The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death: Reflections on Revenge, Germophobia, and Laser Hair Removal (Hardcover)

by Laurie Notaro (Author)
Key Phrases: new treadmill, All Good, Kenny Ray Swain, Discovery Health Channel (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In her latest collection of essays, Notaro (The Idiot Girl's Action-Adventure Club) turns out a double-handful of chuckle-worthy vignettes, looking at episodes of panic on an airplane, spying on guests at a mountain resort, learning to live with the ex-con down the street and, of course, handling the numerous disappointments and betrayals of the human body. Notaro blends sardonic, often self-deprecating comedy with disarming sincerity, delving into weight gain and body hair issues without hesitation, but staying closer to house, hearth, and everyday life with husband and dog. Most of the time, her quips rise to the occasion, but occasionally fall flat (as in "Death of a Catchphrase"). Although the majority of Notaro's musings are light-hearted, she reveals an affecting serious side in her essay on a pet's death. With plenty of humorous insight into the everyday debacles of an average gal from Arizona, these entertaining essays should make satisfying, bite-sized beach reading.
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Review
Praise for Laurie Notaro

“[Notaro’s] quirky humor, which she’s previously showcased in her cult-classic essays on girly dorkdom, runs rampant.”
–BUST, on There’s a (Slight) Chance I Might Be Going to Hell

“Notaro is a natural comic, a graduate of the Jennifer Weiner school of self-deprecation, but she’s best when she’s being nasty.”
–Houston Chronicle, on There’s a (Slight) Chance I Might Be Going to Hell

“Notaro is everywoman. She is every woman who has ever made a bad judgment, overindulged (you pick the vice), been on a fad diet, been misunderstood at work, been at odds with her mother or been frustrated with her grandmother’s obsession with Lifetime TV, while somehow being a little too familiar with the conflicted, star-crossed personages of those movies.”
–San Antonio Express-News, on I Love Everybody

“Notaro’s humor is self-deprecating, gorily specific, and raunchy.”
–A.V. Club (The Onion), on Autobiography of a Fat Bride

“[Notaro] may be the funniest writer in this solar system.”
–The Miami Herald, on Autobiography of a Fat Bride


From the Hardcover edition. --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Villard; 1 edition (June 24, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400065038
• ISBN-13: 978-1400065035
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (78 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #96,587 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Laurie's Best Yet, June 27, 2008

By	Stephanie Martin (Lake Worth, FL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have been a fan of Ms. Notaro for a long time. Once I picked this book up, I couldn't stop reading. I stayed up until after 3:00 this morning, and got pinched by my husband a few times because I kept waking him up by laughing out loud. The Germophobia story had me doubled over, trying to catch my breath I was laughing so hard.

One thing that was in this book that I never expected was a very poignant story about the author's dog. I won't give anything away here, but it was incredibly beautiful and sad.

This is my favorite book that Ms. Notaro has ever written. I really enjoyed it, and now I can't wait for the next one!

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars She's Baa-aack!, July 9, 2008

By	Michele Cozzens "www.michelecozzens.com" (Cloud 8) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Fans of Laurie Notaro's first-person stories will be delighted with this latest collection of "reflections." After a brief foray into the world of fiction with a zany, semi-autobiographical novel, once again the Idiot Girl is back to form, sharing stories and observations of her decidedly normal life with an original and laugh-out-loud way with words.

Notaro never holds back. Her polished writing style has a conversational, off-the-cuff quality to it, allowing readers to feel like we're right there in the room with her, listening to her outrage at a big dog taking a dump on her front lawn, or breaking out her bird flu mask on a plane after the passenger seated next to her open-mouth coughs for the last time. She's like your funniest friend--the one you know will make the party more fun as soon as she opens her mouth and launches into her latest life experience. I know I couldn't wait to open and devour this book, and I wasn't disappointed. Five stars all the way.

Michele Cozzens is the author of It's Not Your Mother's Bridge Club.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Yet!, June 26, 2008

By	Louise Jennings (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

Laurie Notaro at her best. Regarless of if you are a long time fan or not, Notaro's latest offering will have you laughing until you cry and also offers a whole new perspective to her patented wit and charm. Notaro's work has evolved to the next level, this is her best essay work to date