part of our weekly Skype session -- an informal book club in fact

Great for dipping into, especially if you're a commuter. It's a collection of columns by the author, I wouldn't necessarily call it 'comedy' but it is amusing. There isn't any particular theme, they are just bundled together pieces about life in the city. I'd recommend it for dipping into when you just have a few minutes.

Loved the title but this was not as amusing as its write up. Alas. I did finish it but it just failed to amuse me.I much preferred "is everyone hanging out without me"

I bought this as an impulse buy after reading a review of one of Crosley's other books in the paper. I have to say this is one of the funniest books I have ever read. The essays are witty and an insightful, as well as an interesting look into the life of a twenty something New Yorker. 'The Ursula Cookie' is probably the best of all the stories. A definate good read.

This collection of essays is an enjoyable read. Like many other collections before this one, there are some that are better than others but it's a good mix of funny, enlightening and heart warming.