Roseannearchy: Dispatches from the Nut Farm [Hardcover]

Roseanne Barr (Author)

Book Description

Release date: January 4, 2011

BESTSELLING AUTHOR AND TELEVISION STAR ROSEANNE BARR IS BACK—WITH A VENGEANCE—AND THE RESULT IS ROSEANNEARCHY.

Roseanne Barr is a force of nature. Whether taking the sitcom world by storm, challenging accepted social norms, or battling the wild pigs inhabiting her nut farm in Hawaii, she is not to be trifled with. In this return to the printed page, Roseanne unleashes her razor-sharp observations on hypocrisy, hubris, and self-perpetuating institutions of questionable value—as well as menopause, pharmaceuticals, and her grandkids. And she’s as controversial, original, and funny as ever.

Raised half-Jewish, half-Mormon, and 100 percent misfit, Roseanne made a deal with Satan early on as the price she paid for stardom. But now she’s looking to refinance the loan of her soul—this book represents her final exorcism of fame.

Displaying her brilliance and sharp wit, Roseanne discusses the humor of everyday life with musings on more serious topics, such as class warfare, feminism, the cult of celebrity, and Kabbalah. Bold, brash, and insightful, Roseannearchy shows that she can still skewer any subject under the sun and why The New York Times describes her appeal as “the power of a whole planet, pulling everything around it inexorably into its orbit.”

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Once upon a time, there was a woman named Roseanne. She had a show that changed the face of television. She also did some very crazy things, like marry Tom Arnold and write a not-exactly-true book about incest in her family. She railed about many issues over the years and got a reputation for being a badass, though in this book, she bemoans the fact she really has a flat ass. Her show never really went off the air (reruns!), but most people eventually forgot about Roseanne. Well, she’s back, and because she’s now old, as she tells you many, many times, she has much wisdom to impart in her still raucous, laugh-out-loud, black-humored voice. As she sees it, dear reader, she’s the roller coaster, and you, having paid for the ticket, are just along for the ride, which shoots up and down between her Jewish upbringing in Mormon Utah, her weight losses and gains (mostly gains), her deification as a saint of the lower middle class, and her vilification as the woman who ruined “The Star Spangled Banner” (she apologizes a million times; she was just trying to sing good!). But mostly, she wants to tell you what she’s learned through religious studies, meditation, and kabbalah, which pretty much boils down to being kind to each other. But nobody says it funnier, with more heart and more oomph. Crazy like a fox. --Ilene Cooper

Review

“Roseanne kills me—always has, and I think you will be as tickled as I was that she now has aimed her take-no-prisoners, ovaries-to-the-wall attitude to politics. Welcome back, Crazy.”

—Bill Maher

“Roseanne is funny, everybody knows that. But then there is everything else—the humanity, rabbinical wisdom, Mother Earth fearlessness, true beauty, and the ability to stay one step ahead of insanity at all times. She’s always had her finger on the pulse and can tell when the patient needs some emergency care. Nurse Barr has saved us once again.”

—Sandra Bernhard

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Gallery Books (January 4, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439154821
• ISBN-13: 978-1439154823
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.3 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #321,665 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 51 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Seriously crazy funny January 8, 2011

By Zaine Ridling

Format:Hardcover

Rosanne speaks the truth so bluntly that it's funny, and then when you think about it, it's shocking because there's so much that's true to your experience. Contrast the blunt force of her take on any issue compared to the Oprahfication of America and you'll see how far we've fallen. Her solution is "simple truth" to most any problem. "It's not complicated, just do the right thing," she writes over and over, whether it be MidEast Peace or the "war" on drugs or stupid kids. I think she overemphasizes her emotional response to her singing the National Anthem back in the early 90s. It was a comedienne's take on the silliness of that ritual, the same ritual where the field is filled by multimillionaire ballplayers while us poor slobs who bought tickets to see them can't afford an $8 hot dog at the same game! Buy the book, you'll laugh, and then you'll be pissed off at how right she is on so many issues. Don't look for help from the news media because they don't understand someone who doesn't fit into their predictable little boxes.

42 of 47 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Insights, politics and humor! January 6, 2011

By Silens Animus

Format:Hardcover

I started Roseanne's book unsure what to expect. She's always spoken her mind, which I respect. The cover caught my eye and the humor of a "nut farm" reference only to find out she really does live on a nut farm made me give her book a shot. Secretly I wondered how far I would get though.

The foreword by her first husband took me by surprise. It already wasn't what I anticipated. When I started Roseanne's first words I was stuck by a charm and a wit I'd denied her previously. Then her brash side appeared with hilarious results.

To my surprise she tackles deep topics, explaining her childhood, admitting her short comings and even addresses the "National Anthem" debacle in unequaled honesty. I became fascinated with how she became her public persona. Awed by a sixty year old who can seamlessly transition from internet code (such as LOL), to dropping a recipe for noodles, followed by gapping socio-political boundaries all while making me LOL!

Unexpectedly, I couldn't put this book down. In two days I'd devoured it like "good pancakes" or a "plastic sealed and boiled Salisbury steak". Many of her views are not for the faint of heart, as she expects they'll undoubtedly be taken out of context. It makes me glad I've read them first hand so I can see the truth for myself.

One thing is for sure, for decades people have debated whether you would want Roseanne as your Mom but from reading this book theirs no doubt she's the kind of "bubbe" we'd all secretly love to have.

Give this book a chance and it will surprise you as it did me.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny and Insightful January 9, 2011

By B. Thalken

Format:Hardcover

Being a fan of "Roseanne" the sitcom and of the comedian herself, I've been looking forward to reading this book since I heard about it several months ago. I have to say that with all that anticipation, the book does not disappoint. Having read her first two books ("My Life as A Woman" and "My Lives"), I would say that this book is a nice balance between the themes of her first two books (the theme in the first book being feminism and family, and the theme in the latter being Hollywood and fame). The book itself is a collection of essays on topics including politics, family, sex, religion, and show business. It also offers a glimpse into Roseanne's childhood, growing up in a Jewish family in Salt Lake City, Utah. You won't see much in depth talk about the sitcom, but I would recommend "My Lives" if that's what you're interested in. Overall, the book was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it to any fan of Roseanne's, or anyone who is interested in reading a woman's unique perspective on life in general.