The Life and Hard Times of Heidi Abromowitz

by Joan Rivers, James Sherman (Illustrator)

An "unauthorized biography" of the comedienne's free-living childhood friend, this intimate profile discloses Heidi's deepest, darkest secrets and includes the condensed version of Heidi's unpublished best seller, "How to Make Love to Anything Anywhere"

Genres: Humor, Fiction, Adult

99 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1984

About the author

Joan Rivers (born Joan Sandra Molinsky) was an American comedian, actress, talk show host, businesswoman, and celebrity. She was known for her brash manner and loud, raspy voice with a heavy metropolitan New York accent. Rivers was the National Chairwoman of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and is a board member of God's Love We Deliver. Like the ground-breaking Phyllis Diller, Rivers' act relied heavily on poking fun at herself. A typical Rivers joke about her unattractiveness: "I used to stand by the side of the road with a sign: 'Last girl before freeway.'"

Reviews

[RP Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe it's nostalgia getting the best of me but I really adore this book. Could this stem from the fact that I first came across this little sleaze fest in my grandmothers library at the tender age of eight? Probably. Being a young comic book fan and the fact that it was illustrated only heightened my interest and enjoyment. It was like soft core porn for preteens. The Life and Hard Times of Heidi Abromowitz along with a hefty dictionary helped teach me or at the very least filled me with questions regarding the ins and outs of sex.

I've had my Grannys softback, dog eared, beaten down copy of this book for what seems like my whole life but I rarely looked at it. Not long ago at a thrift store I came upon (no pun intended) a hardback (still no pun intended) copy and decided to add it to my collection. Re-reading this as an adult was just as fun (if not a bit easier) and filthy as when I was a wee lass.

As much as I took away from this book I never grew into a huge Joan Rivers fan. Even with that being the case I will always hold this book, it's filthy jokes, it's wonderfully dirty illustrations and Heidi, queen of the well trodden tramps, near and dear to my heart.

[christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

i love joan rivers & thought this would be funnier/better. it seemed to be mostly one liners stretched out to paragraph-size chapters.

[Allan MacDonell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joan Rivers was funny, which means she knew how to say mean things in a way that made people laugh. It’s funny that in the immediate years prior to her death, Joan Rivers had been reassessed and dismissed in some circles as a cruel windbag with misogynist gusts. Then she died, of course, like so many people do, and the dismissive consensus reassessed Joan Rivers as a pioneering female comic, her impact akin to if Emma Goldman or Calamity Jane had put all their disruptive energies into standup. The Life and Hard Times of Heidi Abromowitz, cobbled together and published in 1984 and plucked from my neighbor’s free book box two weeks ago, is a 99-page string of one-liners capping on the prolific sexual appetite of fictional Heidi Abromowitz. No one would publish a book of unadulterated slut shaming in the political climate of today. Five years from now may be an entirely different story. Either way the breeze blows, Joan Rivers will always be as funny as she ever was.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

A hilarious fictional biography of Joan River's loose woman alter-ego, with twelve chapters, with titles ranging from Baby Bimbo to Hooker Housweife, packed full of jokes and put downs about loose women.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable read.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely funny.

[Lia Rock lantz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read.

[Carol Waters · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tired, jealous, and pointless. Written in 1984, but I thought that girls had sex back then. Maybe Joan Rivers didn't.

[tatiana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of one-liners about being a skanky whore. Some are funnier than others. Overall, the jokes get tiresome.

[R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heidi Heidi Heidi Ho (Heidi Heidi Heidi Ho)

For a book that spent 18 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and was consistently featured in those Book of the Month Club ten books for a penny ads on the back page of Parade magazine, today was the first time I actually ever saw a copy in the wild (library bookstore).

An inexplicable Literary Guild Selection, it is 99 pages of filthy one-liners, saucy illustrations, mock interviews and a quiz. It passes the time (like how the sailors passed Heidi around), and that's unfortunately about it. About 45 minutes total, if you stop in the middle for about 15 minutes to drink cold coffee and stare out the window.

This is about the level of humor: I caught her in the bushes with my German shepherd for the third time (he's the only dog in Beverly Hills being treated for herpes!)

I suppose it will be a good book to keep on hand if an overnight guest asks for something funny to read - it will teach them to never again ask for "something funny to read."

In true stand-up comic tradition, the funniest bit was saved for last: some cleverness in Joan's author bio inside the back cover.

[Leah H Mulligan · Rating 2 out of 5]

While reading this, I was unimpressed with the extended one-liners and repetitive slut-shaming. Upon finishing the graphic novel, I came to love the drawings so it stays in my personal library. I also read another review mentioning that this Heidi character is ultimately inspired by Joan Rivers’ “loose-woman alter ego” which for me, only furthered emphasized a suspicion that Rivers’ suffers from deeply rooted misogyny (like we all do). Whether or not it’s true that this is more of a fictional biography, I did actually manage to find the humor in some chapters and the whole tramp-analysis that’s *highly* encouraged to take at the end; that and the drawings are what brought me to two stars but I would really give it a 2.5 if I could.

[Robyn Baylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my all time favorites! One of my first adult graphic novels! Would you believe that I bought this in high school? I used to read it during SSR (Sustained Silent Reading) time at my Catholic high school. 😂 I'm just so sorry it's packed away somewhere because I have been wanting to re-read it. (Edit: I found it! 😂 ) My mom remembers "Heidi" from Joan's stand up routine! She loved it then as I love it now!

[Miesha Wilson Headen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dead Joan Rivers is funnier than most living comedians. She earned his legendary status. In Heidi, Joan delivers 100 pages of cringe worthy and hilarious tramp jokes. “I mean this girl was a tramp. We went to a golf course. Someone shouted ‘Fore!’ She shouted ‘Play!’” Playboy published this book in 1984 when slut shaming was still funny and acceptable.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely hilarious and raunchy romp through the life of fictional tramp, Heidi Abromowitz. I defy anyone to read this and not hear Joan Rivers' voice as you read! Despite the smut and raunch, if you read closely, you will see that this whole book is an illustration of Rivers' whip smart intelligence!

[Megan Ruskey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love Joan more than the next person. So trust me when I say this is a very fair rating. this just didn’t hold up over time. I’m still keeping in my my library of Joan’s books but not as one I recommend people to read.

[Rayna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this book is like traveling through time. It is brash and not even remotely PC. Best taken at face value, let yourself laugh and think about how far we have come.

[Xania Danielle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Purely slut shaming 🫢

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic Joan

[Meagan Dickie · Rating 1 out of 5]

We get it! She’s a hobag!!

[Annabelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heidi Abromowitz is an amalgam of that one naive, trashy girlfriend we had back in school, on steroids. Joan Rivers, I like you better with pen and paper! This was one delightful, hilarious, and absolutely, deliciously politically incorrect book!

* I must have bought this in the States in 1987, as I cannot imagine any of our local bookstores having this title in their inventories back then.

[Sidsel Sander · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jeg fandt den som ti-elkeveårig og syntes, den var vildt fræk og spændende ... og forbudt. Nu genfandt jeg den så ... og helt ærlig. Det er en stribe one liners strakt ud på en bog. En ekstra stjerne for at tale frit om en seksurlt frembrusende kvinde ... og om alle mulige former for sex, men det havde været federe (og sjovere), hvis hun ikke samtidig blev fremstillet som en sinke ... meeen ... hvis jeg nu læser jegfortælleren som upålidelig ...

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this one in a box of old books that hadn't interested me enough to read before now.
My thoughts flipped between hilarious wit, and repetitive insults of the whore. But it was a light comical read, and brought back memories of Joan's off the cuff, no holds barred humour.
I found it best read a few pages at a time, perhaps "bathroom reading"? I cannot imagine reading through it in one sitting.

[Phoebe Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written way back. Her first. When she was at her brashest. Probably not the one and only book of hers to read. I think her humors became more enjoyable to a larger audience later in her career. Still it will stay in my library.

[StarST8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious and twisted! Loved it!

[Hobart Frolley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not for the easily offended.
If you like Joan Rivers, you will like this book. Offensive and ludicrous, this is also highly entertaining and hilarious.
Overall, a fun jaunty read.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is really just a series of one-lines. Some actually made me chuckle.

[James Hauenstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always liked Joan Rivers humor and this book is filled with her kind of anecdotes. A quick and easy read and still fun.