Happily Ali After: And Other Fairly True Tales

by Ali Wentworth

The actress, comedian, media darling, and New York Times bestselling author picks up where she left off in Ali in Wonderland, dissecting modern life—and this time, on a mission of self-improvement—in a series of laugh-out-loud comic vignettes.

Moved by a particularly inspirational tweet one day, Ali Wentworth resolves to live by the pithy maxims she discovers in her feeds. What begins as a sort of self-help project quickly turns into something far grander—and increasingly funnier—as the tweets she once viewed with irony become filled with increasing metaphysical importance. And thus begins her “Unhappiness Project.”

It’s not long before Ali expands her self-improvement quest to include parenting, relationship, fitness (or lack thereof), and dieting advice. The results are painfully (at times literally) clear: when it comes to self-help, sometimes you should leave it to the professionals.

At once endearing and hilarious, thoughtful and absurd, Happily Ali After is a thoroughly entertaining collection from “the girlfriend you want to have a glass of wine with, the one who makes you laugh because she sees the funny and the absurd in everything” (Huffington Post).

Genres: Humor, Nonfiction, Memoir, Audiobook, Biography Memoir, Biography, Autobiography

240 pages, Hardcover

First published June 9, 2015

About the author

Ali Wentworth is the author of the New York Times bestseller Ali in Wonderland. She made a name for herself on the comedy show In Living Color and has appeared on such television shows as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Seinfeld, Head Case, and The Oprah Winfrey Show, for which she was a correspondent. Her film credits include Jerry Maguire, The Real Blonde, Office Space, and It’s Complicated. A native of Washington, D.C., she lives in New York City with her husband, George Stephanopoulos, and their two girls.

Reviews

[Suzzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this Ali book even more than I did her first book. There were some very entertaining stories and I love how she does not sugar coat and how she tells her stories in a manner than does not always paint a perfect image of her. It’s refreshing to read. Can’t wait to read her third book.

[Mediaman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wentworth has a problem--on paper she is neither funny nor interesting, yet she is a spoiled rich kid who married a famous guy and now gets to publish books about a rather dull life that few of us can relate to. The woman is just not fascinating enough to have a second book about her life. Much of this book (especially the opening chapters) could have been written by anyone about anything, because Wentworth isn't funny enough to pull off a humorous memoir that has interesting anecdotes. Most of the aside comments seem put together by a team of comedy writers and entire stories seem made up, so it's hard to know what to believe as true.

That being said, this is better than her first book when she writes about others and not herself. She stumbles upon some great material when she opens up about her famous husband, his quirks, and their problems together. The middle chapters of the book that deal with marriage and family are worth reading--she stops trying to be funny, she stops the self-centered insecure whining that goes on throughout the rest of the book, and she actually deals with some harsh truths about marriage and kids. That's what she needs to write more of, except in the future she could be a bit more honest about her high-class lifestyle that includes a "babysitter" that helps with her schoolage girls while she's home (others would call this person a nanny but she refuses to use the word here) and foreign trips (complaining about not enough to do in Iceland??? How relatable!). She comes across as as terrible parent who fails to discipline her children, allowing them access to a lot of unsupervised adult media, and her husband seems like a distant wise man that the family rarely sees.

Otherwise, if you're looking for humor or inside stories of her work on TV shows you'll be disappointed because most of it is a bland read, something she'd probably take with her to her "cottage" in the Hamptons to escape the pressure of her TV roles and speaking engagements. Must be nice to have problems like that.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ali Wentworth is my sarcastic sister, the blonde, upper-crust upbringing, WASP version of brunette, immigrant, Cuban-Catholic me. I only wish I could write a monologue like Ali can, because yes, these essays read like a comedy act. I love that this woman pokes fun at herself, shares awkward moments and farcical situations that made me wish I was reading this rather than listening so that I could highlight her very clever similes. On top of being hilarious, Ali writes memorable metaphors.

At the risk of overuse, I laughed out loud throughout, at one point I had to pull the car over because I could not stop chortling (yes, chortling!) at her spray tan play-by-play especially when the woman applying it asked her to bend over so she could spray where, literally, the sun doesn’t shine. If you don’t get the irony in this, then move on, this isn’t for you.

If you’re still with me and you’re not offended by slightly ribald humor, then you should thoroughly enjoy this bright, incredibly articulate and funny woman. I think what made this all the more enjoyable is that the essays included so many social and cultural references, the writing is all the richer for this context. When she describes how weary she is after a particularly grueling trip, she doesn’t just tell you she’s tired, she says she’s ‘as frail as a tubercular Fantine from Le Mis.’ In an essay about a cameraman who sullied her bathroom, she manages to reference Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the black death in Crimea and the REDRUM scene from The Shining…in one essay!

This is a quick, funny as hell read and it is now my favorite go to audio when I’m stuck in traffic and need a little entertainment, light on the literary.

[Teresa Mann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Goodreads needs a "meh" star rating. Not very funny and not very interesting. It is books like this that frustrate me because I think that some of my life moments are WAY funnier, WAY crazier and WAY more relatable to the commoners such as us, in the real world - not in DC, NY or LA. One chapter was about her forgetting to renew her daughters' passports so (GASP) they couldn't leave for a fantastic Spain trip until the next day (after her famous husband "pulled some strings" to get the passports renewed). Whew - crisis eliminated. Paaahllease - let me tell you Ali about the time I was stuck in the Miami airport at 4 in the morning trying to remember my 4 years of high school Spanish so I could retrieve my luggage. Now THAT's funny/crisis/hardship tales, by golly.

[Vivienne Strauss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mildly humorous tales by a slightly self-deprecating somewhat celebrity. Difficult to relate to someone privileged enough to jet set to Iceland and Spain (complain about both places) and whine that her parents never took her to Disneyland or any other tacky theme park.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

slightly better than the horrible Jen Lancaster book i picked up at library a while back, but I have to add "people who use their name in silly titles" to my new list of warning signs that a purportedly funny book is not that funny.

occasionally made me smile (e.g., when her tween daughter dramatically protests some disciplinary move with "I hate you, Ali Wentworth" and she corrects her with "It's, 'I hate you, Mom!'") but mostly tedious anecdotes -- the time i got a spray tan, the time I got botox, how much i hate exercise, how jealous i am of better-looking actresses, and don't get me started on aging, am I right, ladies? and so on......

Writing style is a little like the old Tony Kornheiser non-sports columns in Style section of Wx Post. Actually too many jokes -- you have to wade thru 5 bits of hyperbole or self-deprecation per paragraph to get to what is actually happening in the story, and ultimately not worth it.

comes off as devoted to her family, not too conceited about her acting career, and probably a nice person to her friends, but if i ran the world not someone who'd get a book deal, let alone what I gather is her second one [she's billed as the NYT bestselling author of Ali in Wonderland, so perhaps this second one is to go back and tap the market again].

[Maureen Flatley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the beach book of the summer! Make yourself an icy gin and tonic and stretch out on that beach chair. You will laugh out loud and identify more than a little w/ Ali's hysterical insights. Hilariously wonderful! A summer reading list must!

[Starbubbles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am honestly really enjoying her books. They are somehow relatable and not at all, at the same time. Ali is funny and is able to narrate her books in a conversational manner. This is something that I have learned is not standard for author-read audiobooks even though, I assume, that was the tone the book was written in.

I look forward to listening to more of her books while working/pumping breastmilk. That's my life right now. Babies, work, producing food. Wentworth is a fabulous distraction from it all.

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ali Wentworth writes about her life with George Stephanopolis and their two kids.

I was underwhelmed. I haven’t read anything else by her, but I had heard good things. I chuckled in a few places but overall it was just a meh experience. I could take it or leave it.

[Ani · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many negative comments about this book in the reviews but I do t understand why? It's a comedian writing about her life. I enjoyed it for what it was.

[Kim Bunce]

Hilarious autobiography from Ali Wentworth! Had me laughing the entire way through the book.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

So it's fair to say I have a crush on her husband, George Stephanopoulos and decided I wanted to see what she was all about. I cannot believe that they are married - seem so different. This had a few laugh out loud moments - she reads the audio book.

[Lisa Schilling Dalton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lighthearted humor when you need it! I enjoy George and Ali as a couple so enjoyed some of the funny personal (made up or not!) stories.

[Liza McArdle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second Ali Wentworth book but definitely not my last! She got me out of a reading rut with her hilarious stories of her husband (George Stefanopoulis!), raising their daughters and, well, aging. I was laughing out loud at her detailed description of her first spray tan, not to mention the family trip to Iceland. And that time they were going to Spain and she forgot to renew the daughters’ passports. You get the idea—read it when you need a laugh.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ali is funnier than I knew. Mostly because I'd only seen her on Yahoo and knew she was married to George Stephanopolas. Most of the fairly true tales were fairly family friendly and enjoyable. There were a few times she bordered on crass which is what brought my interest level down. The first 75% is hilarious and utterly enjoyable. So much so that I decided that, if a movie is ever made of my own fascinating, suburban life, I choose Ali to play me. She makes middle age and aging okay by me.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed my way through this book on a rainy afternoon. As a woman of about the same age I could really relate to her stories (although I would trade my husband of 20+ years for George Stephanopoulos so she doesn't have it too bad). Definitely a recommended read for those of us approaching the big 50.

I received this book as part of a goodreads giveaway.

[Joanne Rodrigues · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you are looking for something frivolous to read, look no further than this book. There is no story that you need to follow. Just a lot of mindless ramblings about inconsequential things like Botox, exercise or a lack of, children and men. The only thing going for it is that Some of it is actually quite funny.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Ali so much. She's witty, honest, and totally relatable. I want to be friends with her. I breezed through this short book in a hour and a half and laughed out loud numerous times, though I felt like it was lacking in content.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this. I like her! She’s a comedic train wreck! She just doesn’t write as well as she performs. What comes off as delightfully Lucy-ish on the screen does not translate to the page. (Should have seen it coming, since I found it at Family Dollar.)

[booksandcarbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Laughed aloud many times! Quick and funny read by a seemingly grounded celeb.

[Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so Ali Wentworth's Happy Ali After was better than her prior "memoir", Ali in Wonderland, but not by much. Again, just like with the first, Happily Ali After suffers from being not relatable. The mantra, Poor Privileged Little Rich Girl, was a dull whisper reverberating in my mind.

Frankly, the stories where the scope was on her alone, in Part One: Inspiration, and on what lessons she apparently "learned", made her looked incredibly bad and selfish. In the other parts of her book: Marriage, Parenting, and Inspiration were a bit better.

I actually enjoyed the chapters Grounded and Help! The latter even got a chuckle out of me. Grounded is about her and her family in the airport about to embark on a vacation when it turns out that Ali forgot to renew her daughters' passports. Her husband, George, is rightfully upset, and Ali stays away, mentally berating herself in the meanwhile. George does forgive her to which Ali is eternally grateful.

Help! is about Ali and her eldest daughter have a fight in which her daughter tells her that she hates her. Ali's first "I hate you" from either of her kids ever. It's a nice chapter dealing with how Ali overcompensated with her children because she didn't get that kind of closeness growing up. Eventually mother and daughter make up.

In my opinion, those stories were the most relatable and humbling. They also showed, what I think is Wentworth's purpose with these stories, the hilarity in the mundane of Life.

[Barry Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comedienne and actress Ali Wentworth delivers yet another devastatingly funny book. Her jaundiced eye for detail and precise verbal skill make it the usual fast and enjoyable read that sticks with you long after the laughs have subsided. Her topics this time around include the folly of trying to live up to inspirational quotes, the pros and cons of taking any work that's offered, the wisdom of setting free your love, being curious and tolerant, forgiveness, becoming your so-called "greatest self," the fallacy of "Love means never having to say you're sorry," parenting, the dangers of crab hunting, the bad things that can happen when you hire celebrity look-alikes, the trials and tribulations of pets, maternal love, sibling rivalry, exercise, menopause, spray tan, her husband being labeled a "sexual icon," and many others. Literally a laugh on every page. - BH.

[Cathy O'Neal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Ali Wentworth. She's mostly funny, although sometimes I think she tries too hard at being funny. I enjoyed her first book. This one is random funny things that have happened to her, like an adventure vacation to Iceland that the kids hated, getting Botox and a commencement speech she had to do four "performances" of in one day. Her funniest musings are those about the indignities of aging. (Note to Ali: Wait until you see what happens in your 60s!) I particularly like when she tells family stories that involve her husband, the very intelligent, dignified ABC news anchor and host on Good Morning America, George Stephanopoulis. It's a light listen of an audiobook, perfect if you are a commuter. Plus she has two dachshunds. So do I.

[Anthony Colozza · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well this was another one of those books that was written, I believe, because the author felt they needed to write a book to either try and stay relevant or because everyone else is writing books. The book itself is well written, lighthearted and funny at times. However, there really is no point to it. It kind of just rambles along on a variety of disjointed topics. If you are looking for some profound life lessons I would look elsewhere. The title of this book could easily have been "A Superficial Life", there really is not much depth here. But if you just want something simple to read to pass the time on the beach, that may make you laugh a bit, this will do the trick.

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

So my friends are fond of saying something is "mind candy". Well, in my world "mind candy" can be a good thing. This book is full of short little stories of a working mom living in Manhattan. It is full of funny stories in the world of show business all told with great humor. There is no moral enlightenment from reading this book. In the end, I just feel happy and soul is lighter from the hours of laughter.

There is a bloody incident that required a trip to the emergency room. Of course anyone that knows me will understand I had to skip this section.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an entertaining audiobook filled with anecdotes about Ali Wentworth's childhood, marriage, and kids. The author narrates the audiobook edition and I enjoyed listening to her tell her stories.

I want to like her books more - we are of similar ages and we had our two girls around the same time as each other, so I feel like we should have more in common. But I'm not from the same cultural stratosphere, and it's hard to relate.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Talk about first world problems. Basically that's what she does.
I think that Ali would make a fun mom friend to chat with about her life's adventures, but basically a lot of the book was pretty unrelateable and boring to read about. Why isn't unrelateable a word? Some was amusing, some wasn't so much. I basically finished reading it so I could accomplish my 2023 reading goal. And for that, thank you Ali. I wouldn't completely rule out reading another one of her books, but I certainly wouldn't pay money for it.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this book on audio, Happily Ali After is the author's quest for self-improvement which include parenting, relationship, fitness (or lack thereof), and dieting advice.
I've been a long time fan of Ali Wentworth and it seems her humor and wit sharpens with age; she is so very funny and I loved everything about this book.
My favorite part is when the author quickly lists the 20 plus types of exercise and the hysterical reasons why she cannot partake.

[Carianne Carleo-Evangelist · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started off really good: great life lessons such as not to judge folks and the story of how she met her husband after setting her lover (who read political books while they were on beach getaway) free. It then turned into random Ali stuff, which might have been fine had I not just read some of these in her most recent book. Lots of repeated stories such as her daughter asking if they had anal sex (only for jewelery). A so so read, not as good as her other two though.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny and entertaining and not too long. OK, she is a spoiled, rich woman who really should be happy and delightful every day of her life, but has complaints and whines just like the rest of us. But her tales of woe and jokes about having to have sex, exercising, and parenting won me over. Basically a hoot and someone you would enjoy having as a friend to commiserate with.