Marrying George Clooney: Confessions from a Midlife Crisis [Paperback]

Amy Ferris (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2009

While wide awake in the middle of the night (welcome to menopause!), Amy Ferris began chronicling every one of her funny, sad, hysterical, down and dirty, and raw to the bones stories. Along with fantasizing about marrying George Clooney, Ferris is faced with a plethora of other insomnia-induced thoughts and activities. From googling old boyfriends to researching obscure and fatal diseases on the web; from scouting five-star spa destinations to having angry, bitter, e-mail exchanges with her brother. She worries endlessly about her husband, relies heavily on Ambien, and tries to arrange care via the Internet for her mother (who has both severe dementia and a massive love-bubble crush on Jesus Christ)—all while refraining from lighting up just one more cigarette. Marrying George Clooney explores a range of emotions experienced through this life-altering period. In this candid look at "the change," Ferris offers a humorous spin on a not-so-funny topic.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Amy Ferris is an author, a screenwriter, and an editor. She lives in Pennsylvania with her delightful (and very patient) husband Ken. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Seal Press; 1st edition (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580052975
• ISBN-13: 978-1580052979
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #637,454 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Amy Ferris is an author, screenwriter and editor. She is on the Advisory Board of The Women's Media Center (founded by Jane Fonda, Gloria Steinem, and Robin Morgan), she serves on the Executive Board of Directors at Peters Valley Art, Education, and Crafts Center, and is a member of New York Women in Film and Television (NYWIFT). She primarily writes about all things women. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her husband.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!, August 28, 2009

By 

Frances Mican (Louisville, Ky) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Marrying George Clooney: Confessions from a Midlife Crisis (Paperback)

I'll be honest here - I haven't gone through menopause. I don't know what it's like to have insomnia (or how you could possibly manage to have insomnia AND write a novel as incredible as this). I haven't shared many of the experiences that Amy Ferris talks about in her book, Marrying George Clooney. But, regardless of that, I connected with this book on such a deep level. I got choked up, I laughed out loud, I set out to write my own novel, I read parts aloud to anyone who would listen... I LOVE this book.

It's incredible to get to know someone on such a deeply personal level - let alone to reach that connection through a novel. But Amy lets us in on her secrets, shares her most joyful and sorrowful moments with us, and inspires us to get through those ups and downs with profound grace and humor.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Marrying George Clooney" - Beyond the Blurb, September 8, 2009

By 

Marcia G. Yerman (New York City) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Marrying George Clooney: Confessions from a Midlife Crisis (Paperback)

This week, "Marrying George Clooney: Confessions From a Midlife Crisis" by Amy Ferris, is hitting the bookstores. On the back will be my blurb of recommendation:

"Amy Ferris has successfully combined a rip-roaringly funny page-turner, with an unvarnished account of the personal history that formed her. This gut-wrenching look at intimate relationships will resonate with readers because of the universality of its raw emotion, clarity of vision and self-revealing courage."

Blurbs are relatively short, pithy comments on why a potential reader should pick up that particular book as opposed to the hundreds of others that are displayed besides it. It is an invitation. It also serves as a reference to those who have already taken the plunge, as they take a break from their reading to see if they are in sync with those who had the privilege of an advance look.

In my case, not only did I get to peruse the manuscript in its final form, I also witnessed its birth and evolution.

I met Amy Ferris at The Women's Media Center in 2005. We were part of the start-up team for a new venture founded by Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda, and Robin Morgan. The goal was to ensure that women were more "visible and powerful in the media." The two of us were quite vocal about how important women's cultural contributions were - a necessity to honestly reflect women's stories in our society. As we laughed at each other's jokes, which we considered über hilarious, we forged a friendship.

Many of the issues we discussed in serious moments - family, relationships, and life changes - would find their way into Marrying George Clooney. Amy's writing voice is distinctive; first person conversational. In opening herself up to reveal her deepest thoughts and feelings with an audience beyond her personal friends, Amy's insights no longer remain within a small circle. They have been amplified to enfold others, in the way a wave encompasses the shore.
Amy shares plenty...without reservation. The themes that I knew so well - her struggle with menopause, the shattering decline of her mother from dementia, her beloved husband Ken - were merged with new revelations about her past I had no knowledge of. It was a crash course in Amy. Some of it filled in the gaps that all relationships have, while adding a new depth of understanding.

There is already talk of different iterations of the text being considered, from television to Broadway (I think she should put her foot down if there is a suggestion of a musical). Marrying George Clooney could very well become the quintessential book of the season. Speaking to those women born between the years of 1946 to 1964, it is poised to become a literary version of the 1970s Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress.

Amy and I have different lives. She has a husband, a home in Pennsylvania, and two cats. I have a teenage son, an apartment in New York City, and a dysfunctional dog. We both lost parents this year. She found out about her mother's death the day she was driving in to pay a condolence call for my father. We call ourselves the "Yahrzeit Twins."

Needless to say, women who pick up Amy's book will live in various geographical locations, come from diverse backgrounds, and have disparate experiences. But they will recognized themselves in Amy's efforts to come to terms with her mother's illness, the conflict of a sibling relationship, and the struggle to reconcile with the physical and emotional changes each woman faces as she ages.

Amy's audience will follow her as she tries to make sense of her past, while looking to her future. They will root for her. When they put the book down, they will feel less alone as they search for their own personal answers and resolutions.

Welcome to Amy's universe.


This review originally appeared on Huffington Post.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Marrying George Clooney", April 1, 2010

By 

Linda Lichtman "people lover" (Santa Monica, CA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Marrying George Clooney: Confessions from a Midlife Crisis (Paperback)

I LOVED this book! The title was intriguing so I ordered it from Amazon not knowing how much I needed it. Being bed-bound with a nasty case of bronchitis, this book was a savior...laughter, giggling, aha moments and feeling like Amy Ferris was in bed talking directly to me...I have a new best friend...her CONFESSIONS were similar to many of my private thoughts and experiences - Share this book with your best friend or best enemy...everybody deserves the joy from the angst that this writer offers...BUT IT NOW!!!