Pink Slip

by Rita Ciresi

Lisa Diodetto's mother may be ready for her to get married but Lisa isn't.

At her sister's wedding she ducks when the bridal bouquet comes floating her way, and the only "eligible bachelor" in Lisa's life is her beloved gay cousin, Dodie.

Ditching her life as an underpaid, oversexed publishing drone in Manhattan, Lisa takes a lucrative spot at a more conservative company, and begins writing--on company time--a novel that pokes fun at corporate life.

Enter Lisa's main her new boss, Eben Strauss. A man of manners and caution, Strauss manages to bring out the best bad girl in Lisa. And before they know it, two very different people from two very different worlds are doing the one thing you should never do at the falling in love.

In her funny, familiar, heartbreaking new novel, the award-winning author of Blue Italian weaves a tale of family, work, sex, and love--and of all the things we try to leave behind but never really can. . . .

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Adult, Womens Fiction

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Rita Ciresi was born in New Haven, Connecticut, a city which serves as the backdrop for most of her fiction. Ciresi is the author of three award-winning novels and two short-story collections that address the Italian-American experience.

Her latest novel, Bring Back My Body to Me, was a semi-finalist for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award and a runner-up for the Faulkner/Wisdom Novella Award. Publishers Weekly called it "sensitive, funny, and charming. . . a refreshing entry to the very clogged sub-genre of cancer lit."

Her first collection of short stories, Mother Rocket, won the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction and was a finalist for the 1993 Los Angeles Times' Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction.

Her first novel, Blue Italian, was published in hardcover in 1996 by Ecco Press and in paperback by Delacorte Press in 1997. In 1999, it was translated and published as Blau ist die Hoffnung by Goldmann Verlag, Munich. Blue Italian was selected by Barnes and Noble as part of their "Discover New Writers Series." Reviewers have praised the novel as follows: "Rita Ciresi's beautifully written, bittersweet first novel examines love and marriage with unflinching honesty. The ending, with its moving, explicit sense of loss, resonates long after the book is closed." (Elle) "There is a sure hand and a keen eye reporting from the two ethnic camps. . . . Despite their faults and excesses. . . the characters. . . are funny and sympathetic in their misery." (New York Times) "This is honest, earthy, warm, and funny--as well as heartbreaking. Highly recommended." (Library Journal) "There is real substance in this tragicomic story of two people with smart mouths and starved hearts groping their way towards a love they don't get much chance to enjoy." (Publisher's Weekly) "A remarkably accomplished debut." (Booklist)

Ciresi’s second novel, Pink Slip was published by Delacorte in 1999, and by Delta Trade paperbacks in 2000. It was translated into German as Ein Mann fur Lisa (Goldmann Verlag, Munich) and into Dutch as Vlinders (Arena Publishers, Amsterdam). Pink Slip was the winner of the 1997 Pirate's Alley Faulkner Prize for the Novel and an alternate selection of the Literary Guild and the Doubleday Book Club. Critical response to Pink Slip was as follows: “Wit and humor are the keys to this lively novel.” (Mademoiselle) “It’s refreshing to find a female narrator with an authentically lusty voice.” (New York Times) “A moving love story.” (Redbook) “Ciresi mixes the tragic and the comic aspects of love in hilarious fashion.” (Tampa Tribune-Times) “Bright characters and sharp dialogue make this witty romantic comedy a worthy sequel to the author’s admirable Blue Italian.” (Dallas Morning News) “Pink Slip amuses from start to finish.” (Penn Stater).

Ciresi’s volume of linked short stories, Sometimes I Dream in Italian, was published in 2001 to positive reviews from Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly, and newspapers from the St. Petersburg Times to the New Haven Advocate. The New York Times Book Review listed the volume under its “New and Noteworthy Paperbacks” and stated, “Ciresi has a lovely ear for dialogue and the ability to nail the details in descriptions that are both funny and painfully accurate.” The collection was a Book Sense 76 pick and a finalist for the Paterson Fiction Prize; it was translated into German by Goldmann Verlag as Italienische Kusse.

Remind Me Again Why I Married You is a sequel to Pink Slip. Told in alternating voices, Remind Me explains what happens when a man who values his privacy above all else marries a woman who is writing a tell-all novel.

Reviews

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book thinking that it would be a lightweight read. I needed to escape: from heavy books, heavier politics, my life, etc. And, although this was a love story with a pink cover no less, I didn't find it the fluff I thought it would be. I found characters I liked most of the time but didn't like all of the time, I fell in love with the nerdish love interest and got good and mad at how stupid the protagonist was sometimes. I was tired of her mother and wondered why in the world she had a sister. In short, these characters were so like family by the time the book ended I hated for them to go.
And, lest you think that it was all a big laugh, I must tell you that this author handled some pretty weighty issues that are still affecting the way we live today.

This is one of the books that's been on my shelf for years. I saw it, it looked interesting and I put it in my "cart" but I never took it out. I'm very glad that I finally dusted it off and opened it up. Proof positive that good writing can survive a pink cover and the most likely of appellations -- Chick Lit, doesn't have to mean mindless dribble.

Would highly recommend to adults.

[Nina Draganova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Започва буквално като заря тази щура история, напомняйки ми стила на Кати Лети. Хард хумор, който харесвам и скорост , която буквално не ти оставя време да разбереш всичко казано.
Уау, много съм впечатлена от ерудицията на авторката.
Но!
Очаквах някаква лековата, забавна и непретенциозна книга. Всъщност в някакъв момент тя става много сериозна, вплита доста тежки истории, което според мен не се вписва съвсем удачно. На жаргон бих казала: "предобрила е работата". Може би , в желанието си да ни докаже своята висока интелигентност е пресолила историята си.
Оставам и фен със сигурност. Изненада ме приятно, нямам идея как съм я пропуснала досега.

[Lucia Keppeler · Rating 2 out of 5]

thought it was gonna be a shallow romance only book, kinda shocked by how deep it got. can't get over "boinking" though

[Gogo]

dnfed. I couldn’t stick till the end. some aspects of this book didn’t age well, I was willing to ignore them but every chapter got boring halfway through, and I hated how the mc went into long rigmaroles after every two paragraphs. It got so tedious. Some people might like to read every minute details of the characters’ lives but I am not one of them.
I felt so icky about the male lead’s character; he was dominating, patronising, forceful, selfish, and made his girlfriend do things according to his comfort. I couldn’t invest myself in their relationship. Having said all this, I think the comedy of manners in this book was quite great. The author effortlessly managed to depict a realistic image of a contemporary society and its affectations and artificiality with her smart and pointed writing.

[Corinne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought this book was awful. Also pretty dated (it takes place in late 80's). The protagonist actually is worried she may get AIDS when her infected cousin hands her a coffee he bought her. Too long. I give it one star b/c there were some funny parts.

[Kelly Hill · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could never get into this book it was quite boring and takes place in the 80's with lots of hype about AIDS and how it is transmitted. Did not appreciate this book and I don't recommend reading it.

[Hayley Lekas · Rating 2 out of 5]

So many things that I disliked, even hated, about this book that I’m not sure where to start. I suppose the biggest flaw is the horrible protagonist and that the entirety of the story is told through her twisted, self important, contradictive, and petty view point. Lisa is constantly denying her upbringing yet taking pride in it the next second and ready to fight anyone that has anything to say to the contrary. She wants these lavish gifts and trips she’s spoiled with yet resents them at the same time. She is admittedly fake to coworkers, family, and dates alike and somehow most people around her find her charming or try to date her. The biggest issue I take is how she ever found any success in love, life, or career with that type of attitude.

Next, the love story that unfolds is not even a tiny shred believable. Not only is there more reason and evidence that these two can’t stand eachother and dislike more than they like they have this teenage like draw to one another that means that this doesn’t matter. Often either character is left feeling lonely or cold or spited but this is the love story that perseveres.

It was pain turning these pages and hearing yet another obnoxious and unflattering thing Lisa was doing or saying. I disliked her so much I wanted to get away, not share the journey with her.

The only saving grace to this entire novel is the end when her cousin dies of AIDs, there are some quite real passages about the pain of death, life, and the strangeness of someone you knew quite well being gone from this earth.

Other than that, trash.

[Elizabeth Laborde · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're looking for a witty, historical novel set on the East Coast, this is for you. I appreciated the glimpse into a Catholic family, replete with all levels of dysfunctions, visible and unspoken. The author takes readers through the protagonist's struggles with sexuality, body image, corporate politics, identity, romance, and others' expectations. I enjoyed the relationship between the protagonist and her gay cousin, which felt touching, piquant, and quite real. All of the relationships felt complete, the Mom-daughter, sister to sister, boyfriend to girlfriend, cousin to cousin -- Ceresi deftly handles big topics like AIDS, death, venereal diseases, shame, humiliation, need, obsession, and judgment with equal measures wit and poignancy. I liked this book enough to pick up another Ceresi novel, "Blue Italian," which I'm currently reading.

[Jencoon989 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wellllll. Hmm. This book had a lot of strange (SPOILER) .... plot bombs that seemed to not be relevant to the main story, and that did not advance the narrative and fell totally flat. Like... the holocaust survivor's son's story in the middle of the book... and the strange random short-lived eating disordered eating episode. It felt funny at times, and then at other times, was trying way too hard to be funny. The overall story --- about a woman from a traditional Italian family who wants to defy tradition by not getting married, but only after dating a guy she describes as controlling and boring, discovers she wants a traditional life --- was in the end, maybe not that interesting. It just didn't convince me.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I spent the first part of reading this book confused. From the cover blurbs and art, I thought I was starting a romantic comedy but it turned out to be the story of a young career woman who discovers that her life is feeling empty and sad. A third of the way through the book, the generational ripple effect of the Holocaust is introduced, and if that were not quite enough, about two-thirds of the way through a fatal disease joins the plotline. This is actually a beautifully written novel with well-drawn characters, and probably deserves more than the three stars I gave it, but it wasn't what I signed up for and it left me emotionally wrung out.

[Vicki Jaeger · Rating 2 out of 5]

The back cover description does not match the actual story. That always bothers me.
It was...okay at best.
I found this construct, early in the book, completely unrealistic: Her boss went on complete bedrest for her pregnancy. So our main character, also a woman, "...got all of her responsibilities--plus a substantial raise, which took some of the sting out of picking up her work load and helping to cover for women on vacation." THIS WAS SET IN 1985. During my entire career, 1990s through today, that has NEVER happened. Not saying it couldn't, mind you, but it's highly unrealistic for the time period.

[Wendy Stockard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute. Easy read. Touches on some uncomfortable topics, so characters have more depth than your usual romantic comedy.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun summer read!

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the story-it kept you reading. It could have been slightly shorter.

[Jonelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this many years ago all because of the cover.

[Arietta Papaioannou · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ατέρμονα και ανούσια φλύαρο... κάποιοι διάλογοι έχουν ενδιαφέρον...

[Jasmin Gentry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up for a break with light reading. It ws heavier than expected, but it was something that I just wanted to keep reading.

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

Readers may struggle to get through this one like I did. After reading so many chapters, I couldn't wait for the book to end. It was difficult for me to like any of the characters.

[theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good read and good writing. I loved how flawed the main character was. I thought it was all fluff and all those typical corporate world affairs, but it was much more than that.

[MaryBeth Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frothy, charming romance novel which captures the angst of the dawning of the AIDS epidemic in America.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Written in 1999 about life in 1985. Read in 2023. Didn't age well. Ending made no sense.

[Adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pink Slip is an older book by Rita Ciresi that I'm embarrassed to admit I forgot about. I picked it up from my local library on a whim and was a full chapter in before I realized I knew these characters, I knew this story. Full disclosure - I even used to own this book and it somehow made its way into a donation bin along with most of my other books in one of my Great Purges several years ago.

Don't mistake my donating the book to mean it's bad. It's not. It's a solid read and now that I've rediscovered it (and learned that a sequel was written!) I'm regretting letting it out of my hands.

Pink Slip tells the story of Lisa (Lise) Diodetto a twenty-five year old woman on the verge of becoming... something. Whole maybe? An adult, certainly. She's a first-generation Italian-American who hates her parents and has happily escaped her New Haven upbringing only to find herself back in the suburbs when life in NYC doesn't quite work out how she'd hoped.

The story begins with Lise starting a new job as an assistant manager in the Editorial department of Boorman Pharmaceuticals. She quickly begins an affair with her boss which is a bad idea for all of the obvious reasons and the story gives a realistic and sometimes funny view into the ups and downs of their relationship and all of its challenges.

Despite the pink cover and the silly tagline "Lisa's mother wants her to get married so badly anything in pants will do" this book is not your typical chick lit. There are frank discussions about serious issues and the plot isn't all silly misunderstandings and madcap shopping trips. Lise comes off as a real person with real flaws and personality. Eben Strauss, the love interest, is a little more wooden. He never quite makes it off the page for me, but the story is so Lise-focused that this doesn't really matter as much as it seems like it should. This is a love story that's more about learning to accept a happily ever after, warts and all, than it is about the romance. There aren't a lot of hearts and flowers here, and that's a good thing.

I can't believe I let this one get away from me once. Maybe I needed to read it in my 30s vs. my 20s to really appreciate it. I'm looking forward to tracking down the sequel, Remind Me Again Why I Married You and reading it next.

[Karen Powell]

For those who want their chick lit to have a little more meat on their bones, this is a good read. It has a darker tone, as Lisa's wild past threatens her new romance with a straight-laced businessman. Despite Lisa's experiments with sex and drugs, Ciresi rounds out the charachter by giving her a literary streak and a love for Proust. But the shadow hanging over the character is her best friend and cousin, a gay man suffering from AIDS. Far from being light and fluffy, Ciresi manages to inject humor into the novel to keep it from being depressing, and enough romance and angst to cement it in Chick Lit-ville. Throughout the book, Lisa struggles with her past and how to reconcile it with her future. I think a lot of people can relate to that better than most vapid chick lit heroines who have little or no conflict in their lives except for how to catch a man.

[Hester · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this years ago since it was on a relative's book shelf. I was expecting it to be stereotypical "chick lit," but was surprised to discover that the book had real meat on its bones. It is about an Italian-American woman who is the definition of the Catholic bad girl. This past catches up to her when she gets a corporate job and an intellectual Jewish boyfriend. Neither one turns out to be what she thought it would be. The Jewish boyfriend, for starters, turns out to be Italian, like her. When these two worlds crash, it turns her life upside down and she has to rethink most of her attitudes.

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not my favorite Ciresi novel. There is a sense of melodramatic hopelessness throughout, as though absolutely nothing - family, love, work, dreams, marriage, bearing children, etc. - is without struggle. This is certainly a real concept, but results in more of a dismal sob-story than I want from chick-lit. I'm hoping life is more encouraging, or at least balanced, for Lisar in the sequel.

[Pdxstacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was clever and sad. There are funny lines that still pop in my head, like "forbidding alto" and "Strong Sicilian Shoulders". Sometimes books have funny scenes and you can almost picture the author crossing her fingers (chick lit in particular) that it could be translated into a movie.

I enjoyed it. My friend in NY who was a pharmaceutical proof reader enjoyed it perhaps even more than me.

It didn't change my life, but it was great entertainment without being mind-numbing.

[Adele Goetz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just reread this book b/c it was lying around and I wanted something light-hearted. It's a bit dated as the protagonist is a "career girl" in the 80's and some of the issues seem really Lifetime movie ( career vs. marriage, sexual harassment in the workplace, I know someone with AIDS will I die if they touch my hand?). However, it was pretty entertaing and I laughed and cried and that's pretty much what I was looking for.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had this sitting on my shelf for about a year before I got around to reading it. I figured - from the design and text of the covers - that it would be a fluffy vacation read, but it was a lot deeper and more serious than I expected it to be, and now I'm sorry that I put off reading it for as long as I did.

And I'm glad Cheryl lent me a few other Rita Ciresi books, because I think she has a fascinating voice.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book seemed a bit dated. It was set in the mid-80s, with lots of 80's era talk of wanting to be a feminist but not cutting it, the beginnings of AIDS, racism, and the evils of workplace romances. The book did start an interesting discussion of dating at work, dating your boss and what to do when things do wrong.

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I owned this book for a while and put off reading it because I thought that I would be disappointed with it, but it ended up being such a wonderful book. The characters were memorable and the plot line was touching. I haven't read it in a long time, which I am remembering as I do this review, but I know that it was wonderful, and I will definitely read it again now that I have been reminded.