Customer Reviews

The Sex Doctors in the Basement: True Stories from a Semi-Celebrity Childhood

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

 

 

I'm not sure if Molly Jong-Fast thought that joking about the nepotism that allowed her second (and second rate) novel to be published would endear the few wary-yet-game readers she may have had left to her, but if that was the case, the joke is on her. She is not funny. She is not interesting. She is not talented. She comes across as spoiled, self-indulgent, and, most horrifyingly, BORING. She not only steals her mother's material (Material that had already been used by her mother, the actual writer)but she sucks in the retelling of it. For a bragart who talks so much, Molly Jong-Fast has very little to say. This book blew. As did 'Normal Girl'. Get a real job, Miranda.

Molly Jong-Fast's memoir chronicles her childhood and young adulthood as the daughter of famous writer Erica Jong (Fear of Flying) and grandfather Howard Fast (Spartacus (North Castle Books)), with all the aspects, good and bad, of that celebrity existence. Living in a "townhouse with a pink door and paintings of ladies playing naked Twister," her childhood also featured many visits to therapists, numerous nannies, and private schools where she felt like a misfit most of the time.

Much of what she describes is told in a wry, self-deprecatory fashion, and she habitually renames her celebrity acquaintances and therapists (like calling one woman Adolf Hitler), allegedly to avoid lawsuits, but I also think she enjoyed the comic value of such renaming.

Some parts of Girl [Maladjusted]: True Stories from a Semi-Celebrity Childhood were enlightening and enjoyable, while other sections seemed so uneventful as to be irrelevant. I skimmed these sections, I must admit. With most of this book seemingly dedicated to what it was like to be the daughter of a celebrity, there were surprisingly few descriptions of mother/daughter interactions. In fact, the few descriptions that did come across seemed like footnotes to the real story, whatever that was supposed to be.

This book was only mildly interesting, which is why I'm awarding it three stars.

It's impossible to consider jong-fast's work without the context of her mother's. But Erica Jong is sort of an institution of modern literature so it's sort of an appropriate cultural touchstone. So whether you dislike Fear of Flying and Jong's body of work or, like me, have loved Jong since you snuck and read your mom's copy- you still have that familiar backdrop to jong-fast's witty, moving and sly accounts of growing up in the time and place she did. Her essays are stronger than her fiction. That being said, her fiction doesn't suck. I agreed with her grandfather's summation of her fiction skills as described in one of the essays. The fact that she's written so well and at such a young age is remarkable. I look forward to seeing what she'll write next.

If you read Jong-Fast's book in the light-hearted, spirited and funny vein in which it's written, you will find it just that. In her take on a memoir (at 26-years-old) Jong-Fast's Sex Doctors in the Basement is as good as its catchy title suggests by a writer who does not take herself, her famous literary legacy, or her upbringing - filled with therapists and celebrities - so seriously.

It's easy to bash Jong-Fast because of who she is, but the book is funny and witty. I read it in a single sitting, and I found it to be an interesting and different look at New York, The Upper East side, and celebrity. I especially liked the chapter on Sophie Dahl. Jong-Fast may not write the great American novel, but she's not trying to, and her work should be appreciated for what it is: a look inside an eccentric, pampered, peculiarly American subculture.

I was pleasantly surprised after my sister made me read "Normal Girl." I never thought I'd actually get into "chic-lit," but Molly's voice is so clear and concise that I eagerly anticipated the publication of Sex Doctors, her followup. Sex Doctors is even better than her prior work and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to get inside a new york socialite's head and still find her endearing. Keep it coming Molly, great job!

PS - Molly really captures the audience during her readings (she's basically a stand-up comic on a book tour).

This is a sassy interesting book and a fun entertaining quick read.
Molly is a great storyteller. I found it the perfect summer read on a hot, humid afternoon when I wanted to hide in the air-conditioned house. I saw a lot of my own child in Molly. I'm the mother of a teenager who had acquired the same adolescent drug problems; she too was kicked out of the best schools on the East Side and then proudly became a successful graduate of drug rehab at 16 years old, and slowly making her way thru college sober. I loved molly's witty take on life in Manhattan for teens with issues.

I just need to add how wrong the comments were from that bitter angry reader. Sounds like she needs a little psychotherapy to get over her anger, probably just a jealous unpublished 30 year old.

I have to confess that I picked up Jong-Fast's first book, Normal Girl, because I have been a long time fan of her mother, Erica Jong. Was I glad that I picked up the book though! Normal Girl was an at times disturbing yet ultimately enlightening read, and the experiences of Miranda were ones that I could (unfortunately) relate to. So, when I found out that Jong-Fast had another book coming, off I ran (literally) to Borders. I was totally crushed to be told that The Sex Doctors in the Basement wasn't to be released in Australia until Jan 2006. Undeterred, I logged on to Amazon and bought an uncorrected proof copy.

It arrived yesterday and I have already finished the book. The Sex Doctors in the Basement is absolutely wonderful. Being of the same generation as Ms Jong-Fast, I can really relate to much of the book. This aside though, her wittiness, her bitchiness, her strength and her warmth make this a compelling read.

Sex Doctors was an amazing read. I read it cover to cover in 24 hours, absorbing every page with an intense hunger to get a peek inside the head and thoughts of the semi-famous Molly Jong-Fast.
In the book, Molly is sweet, loving, spoiled, bratty, snide, sentimental, and strong! She was born into a life of fame (well, semi-fame), and all that comes with it, and tells the tale with such ease and witt. Being a fan of both mother and daughter's work, this book puts many puzzle pieces into place.
Sometimes while reading you want to smack her silly, sometimes you want to hug her and do a happy dance with her. I'm waiting, impatiently, (ha!) for the next book.