Spy Notes On McInerney's Bright Lights,Big City / Janowitz's Slaves Of New York / Ellis's Less Than Zero And All Those Other Hip Urban Novels Of The 1980s [Paperback]

Spy Magazine (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A successful Cliffs notes parody, this addresses "all those hip urban novels of the 1980s" written by Jay McInerney, Tama Janowitz, Bret Easton Ellis, Jill Eisenstadt et al. Some 15 work are treated here via short biographical notes, plot summaries, commentary ("This is an example of Ellis's unorthodox use of plot. Rather than surprising the reader with unexpected events, Ellis's plots deliberately fulfill our expectations") and review questions ("What do you think is the personal reason McInerney refuses to admit that Bright Lights, Big City is autobiographical?"). There are several charts and a detachable "Novel-O-Matic" writing device, which ingeniously allows the reader to construct his or her own contemporary novel. By their existence, however, these notes bolster the status of the very writers they impugn. QPBC selection.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 89 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday; 1st edition (August 21, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385247451
• ISBN-13: 978-0385247450
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #852,904 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spy at its finest, March 10, 2000

By 

D. J. Edmondson "nobodyyouwouldwanttoknow" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Spy Notes On McInerney's Bright Lights,Big City / Janowitz's Slaves Of New York / Ellis's Less Than Zero And All Those Other Hip Urban Novels Of The 1980s (Paperback)

For anyone who had to read any of those dreadful 1980's "voice of his/her generation" books, and I find it hard to believe that anyone ever read any of them voluntarily, this sendup is a must. This sort of satire is what made the old Spy great.

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious!, March 5, 2011

By 

R. Hurley "unsolicited advice columnist" (Sonoma, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Spy Notes On McInerney's Bright Lights,Big City / Janowitz's Slaves Of New York / Ellis's Less Than Zero And All Those Other Hip Urban Novels Of The 1980s (Paperback)

Especially the send-up of "Rules of the Game", which succinctly illustrates how the book is little more than a sophomoric and pointless exercise in narcissistic blather.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SPY Assassinates The Literary Brat Pack, July 12, 2000

By 

R. W. Rasband (Heber City, UT) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Spy Notes On McInerney's Bright Lights,Big City / Janowitz's Slaves Of New York / Ellis's Less Than Zero And All Those Other Hip Urban Novels Of The 1980s (Paperback)

The late great satirical magazine SPY took upon itself the duty of harassing those oh-so-fashionable novelists of the 1980's: Tama Janowitz, Bret Easton Ellis, and especially Jay McInerney (who got a cover story by his angry ex-wife.) This book is a parody of Cliff Notes and features SPY's trademark withering sarcasm. It's really quite nastily entertaining. Most of it was written by Paul Simms, who later went on to write and produce the marvelous sitcom "NewsRadio." (One of the authors mocked here at the beginning of his career is David Foster Wallace, who has gone on to reveal himself as a major talent.)