- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: Knopf; 1 edition (Jun 10 2008)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0307268284
- ISBN-13: 978-0307268280
- Product Dimensions: 15.1 x 3 x 22 cm
- Shipping Weight: 476 g
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,397,502 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
In the latest from seasoned Texan social satirist Bird (The Flamenco Academy, etc.), Blythe Young's recent divorce from Trey Dix has left her outside the protective bubble of Austin's high society. As her catering business goes broke and the IRS starts to chase her down, Blythe seeks a haven at Seneca House, the housing co-op where she lived 10 years ago during college. There, she must face Millie Ott, one of many friends Blythe shucked off in a frenzy of social climbing. Once portly Millie is now slender and, as a perfect foil for Blythe, also saintly: she delivers aid to the homeless by way of a tandem recumbent bike (which Blythe names the dorkocycle). At Seneca House, Blythe tries to make amends with people she's stepped on, to avoid the IRS, and to kick both a lingering drug habit and an addiction to scamming people into helping her out. She slowly starts to wins over the affection of her housemates until one of her unthinking decisions brings potential ruin on the co-op's financial well-being. The result is a laugh-out-loud addition to Bird's long line of estrogen-fueled dramedies. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
“Anyone who picks up Sarah Bird's How Perfect Is That expecting chick-lit better be wearing a flack jacket. This is hard-edge, scary-funny social comedy and not for sissies. Brits do this well, but not many Americans. But then again, not many Americans have experienced the poisonous social whirl of Texas Republican Ladies at the zenith of the Bush hegemony. Bird's heroine is admittedly no better than she should be. In fact, she probably deserves Trollope's title: ‘Can You Forgive Her?’ And I, for one, can forgive her without hesitation. She has seen the affect-challenged harpies in all their toxic vulgarity. So forget about Scott McClellan: this is ‘What Really Happened’--out there where it hurts to laugh but you laugh anyway. Then pray.” –Dave Hickey
“A perfect, curl-up-with-a-margarita splash of summer fun. Ms. Bird’s wickedly good grasp of social satire couldn’t be finer.” —The Dallas Morning News
“A delightful tale–part social satire, part comedy, part drama . . . Bird paces her story with rollicking hilarity and scathing insight.” —Candace Horgan, Elle’s Readers’ Prize 2008
“Bird details her pilgrim’s progress with an acute eye and ear–and a scorching sense of humor.” —The Austin Chronicle
“Sparks and laughs fly.” —The New York Post, “Required Reading”
“A fast-paced, fun story by a smart, sensitive woman of a certain age. . . a perfect summer read.” —Palm Beach Post
“How Perfect Is That? Pretty damned perfect. Sarah Bird’s scathingly funny look at red state high society delivers a novel that's equal parts Edith Wharton and Nick Hornby. Hilarious.”–Will Clarke, author of Lord Vishnu's Love Handles and The Worthy
“Friends, you've got a treat in store. A laugh-out-loud riches-to-rags tale, a novel of manners that's perfect for the 'coming to our senses' post-Bush age. How Perfect is That is a fried Twinkie of a book–crunchily witty, creamy-hearted and shockingly delicious.” –Janet Fitch, author of Paint It Black and White Oleander
Praise for Sarah Bird's past work
“Do not eat or drink while reading this book. It has so many laughs I almost choked to death.” –Florence King
“Sarah Bird is a fearless madcap. . . falling-off-the-chair hilarious.” –The Los Angeles Times
“Sarah Bird writes fiction with such energy and snap, her novels seem to be in motion. . . Breathtaking.”
–Dallas Morning News
“Bird’s writing brings to life every person and place. . . Laughter comes often and is uncontrolled. The compulsion to read segments out loud . . . is overwhelming.”–The Chicago Tribune
“A very funny book, too–sometimes savagely so. . . It is, in short, a treat.” –San Jose Mercury News
“A perfect, curl-up-with-a-margarita splash of summer fun. Ms. Bird’s wickedly good grasp of social satire couldn’t be finer.” —The Dallas Morning News
“A delightful tale–part social satire, part comedy, part drama . . . Bird paces her story with rollicking hilarity and scathing insight.” —Candace Horgan, Elle’s Readers’ Prize 2008
“Bird details her pilgrim’s progress with an acute eye and ear–and a scorching sense of humor.” —The Austin Chronicle
“Sparks and laughs fly.” —The New York Post, “Required Reading”
“A fast-paced, fun story by a smart, sensitive woman of a certain age. . . a perfect summer read.” —Palm Beach Post
“How Perfect Is That? Pretty damned perfect. Sarah Bird’s scathingly funny look at red state high society delivers a novel that's equal parts Edith Wharton and Nick Hornby. Hilarious.”–Will Clarke, author of Lord Vishnu's Love Handles and The Worthy
“Friends, you've got a treat in store. A laugh-out-loud riches-to-rags tale, a novel of manners that's perfect for the 'coming to our senses' post-Bush age. How Perfect is That is a fried Twinkie of a book–crunchily witty, creamy-hearted and shockingly delicious.” –Janet Fitch, author of Paint It Black and White Oleander
Praise for Sarah Bird's past work
“Do not eat or drink while reading this book. It has so many laughs I almost choked to death.” –Florence King
“Sarah Bird is a fearless madcap. . . falling-off-the-chair hilarious.” –The Los Angeles Times
“Sarah Bird writes fiction with such energy and snap, her novels seem to be in motion. . . Breathtaking.”
–Dallas Morning News
“Bird’s writing brings to life every person and place. . . Laughter comes often and is uncontrolled. The compulsion to read segments out loud . . . is overwhelming.”–The Chicago Tribune
“A very funny book, too–sometimes savagely so. . . It is, in short, a treat.” –San Jose Mercury News
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Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.2 out of 5 stars (48 customer reviews)
18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sarah Bird: A Uniter, Not a Divider, Jun 14 2008
By Betsy Christian "Betsy Christian" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: How Perfect Is That (Hardcover)
A couple of years ago an advertisement for Sarah Bird's The Flamenco Academy: A Novel caught my eye, and I stopped by a local Austin, Texas bookstore (BookPeople) to hear a reading. In the pages of The Flamenco Academy: A Novel I became a Sarah Bird fan. However, after reading her other books, especially, The Yokota Officers Club: A Novel (Ballantine Reader's Circle) and The Mommy Club (Ballantine Reader's Circle), I fell in love with Bird's writing and became an earnest Bird stalker. As you can imagine, I excitedly anticipated the release of her new book, How Perfect Is That.
At the same locally owned bookstore, I grabbed a front seat to hear Bird talk about her new book that characterizes Austin's elite -- so that it is. Not being able to wait for the time or space to read the book, I called in sick and settled down to read How Perfect Is That. So what if I got fired for being a no-show, it was worth it.
That Sarah Bird knows how to create a character, and How Perfect Is That gives readers a slew of tasty characters to devour. From Trey Biggs Dix to Kittie Lee Teeter, Bird is an attuned anthropologist who gives her audience a tour through Austin's social scene with several side trips to its prominent bastions of counterculture, politics and dropouts. Certainly, Bird is a Uniter-Not-A-Divider, as she cooks the worlds of the do-gooders, homeless and social climbers into one juicy dish.
With so many things in life that disappoint, thank goodness Sarah Bird is not one. If you liked any of Bird's previous six novels, you will love this book. If you haven't read her other books, get started!
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
You'll love this book, Jun 21 2008
By Janine Smith - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: How Perfect Is That (Hardcover)
This is one smart, funny book. Sarah Bird is a wonderful writer and she's outdone herself with this achingly insightful look at Austin, Texas, from the homeless hoboes to the insecure super-rich. It's funny, it's true, there are characters you care about. Read it as quick as I could and loved every minute.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
How Perfect is That, July 20 2009
By Nelaine Sanchez "All About {n}" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: How Perfect Is That (Paperback)
Blythe Young has been given lemons... and has no idea how to make lemonade with them.
She was recently married to a very wealthy man and part of a well-known family, but sadly is now divorced and she made the mistake of signing a pre-nup. So she's broke, wearing last years fashion, living in her friends pool-side cabin, and all while trying to maintain her socialite status but failing miserably. Her last chance is to cater an upscale garden party for one of her ritzy friends but that is a total disaster and the last step off the social ladder for her.
She's bankrupt, being hounded by an IRS agent, and stalked by her irate employees who have not been paid for months, she has been publicly humiliated, and is addicted to pharmaceuticals (oh, and have I mentioned that she hasn't had a Pap smear in ten years). Luckily for her she remembers a friend (the only one she can remember and whose calls she's been ignoring) and runs to her for help. The only problem, her friend still resides in the same housing co-op she did back when they were in college. While residing amongst the tattooed, the pierced, the rasta-wannabe's and the musically hip, she begins to face her sins and make amends for her behavior... but not without getting into all types of scrapes and scuffles along the way.
I thought this was hilarious! Blythe is a narrator you will not soon forget. Her story is one full of ups and downs but mostly one of hope. She gets herself into all types of wacky situations and is always in some type of trouble - even when she is trying to do something good it backfires on her. She is funny, sarcastic, witty and clever. All the other characters were quirky and unique and they were just tons of fun. The story is set in Austin, TX and from what I've read from other reviewers - the descriptions of Austin are very accurate and there is a lot of Austin-insider info were someone who is not from or has never been to Austin might not fully comprehend. That was definitely not the case with me and I do fall under the category of never been. This is a quick, easy read with an uplifting message that I would definitely recommend.
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