Wry, hilarious, and profoundly genuine, this debut collection of literary essays is a celebration of fallibility and haplessness in all their glory. From despoiling an exhibit at the Natural History Museum to provoking the ire of her first boss to siccing the cops on her mysterious neighbor, Crosley can do no right despite the best of intentions-or perhaps because of them. Together, these essays create a startlingly funny and revealing portrait of a complex and utterly recognizable character that's aiming for the stars but hits the ceiling, and the inimitable city that has helped shape who she is. I Was Told There'd Be Cake introduces a strikingly original voice, chronicling the struggles and unexpected beauty of modern urban life.
Reviews
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Anyone curious about what Carrie Bradshaw ("Sex and the City") was like in her twenties need only listen to Sloane Crosley's essays of life, love, and anguish in the big city. The collection opens hilariously and uniquely with Crosley's tale, "The Pony Problem," about her stash of plastic ponies, and ricochets into apartment blues, strained relationships, a disastrous first job, a major boo-boo at the American Museum of Natural History, and a wild "Bring Your Machete to Work Day." Fast, funny, nostalgic vignettes never lose their momentum and are captivating even when Crosley's remarks seem petty and childish. But then, she IS young, and will get better as she matures. The collection is gloriously enriched by the author's reading. M.T.B. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
Meghan Daum, author of My Misspent Youth and The Quality of Life Report...
“Whether you’re involved in a love/hate relationship with just yourself or with the entire world, these essays will charm the pants off you—but not so as you’ll feel violated. Sloane Crosley is bright and funny and enchanting. This is a sparkling debut.”
Colson Whitehead, author of Apex Hides the Hurt...
"Hilarious and affecting and only occasionally scatological, I Was Told There’d Be Cake is lively reminiscence about growing up strange. Sardonic without being cruel, tender without being sentimental, Sloane Crosley will win you over with this delightful debut.”
A.M. Homes, author of This Book Will Save Your Life and The Mistress’ Daughter...
“I love Sloane Crosley. In I Was Told There’d Be Cake, she navigates the social, the moral, the romantic experiences that prompt her to create her own voice and freshly define the world around her. Crosley is a post-modern Mary Tyler Moore, and this book is wry, generous, knowing—a perfect document of what it is to be young in today’s world.”
Jonathan Lethem, author of The Fortress of Solitude and Motherless Brooklyn...
“Sloane Crosley is another mordant and mercurial wit from the realm of Sedaris and Vowell. What makes her so funny is that she seems to be telling the truth, helplessly.”
Jonathan Ames, author of Wake Up, Sir!...
“Charming, elegant, wise, and comedic, these essays absolutely sparkle and entertain. Sloane Crosley is a 21st Century Dorothy Parker, and this book is a gem and heralds a wry new voice in American letters. Gorgeous writing, outrageous humor—it’s all here!”
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