Customer Reviews

Confessions of a Nervous Shiksa

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

In this case, the movies help Alexis understand her life -- and eventually get on with it. Confessions of a Nervous Shiksa is an impressive first novel from a very talented new author. Ms. McArdle has an knack for creating memorable characters and recalling poignant movies scenes that help the reader understand her protagonist's (Alexis's) process of "disengagement." Each chapter begins with a brief description from a modern movie classic, including Beaches, Annie Hall, and others. Although I rarely read chic lit, I found Shiksa to be a funny and fascinating glimpse of an insider's experience behind the scenes in Hollywood.

I read a LOT of chick lit and knowing they're not all Pulitzer worthy, I was surprised at how boring I found Confessions of a Nervous Shiksa. There's a LOT of skipping around in chronology which sometimes works but doesn't here, the characters seem undeveloped, and hello, the main character is mean to a dying dog. Maybe some find that to be not so bad but how does that make me want to keep reading about this person? By the end of the book I felt like the character hardly made any advances, and those that she did make were only revealed in the last 10 pages or so. Don't bother paying full price -- this one'll be remaindered soon and you'll find it at a used book sale or outlet store.

In Hollywood, publicity vice president Alexis "Lexy" Manning works 24/7 promoting her studio's movies and its stars. Lexy could not have a more suited job for herself as she loves the movies adulating footnotes from her favorite pictures in discussions with her friends.

Lexy is almost engaged to Jewish bartender David Rothstein who uses the name of Deke Rothrock as a wannabe actor. She takes him home to spend a Yankee Christmas with her family in Vermont that shakes him to his circumcised core because he feels so out of place. Afterward, David makes religious demands on Lexy to convert to Judaism so they can raise their children Jewish. She refuses and they break up. It helps that she is attracted to a director she just met, but it hurts as it gives her time to worry about her ailing cat and sick sister. Lexy sees no happy ending as the reels of her life play out.

Though readers might question Lexy's choices and there is the inevitable lists (though some like the schedules fit her job), she seems like a genuine person living a stressed out lifestyle turned even more nerve-racking by David's demands after three years together. Simply put Lexy makes this chick lit tale worth reading as she spends money on herself, uses help when she needs to, and euphorically drops cinema references that this movie buff (don't ask how I squeeze time in for a flick) and her even greater movie buffed spouse enjoyed. Junk food junkie Lexy struggles at work and at home while seeking the next popular hit, which readers will hope is CONFESSIONS OF A NERVOUS SHIKSA.

Harriet Klausner

Title has nothing to do with book, as noted on other comments. Not about interfaith at all. In fact, the book is quite anti-Semitic - the Jewish ex-boyfriend is portayed, very directly, as having almost no redeeming qualities. "hypocrite", untalented, unsuccessful, etc. No discussion of WHY he wanted his kids to be Jewish - only that he was a jerk.

furthermore, the book is really not about anything at all. There is no maturation or depth to character. Author's first book and it shows.

A very funny, well written, Hollywood insider account of life and love in LA with only a microwaved buritto at home. It's not a chick book about breaking up when you are 30- something, but rather a true account of being single with a great job, good friends and a lot of questions of what life and love is really about. Women should read this book because it's good and because it might give a new perspective. Men should read this book because it does a great job of getting into the mind of a 30-year old woman. Great job Tracy!

The title of this book was misleading; I thought it would be about a Catholic woman's relationship with a Jewish man and the humorous or bittersweet culture clash.

Instead, Alexis Manning, our protagonist, breaks up with her Jewish boyfriend pretty early into the story. The novel is about how she moves forward from the breakup. The breakup is depicted as a long, gradual process. The author writes, "That was the beginning of the end," "That was the middle of the end," and "That was the end of the end" at different
points in the story.

The book suffered from lack of a plot. Nothing much happens, aside from the day-to-day business of Alexis' job as a Hollywood publicist. This seems to consist mostly of reading lists of phone messages and doing damage control when a celebrity does something unsavory. The other plot thread involves Alexis' cat, who is highly susceptible to infections and is always developing boils that need to be lanced. The author makes a clumsy analogy
between Alexis healing from the breakup and the cat healing from all its ailments.

If you're thinking this doesn't sound like a great book, you're right. However, it has its moments. The author clearly knows her movies, and Hollywood PR. And she has a gift for describing characters in a quick, memorable fashion: "Sara-Anne said 'Y'all' and 'I'm fixin' to' and had an IQ of 163. She inhaled chitterlings, fudge and foie gras and weighed 105
pounds. When she needed a shower, she said, 'Damn, I am gamey.'"

In short, if you want to read about the life of a Hollywood publicist, or you're going through a breakup, this may be the book for you.

As a guy, I was a little nervous about reading this, you know, chick books are not usually my thing.

However, I was asked to the book launch and managed to get an early copy, and I have to tell you the book blew me away. The book captures brilliantly Hollywood and all its craziness yet at the same time manages to deliver wonderful characters and hilarious insights about work, life, religion and of course movies.

Go out and get a copy - you won't regret it.

This book is not so much about intercultural relationships or movies. It is about pets, pet-obsession, abscesses, tumors, infections and revolting habits of said pets. Not two pages go on without at least a mention of the annoying creatures.
The characters are all pretty stereotypical and their behavior is repetitive and predictable.
A couple of interesting situations are stretched out incredibly thin. And the pets take on the scene again.
Priceless: the "Dali" Lama typo.
A big disappointment.

I really enjoyed the way this book was written, and the humor and emotions put into it! It felt more like reality than fiction! I highly recommend others to read as well as enjoy this book!

Initially when I started reading this book I wasn't sure I was going to finish it. It was very depressing, (yeah, I know that all break ups are depressing but...) and the main character seemed very shallow. The fact that she was also mean to the poor dog with cancer was something I just couldn't get past, hence 3 stars. I started to get bored by her continual self pity and the movie scenes but them I began to find them interesting. I also found myself rooting for her to find someone and be happy (Kirk maybe). Then when she decided to go life without men for a while I realized that maybe she had learned something from her rough time. Maybe she had grown up. She wasn't as shallow and self centered as I had initially thought.