Customer Reviews

Rita Will: Memoir of a Literary Rabble-Rouser

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book is hilarious--several times I found myself laughing out loud at something she said. I minused out one star because of her blatant southern-centricism--she thinks most of us Yankees are rude, and that only southerners possess real manners. My little tabby cat Sammy says PFFFFFTTT to that.
Her account of the Martina/Judy galimony brouhaha is especially hilarious, with poor Rita Mae stuck in the middle, trying to encourage the two to settle things amicably. She gives a highly unflattering (but probably true) portrait of Judy Nelson. Her first impression of Judy was: "How often do you meet a woman whose hair can be ruined by a ceiling fan?" That one cracks me up every time. She talks about some of her relationships with women, most notable those with Martina Navratilova, Fannie Flagg, and Judy Nelson.
She relates the struggles she went through getting a college education and establishing her writing career, but she manages to keep things light by peppering amusing anecdotes of family life (and reactions) in between the more serious passages. She talks about her days as an lesbian feminist activist with Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem, which I found to be of great interest, as she worked closely with these famous women. She is not kind to Billie Jean King, declaring, "Some people get the face they deserve as they grow old; Billie Jean also got the thighs she deserved." MEOOWWW. Sneaky Pie must have contributed that one.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable read, full of Southern wit and charm. If you're a fan of Rita Mae's work, you'll love reading her real-life story.

One of the greatest gifts a popular author can give their fans next to a "How To" on writing and style is an Autobiography. In her Memoir Ms. Brown pulls out all stops and allows the reader a unique window into her life allowing one to see what motivates her writing.

It is no big surprise that some of her best books are snippets of the author's own life. Having read these works long before this creation my attention was pleasantly held in reserve as the pages leaped by me in high-volume page turning style. Others may have found this as a "re-read" of her past novels but I disagree and rather call it as a wonderful enhancement to the stories of her life as well as an humorous inspiration to me. No Rita Mae fan should be without this book on their shelf.

I already knew that Rita Mae Brown is one of the funniest writers alive today. I split my sides reading "Six of One", which remains my favorite. Now I appreciate just how intelligent, courageous, and resourceful she is. She dives right into life, and has played a part in some of our most tempestuous recent history. I found her analyses of the feminist movement, the gay-rights movement, "hollyweird" to be refreshingly candid and intelligent, as is her Southern working class viewpoint. I had a little trouble getting through the first part of the book, lists of names of people I don't know who aren't really described; but I found I couldn't put it down even then. I like this woman, and I appreciate her sharing herself and her opinions with me. There aren't too many people whose opinions I care to hear. I'm writing this because I found some of the reviews here shockingly petty and sniping. Here's a bit of heartfelt acclaim to tip the scales the other way.

...I'm a tennis fan who was curious about the author's insights on Martina Navratilova. What I ended up with was a tremendously interesting and engaging book. Rita Mae Brown has perspectives and experiences unlike my own and I could not put the book down. I liked the parts about her family also. Certainly there are political messages here, but they are based on her own experiences and are not "preachy" or coming from someone who lives in theories only. If you are a fan of her books, this will be a big treat for you. If you don't know her, read this book for a different life perspective, particuarly about women's issues, including lesbian issues. If these issues offend you, or you don't like reading about them, then this book is probably not for you. It's not an integral part of the book, but it is there. The book is about a person. The book reads like you are talking to her, and she is very interesting. Also, I always suspected Billie Jean King was wretched personally, so I really liked the parts where my opinion is all but supported by someone in the know!
This is an autobiography. Of course the book is about her. Dah! There are a few instances where she comes off a little haughty in my opinion, but I haven't published books or earned the money to have a farm in Virginia, and I didn't struggle through poverty for years to get there either, so I think she's entitled to a little license, folks. The only part I didn't like was when she discussed Fannie Flagg's former lover and only gave her a pseudonym with a vague but "see if you can guess" description. I'm a born gossip and love stuff like that! I think I figured out her hints, but I hate having to do that. It's such a silly exercise. Maybe that was the point in doing that, who knows. Anyone in the closet ought to read this regarding her depiction of Jerry Pfeiffer. I think the silliness of that lifestyle is well exposed simply by recounting the facts. Anyway, very good read!

Although I'm hesitant to write due to my bias- Ms. Brown is my favorite author- I had a hard time understanding the reviews that use words like 'egoist'. I would choose words such as 'self-confident', 'bold', and 'hilarious'. Cheers to Rita Mae Brown for her life, and for sharing her life story with us. I, for one, am appreciative. And, she cracks me up.

After reading R.M. Brown's "Sudden death" and "Rubyfruit jungle", I simply had to know what is fiction and what is true in these books full of entertaining stories, I wanted to know more about the author. So I read her autobiography, which definitely made me become fond of her. Her books really deserve to be known by a wider public than only by fans of women's tennis!
These funny, vividly told memoires and tricks of her childhood and youth, reminded me to my own life. They are written so hilariously and relaxed, it's a pure pleasure to read them. Often, my wife asked me why I was laughing, and I had to reread the scenes aloud. It's so interesting to learn about the life and customs of the simple people and the country in the southern states, and I like the morals behind the stories and the author's warm, earthy, lusty language.

Anyone who has read Rita Mae Brown's earlier works or heard her as a public speaker would agree that she's one of the smartest, quick witted and entertaining female writers on the scene today. Her Autobiography is another example of her strong intellect, courage and humor while sometimes sounding a bit self-indulgent and egotistical. In spite of its narcissistic tone I really enjoyed this book.

Rita Mae's vast knowledge of historical, social and political issues was incredibly impressive and her own transcendance from a farm girl to a social icon for Lesbianism places her among some of the most significant writers in American Women's History.

She's a smart lady with an honest heart who knows what she believes and is unafraid to stand up and be counted irregardless of the cost. As a younger woman, I feel eternally grateful to have her as a dependable advocate for womens' and minorities' issues. RITA WILL not only gives the reader a surprising view of the authors life story but also a slice of Women's History from the perspective of an active participant.

Rita Mae Brown is like another well-known Southern aristocrat, Florence King, in both her rapier wit and sexual proclivities. In this nicely put-together memoir, Brown just tears them down. Born feisty and illegitimate, she describes the flowering of her writing and the half-insane family who raised her. She has a way with understatement and surprise, surprise, sex is very rarely mentioned. Odd, for a lady who was slapped with the lesbian label very early in her writing career. Shows a great strength of character and a snubbing of the nose. She is funny and poignant. This is a really good read!

I thought this was an excellent book. It has even more humor than many of her other books --- or maybe it seems that way since this time, it's non-fiction. It is also touching. Her descriptions of her relationships with pets and with her mother are very heartwarming. You really get to share Rita Mae's happiness, sadness and her growth as a human being. It's an easy, enjoyable read. I love her writing style.

As a proud vet of the Feminist frontlines 1968-1976, I could hardly wait to read her newest book. Her classic book Rubyfruit Jungle was a gem. As THE "coming out" book of it's time I share the sentiment of millions who feel it will always be sacred. However,I was shocked and totally disappointed with Rita Mae Brown's attempt at writing her own story. The person she reveals to us in Rita Will is beyond ego strong. She is ruthlessly self-absorbed and many times cruel. Everyone (else) is wrong, or less than, or not as smart or not as significant as Rita according to Rita (with the one exception-- her cat.) The book Rita Will reveals Rita as a sad and shallow person, with high marks only for narcissism. Best to avoid this book and re-read Rubyfruit Jungle instead. You'll continue to have a positive impression of Ms. Brown if you do.