Customer Reviews

Coffee at Luke's: An Unauthorized Gilmore Girls Gabfest (Smart Pop series)

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"Coffee at Luke's: An Unauthorized 'Gilmore Girls' Gabfest" is a Smart Pop series collection of essays put together by Jennifer Crusie, whose introduction points out the utter appropriateness of a bunch of people taking about "Gilmore Girls." As an overview she points out that the show always kept in mind the basic rules for great dialogue: keep it moving, give everybody the best lines, talk up to your audience, and remember that the best dialogue is the stuff you can't hear. For each of these she has choice examples, which will immediately cause you to counter with your own personal favorites, and suddenly you are sitting down and joining the conversation the back cover proposes when it suggests you have some coffee at Luke's.

The first section is entitled, "It All Comes Out in Moron: Personal Relationships." "Whimsy Goes with Everything" by Heather Swain argues that everybody in Stars Hollow is a little eccentric, but that Kirk is something special. "Boys Not Allowed" by Jennifer Armstrong explains why Lorelai had trouble staying engaged long enough to get married, an argument that extends to Rory since the Gilmore Girls are too busy to be messed up by mere mortal men. Stephanie Whiteside focuses on a particular relationship in "When Paris Met Rory," contending that they have one of the most problematical relationships in television history.

The second section, "The Other Relationship: Parenting," focuses more on Lorelia and Emily. In "Mothers, Daughters, and Gilmore Girls," Janine Hiddlestone analyzes the fears, disappointments, and triumphs of being a mother in Stars Hollow, focusing in the end on the reversal of Lorelai and her parents' roles when Rory dropped out of Yale. Stephanie Lehmann focuses on the "The Best-Friend Mom" idea as one of the biggest fantasies and concludes that such an ideal was no longer the case by the end of the sixth season. Charlotte Fullerton's "In Defense of Emily Gilmore" makes the case for Emily as the much maligned but third Gilmore Girl and draws a series of strong parallels between Emily and Lorelai. Miellyn Fitzwater looks at "My Three Dads," analyzing Rory's trio of father figures of Luke, Richard and Christopher in terms of the time, money, and emotional support each provides here. However, her quantitative judgment strikes me as being skewed by the money factor because her conclusion as to who comes out ahead runs counter to by watching the show.

"Second Hamlet to the Right: Stars Hollow" is the third section. Sara Morrison provides "Your Guide to the Real Stars Hollow Business World," providing a harsh dose of reality as to how the town's commerce would do in the real world (sadly Taylor's Olde Fashioned Soda Shoppe has a better chance of surviving, much more so than Luke's Diner, which has a three-times better chance of making it than the Dragonfly Inn). My favorite essay is Jill Winters' "Happiness Under Glass: The Truth about Lorelai and Life in Stars Hollow," which makes a strong case for Lorelai's ambivalence towards the town in which she lives (the "Emily Junior" section is especially telling). Stephanie Rowe's "It's Not Luke's Stubble" makes the case for Stars Hollow being quintessential New England in terms of intellectual snobbery, money, history, heritage, and winter.

The next section is called "The Best Things in Life: Food, Books, and Sex," with one essay on each. "Dining with the Gilmores" is Gregory Stevenson's look at how food is the show's third passion behind talking and reading, which ends up seeing the show's secular morality as "The Chewy Moral Center." Maryelizabeth Hart's "Reading, Rory, and Relationships" makes a compelling case for books and writing being shorthand for character and emotional development. Kristen Kidder's examines the way the young women on the show pay for losing their virginity, dealing with what happens to Paris, Rory and Lane in an essay that had to be entitled, "'That's What You Get, Folks, For Makin' Whoopee.'"

The final section, "There's Reality and Then There's Lorelai: 'Gilmore Girls' and the Real World," begins with an interesting idea. Chris McCubbin recasts "Gilmore Girls" as a 1952 screwball comedy directed by Howard Hawks and starring Katharine Hepburn as Lorelai and Audrey Hepburn as Rory. The rest of the cast list is equally intriguing (William Holden as Luke, Agnes Moorhead as Emily, Vivian Vance as Sookie). From that starting point McCubbin explores the roots of the show in the fast-talking screwball comedies of the 1930s and 40s. Carol Cooper's "'Mama Don't Preach': Class, Culture, and Lorelai Gilmore as Bizarro-World Suffragette" reconsiders Lorelai's choices as being "so inexplicable she must be part of Bizzaro World," and concludes they are more bold than they are bizarre.

The back of the book includes a section of "Coffee at Luke's-isms" that explains veiled references in the essays from "7th Heaven" and "The actor became Alexis Bledel's real boyfriend off the show" to "Wicked Witch of the West" and "William Holden." This is the third completely unauthorized volume in the Smart Pop series that I have read and to date they have all provided food for thought in bite size morsels. So those essays that are not particularly interesting to read do not last long, which trades off against those where you would like to hear more of what the author has to say. Fans of "Gilmore Girls" will not be disappointed checking this out, especially since there are no new episodes to look forward to anymore.

Hi all, as a 35 year old guy - i'll just say it - I ADORE GILMORE GIRLS! Such a great show, witty writing , a cool mom like Lorelai and Stars Hollow - what a town to seek to live in. I found this book here on Amazon, theres not much reference for Gilmore Girls, so this was a welcome addition, great essays and quotes, i highly reccomend it. Now if only someone would do a complete Episode guide covering the entire series that would be perfect.Recomended!!

I loved reading the essays, which analyzed everything from Emily (wow, most psychiatrists wouldn't take on that job) to the massive amounts of food consumed on the show. While I disagreed with the point made by a few of the essays, I think that the book points out the many subtleties that make Gilmore Girls a fan classic.
Did you ever notice the significance of Lorelai becoming a maid after leaving home? Emily fires maids every day, doesn't consider them human, and in season 6 calls them criminals who get their children to rob you. She said that to Rory, the child of a former maid. Little gems like that make this book a must-read. Plus, it gives you an excuse to break out the much-watched DVDs again.

I feel the essays were accurate assessments of the show. They made me realize how many different perspectives could be achieved by different people. But most importantly, the book made realize how the wonderful and innovative the show was for women and how it excelled when it was at it's best!

If you love Gilmore Girls, you will enjoy this book. This book reviews some of your favorite Gilmore moments, with perspective and wit from true Gilmore Girls addicts.

I can't put my pencil down. I've been highlighting, boxing, and "starring" every page. I loved the Gilmore Girls, and this collection of essays reminds me why. Most of the essays are fabulous, except the one that suggests "most" teenage girls in Lorelei's position would get an abortion. I'd like that "fact" documented, please.

this is a scholastic look at a fantastic show. i miss it :( this should only be read by those very familiar with the show and the backgrounds of all the characters. i own all the dvds (don't judge) and have seen each episode numerous times...so i was able to picture scenes that the authors were talking about...have a cram session if necessary before reading :) these essays do make you look at the show from a new angle.

Coffee at Lukes: An Unauthorized Gilmore Girls Gabfest is a PHENOMENAL book. The change of pace from essay to essay, author to author is fantastic. It definately helps me get my "Gilmore Girls-fix" when I can't be watching the show...

I've read this book from cover to cover...many times. I love the essay "Reading, Rory, and Relationships".

This book is amazing. I definately recommend it to any fan of the show! =P

I bought this book simply because I like the Gilmore Girls. Hence is the only prerequisite for enjoying this book--though I'm afraid it is not necessarily a guarentee. I knew this was to be a collection of essays, but when I got around to reading them they were little more than something I could find in an internet blog. Which is not a bad thing, just not necessarily wonderful. Part of me wonders why one must disect a show as wonderful as the Gilmore Girls, but the essays did bring up the very points that made me like the show so much. Nothing spectacular, this book, but I'm sure many a die-hard fun will enjoy it.

I bought this for my mom as part of her Christmas gift this year, it arrived within two days and I think it's going to be perfect. We're both huge Gilmore fans, I'm kind of jealous that she owns the book and not me! Recommended for all Gilmore Girls fans, it looks like an interesting book just by flipping through it.