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A Woman First: First Woman: A Memoir
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Humor (2019)The long-awaited memoir of her tumultuous year in office, A Woman First: First Woman is an intimate first-person account of the public and private lives of Selina Meyer, America’s first woman president. Known and beloved throughout the world as a vocal and fearless advocate for adult literacy, fighting AIDS, our military families, and as a stalwart champion of the oppressed, especially the long-suffering people of Tibet, President Meyer is considered one of the world’s most notable people. In her own words, she reveals the innermost workings of the world’s most powerful office, sharing previous secret details along with her own personal feelings about the historic events of her time.
In A Woman First: First Woman, President Selina Meyer tells the story of her times the way that only she could, Readers will gain new insights not only into Meyer herself but also the mechanics of governing and the many colorful personalities in Meyer’s orbit, including world leaders and her devoted cadre of allies and aides, many of them already familiar to the American people.
In A Woman First: First Woman, President Selina Meyer tells the story of her times the way that only she could, Readers will gain new insights not only into Meyer herself but also the mechanics of governing and the many colorful personalities in Meyer’s orbit, including world leaders and her devoted cadre of allies and aides, many of them already familiar to the American people.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published March 19, 2019
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4714 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 339 reviews
May 10, 2019
If you will get this book, you MUST get it in audiobook format. The banter between Selina and Gary, along with the off-tangent rants, will have you laughing out loud. I don't see how it can be nearly as funny in written word.
Any diehard fan of Veep will find this the perfect accompaniment. I am only kept from giving it 5 stars by the beginning which is a tad boring. (Her childhood years). The book really hits its stride when she enters college and from that point on will have you in stitches.
Any diehard fan of Veep will find this the perfect accompaniment. I am only kept from giving it 5 stars by the beginning which is a tad boring. (Her childhood years). The book really hits its stride when she enters college and from that point on will have you in stitches.
August 16, 2019
A Woman First: First Woman, the memoir of fictional president Selina Meyer, is required reading for anyone who loved VEEP. I listened to this in audio which I would recommend almost exclusively, considering it is read by Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tony Hale. There's a lot of banter between the two between lines, and their characters and the nature of their relationship in the audiobook is exactly the same as on the show, which leads to funny moments even outside the text. 3.5 stars (the beginning portion of Selina's life story wasn't the most riveting, even with the humor thrown in) rounded up because, like the show, it is exemplary political satire and the cast is just too perfect.
November 19, 2019
Whether or not you’ve seen it, I think most people do know of Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ performance as Selina Meyer on HBO’s satirical Veep at least to some extent—she has won a disgusting amount of Emmys. Either way, the character of Selina Meyer can be summed up as a sociopathic alien trying her darndest to imitate a human-being as she claws her way to political power. That, and she becomes America’s first female president. Selina is the kind of narcissist that is the most while doing the least—a true American icon.
Towards the end of Veep, a running storyline was Selina’s “work” on an “autobiography” detailing her experiences, which is adeptly named: A Woman First: First Woman: A Memoir. Even though the series is over, the beautiful crack team of writers at HBO actually followed through and created this book. While it does not capture the magic of a full Veep episode, A Woman First: First Woman: A Memoir does offer tremendous insights into the Selina’s "backstory” and provides key exposition for so many of the character’s terrible decisions and quirks on the show. For instance, there was this gem from her account of childhood…
“Although I take what I regard as a ‘common sense’ position on gun control and animal cruelty, I think that, in its own way, there’s nothing more all-American than fox hunting … While other girls may have spent their time with their father at a museum or on a bike ride, I was engaged in the far more enriching pursuit of digging up baby foxes and chopping off their heads, usually with the sharp edge of a shovel.”
Honestly, if you have not seen Veep, then this book likely isn’t for you (at least not yet). In addition to recommending the book, I can also definitely recommend the series. If you do not have HBO, you can always borrow the DVD boxsets from your local library. Incidentally, that is where I got this copy of the book, which would have absolutely infuriated Selina Meyer, which makes me all the more giddy.
Towards the end of Veep, a running storyline was Selina’s “work” on an “autobiography” detailing her experiences, which is adeptly named: A Woman First: First Woman: A Memoir. Even though the series is over, the beautiful crack team of writers at HBO actually followed through and created this book. While it does not capture the magic of a full Veep episode, A Woman First: First Woman: A Memoir does offer tremendous insights into the Selina’s "backstory” and provides key exposition for so many of the character’s terrible decisions and quirks on the show. For instance, there was this gem from her account of childhood…
“Although I take what I regard as a ‘common sense’ position on gun control and animal cruelty, I think that, in its own way, there’s nothing more all-American than fox hunting … While other girls may have spent their time with their father at a museum or on a bike ride, I was engaged in the far more enriching pursuit of digging up baby foxes and chopping off their heads, usually with the sharp edge of a shovel.”
Honestly, if you have not seen Veep, then this book likely isn’t for you (at least not yet). In addition to recommending the book, I can also definitely recommend the series. If you do not have HBO, you can always borrow the DVD boxsets from your local library. Incidentally, that is where I got this copy of the book, which would have absolutely infuriated Selina Meyer, which makes me all the more giddy.
April 24, 2019
I love the show VEEP, so I bought this book because I figured the gimmick of reading the presidential biography of a fictional character would be like watching bonus episodes of the show.
To some extent it is, but the gimmick wears quickly.
The book is presented as the same book that is published in the show, and it captures Meyer's personality perfectly. She is sarcastic, cynical, and callous. There are some great one-liners in the book, but the journey gets a bit wearisome by the end.
It would have been interesting to include chapters written from the points-of-view of the show's other major characters (there is one, a brief appendix, but it's not a character I would've chosen).
I read this book in snippets until I decided to push right through to the end.
Verdict: Watch the show instead.
To some extent it is, but the gimmick wears quickly.
The book is presented as the same book that is published in the show, and it captures Meyer's personality perfectly. She is sarcastic, cynical, and callous. There are some great one-liners in the book, but the journey gets a bit wearisome by the end.
It would have been interesting to include chapters written from the points-of-view of the show's other major characters (there is one, a brief appendix, but it's not a character I would've chosen).
I read this book in snippets until I decided to push right through to the end.
Verdict: Watch the show instead.
Read
January 19, 2024Just utter bullshit and fabricated nonsense. Absolutely perfect 5 stars.
November 8, 2019
I voted for President Meyers as the first woman and free thinker. I was expecting her to shake up the swamp but alas she barely functions as an adult and is the most criminal corrupt and incompetent President in USA history. Many of her decisions seem rather arbitrary, corrupt and led by clitoral stimulation if not hallucinogenic and alcoholic cocktails. God help us.
Even her daughter Catherine Meyer had to pursue court action to demand a statement printed in all future editions: "This book is a crime against history and a crime against humanity. By buying and possibly reading this pack of lies, you are complicit in what is, quite simply, a case of child abuse. Shame on you."
This book does show how a feeble-minded self-centred malignant narcissist makes decisions and unfortunate for us she resided in the Oval Office. How do we allow such idiots to even take an office is beyond me. She admired dictators and actually dislikes the American people. Who could ever imagine that such a nincompoop would win my vote? I am astonished at my own stupidity.
I suggest you read this in small bites otherwise you begin to think as she does and this would be seen as deeply divisive, not just our country, but your social circle and family.
This was about as enjoyable as root-canal and a prostate exam happening at the same time. I was left feeling assaulted, morally & physically if not sexually, and remain as if a prefrontal lobotomy has been performed without my knowledge...or I think without my knowledge or permission?
Maybe we will learn a lesson and never promote or elect turds for elected office? Maybe we should investigate and have future candidates properly scrutinized and tested? If we learn one thing it is that it is far easier to elect an idiot than a saint in this land.
I gave this book 4 stars because there were no photos. I like photos. They show me who she was talking about.
Even her daughter Catherine Meyer had to pursue court action to demand a statement printed in all future editions: "This book is a crime against history and a crime against humanity. By buying and possibly reading this pack of lies, you are complicit in what is, quite simply, a case of child abuse. Shame on you."
This book does show how a feeble-minded self-centred malignant narcissist makes decisions and unfortunate for us she resided in the Oval Office. How do we allow such idiots to even take an office is beyond me. She admired dictators and actually dislikes the American people. Who could ever imagine that such a nincompoop would win my vote? I am astonished at my own stupidity.
I suggest you read this in small bites otherwise you begin to think as she does and this would be seen as deeply divisive, not just our country, but your social circle and family.
This was about as enjoyable as root-canal and a prostate exam happening at the same time. I was left feeling assaulted, morally & physically if not sexually, and remain as if a prefrontal lobotomy has been performed without my knowledge...or I think without my knowledge or permission?
Maybe we will learn a lesson and never promote or elect turds for elected office? Maybe we should investigate and have future candidates properly scrutinized and tested? If we learn one thing it is that it is far easier to elect an idiot than a saint in this land.
I gave this book 4 stars because there were no photos. I like photos. They show me who she was talking about.
February 18, 2024
The writing is kinda terrible until you remember that it's supposed to be Mike McLintock writing down whatever Selina Meyer was saying, or even his (or hers!) lunch order. Definitely listen to the audiobook version, even if only as a companion to the book, for the commentary between Selina and Gary Walsh, as their actors narrate the book.
November 9, 2019
5 stars because this filled the VEEP shaped hole in my heart ❤️
This is a (hilarious) memoir written from the perspective of the character Selina Meyer from the HBO tv show Veep. If you haven’t watched the tv show you probably won’t enjoy this. BUT for those of you who have watched the show...pick this one up in audiobook format. It’s great. Narrated by Selina with some side commentaries from Gary. It’s perfect. 🤣
This is a (hilarious) memoir written from the perspective of the character Selina Meyer from the HBO tv show Veep. If you haven’t watched the tv show you probably won’t enjoy this. BUT for those of you who have watched the show...pick this one up in audiobook format. It’s great. Narrated by Selina with some side commentaries from Gary. It’s perfect. 🤣
January 3, 2021
Not sure if she was the very first woman but definitely a woman according to the cover.
September 4, 2019
Listened to it on audio. Fans of Veep will love this book; it is Selina Meyer the character reading her faux-memoir. Gary is there. Enjoy.
May 8, 2020
Omg. This was hilarious. The chapter read by Gary (audiobook version) had me laughing out loud. Their banter back and forth was phenomenal. It's a short one but serves as a fantastic escape!
June 15, 2020
This was a nice companion to the AMAZING and HYSTERICAL HBO series Veep. I didn’t LOVE the book but it was a funny read that I have a feeling would be way better on audio.
November 28, 2021
Julia Louis-Dreyfus has my heart
September 1, 2023
A marvelous glimpse into the life of one of our most underrated presidents.
December 23, 2019
Fiktívna autobiografia prezidentky Seliny Meyer zo seriálu Veep. Kto nevidel seriál, nebude čítať; aj pre fanúšikov najlepšie čítať po častiach, lebo celé je to vlastne stále ten istý vtip, ale oplatí sa kvôli kúskom ako tieto:
- "...Camp David Accords, which reorganized the violence in the Middle East in a whole new way..."
- "Every woman knows a little bit about the author Ayn Rand that she learned from the worst boyfriend she ever had."
- O protikandidátovi: "...had three children, one of whom had special needs (which is solid gold from a political standpoint. My daughter, Catherine, had many many special needs, especially a need for attention, but none of her needs were “special” in the special way that helps a candidate, which is just so typical of her)"
- Andrew and I voted in the basement in the Presbyterian Church with Catherine in my arms crying and screaming that she wanted “Mama” (presumably Ines/Carmen)—thanks, Catherine! Thanks for your support!—and then we voted again, just to be safe, in the Community Center (without Catherine this time), and, after we’d had a few drinks, we voted for a third time, under the name “Mr. and Mrs. Iwanna Eggplant” at the local Chrysler dealership.
- "...Camp David Accords, which reorganized the violence in the Middle East in a whole new way..."
- "Every woman knows a little bit about the author Ayn Rand that she learned from the worst boyfriend she ever had."
- O protikandidátovi: "...had three children, one of whom had special needs (which is solid gold from a political standpoint. My daughter, Catherine, had many many special needs, especially a need for attention, but none of her needs were “special” in the special way that helps a candidate, which is just so typical of her)"
- Andrew and I voted in the basement in the Presbyterian Church with Catherine in my arms crying and screaming that she wanted “Mama” (presumably Ines/Carmen)—thanks, Catherine! Thanks for your support!—and then we voted again, just to be safe, in the Community Center (without Catherine this time), and, after we’d had a few drinks, we voted for a third time, under the name “Mr. and Mrs. Iwanna Eggplant” at the local Chrysler dealership.
November 22, 2019
3.5 🌟
This was a delight.
A Woman First: First Woman is Selina Meyer's memoir from the show VEEP and anyone who loves that show as I much as I do will surely get a kick out of it. It does drag slightly at some parts but that's to be expected from a book that was supposedly inside a sitcom's world and then actually written. I would HIGHLY recommend listening to the audiobook version of the book as it is narrated by Julia Louis-Dreyfus in character as Selina Meyer and Tony Hale as Gary Walsh. Their added back and forth banter between the narration of the book along with their talent in bringing their characters to life again and comedic timing simply elevated the book.
In the off chance that you've read all this without ever having watched the show, go watch it!
Happy reading!
This was a delight.
A Woman First: First Woman is Selina Meyer's memoir from the show VEEP and anyone who loves that show as I much as I do will surely get a kick out of it. It does drag slightly at some parts but that's to be expected from a book that was supposedly inside a sitcom's world and then actually written. I would HIGHLY recommend listening to the audiobook version of the book as it is narrated by Julia Louis-Dreyfus in character as Selina Meyer and Tony Hale as Gary Walsh. Their added back and forth banter between the narration of the book along with their talent in bringing their characters to life again and comedic timing simply elevated the book.
In the off chance that you've read all this without ever having watched the show, go watch it!
Happy reading!
November 9, 2020
I LOVE Veep, so I’m not sure how I didn’t know about this until now! 4/5 because Selina and Gary’s banter on the audiobook is amazing! Took me a long time to get through because I have a hard time with audiobooks.
My favorite line:
“No matter what you do in government, people aren’t going to like it very much... if you’re some sort of needy person who requires constant favorable attention and approval from others you should probably go into some other line of work.”
Couldn’t have said it better myself and had me questioning is this funny or actually Washington, DC?
My favorite line:
“No matter what you do in government, people aren’t going to like it very much... if you’re some sort of needy person who requires constant favorable attention and approval from others you should probably go into some other line of work.”
Couldn’t have said it better myself and had me questioning is this funny or actually Washington, DC?
August 28, 2023
This made me chuckle, quite a bit in fact. It absolutely did not need to be 6 hours long (a decent 3 hours would have suited it just fine) but I did enjoy getting to experience these characters again.
June 16, 2019
“This book was a real treat, much like my aunt at a debutant ball” - Pat Fox
If you are a fan of the TV show Veep I cannot recommend this enough.
If you are a fan of the TV show Veep I cannot recommend this enough.
January 7, 2022
Would highly recommend this for any Veep fans. It's like another couple episodes. If you're not a Veep fan, I would highly recommend you become one.
The audiobook version of this is amazing, because it's read by Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tony Hale in character. They do some very fun interruptions and commentary on the book; it's kind of the "uncut" version you'd expect if Selina and Gary were in the studio recording the audiobook. I think my normal problem with audiobooks is that it's not the medium novels were created for (I generally prefer radio dramas if I want to listen to a story). The audiobook for this takes the novel and adapts it for the medium of the audiobook, with great success. Julia Louis-Dreyfus of course has an absolutely perfect politician-speaking-to-the-public voice (every bit as perfect as the completely vacuous and lifeless smiling stare on the cover), and is a genius in all her acting and delivery.
The book itself is an exquisite blend of the tedious politician-prattle and tropes that make up a typical politician autobiography, and hilarious moments of Selina being way more honest than any politician would be. The backstory is that she sat down with Mike and talked at him with some stories for the book and expected him to just write in the parts that were politically correct, but he instead just transcribed much of it word for word, keeping in all the hilarious stuff where she trash talks voters, is problematic and rude, talks candidly about DUIs and corruption etc. As always, David Mandel elevates political satire to an art form. It's hard to imitate a style of writing that is tedious and monotonous without being in of itself either of things, and instead being hilarious and delightful. But this team pulls it off with aplomb.
The audiobook version of this is amazing, because it's read by Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tony Hale in character. They do some very fun interruptions and commentary on the book; it's kind of the "uncut" version you'd expect if Selina and Gary were in the studio recording the audiobook. I think my normal problem with audiobooks is that it's not the medium novels were created for (I generally prefer radio dramas if I want to listen to a story). The audiobook for this takes the novel and adapts it for the medium of the audiobook, with great success. Julia Louis-Dreyfus of course has an absolutely perfect politician-speaking-to-the-public voice (every bit as perfect as the completely vacuous and lifeless smiling stare on the cover), and is a genius in all her acting and delivery.
The book itself is an exquisite blend of the tedious politician-prattle and tropes that make up a typical politician autobiography, and hilarious moments of Selina being way more honest than any politician would be. The backstory is that she sat down with Mike and talked at him with some stories for the book and expected him to just write in the parts that were politically correct, but he instead just transcribed much of it word for word, keeping in all the hilarious stuff where she trash talks voters, is problematic and rude, talks candidly about DUIs and corruption etc. As always, David Mandel elevates political satire to an art form. It's hard to imitate a style of writing that is tedious and monotonous without being in of itself either of things, and instead being hilarious and delightful. But this team pulls it off with aplomb.
April 10, 2019
Loved how the author really committed to the character created by Julie Louis Dreyfus on Veep! Very funny though at times it dragged.
May 21, 2019
Definitely a worthy companion to the series. I'm not sure how satisfying it would be to just read the book, but the audio version is amazing. Read by Julia Louis-Dreyfus in character as Selina Meyer, it's an "unabridged-plus" version of the text, with Tony Hale as Gary Walsh providing bonus sections. Selina demands certain sections to be redacted, points out Mike's shoddy dictation, and constantly complains about how long the process takes. It's like a six-hour bonus podcast, and definitely worth a listen if you're missing the show.
September 21, 2023
"Veep" has been described as the most realistic political show, which is depressing because Selina Meyer is the absolute worst, most narcissistic, out of touch human there is. Which made her memoir fantastic.
P.S. This was my first (and probably last) audiobook! Audiobook listeners, I don't know how you do it. Even with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tony Hale's hilarious narration, I still managed to occasionally zone out :(
P.S. This was my first (and probably last) audiobook! Audiobook listeners, I don't know how you do it. Even with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tony Hale's hilarious narration, I still managed to occasionally zone out :(
April 23, 2019
It was cute and I liked it, even though I didn’t watch much of Veep.
June 12, 2019
I mean. Lol.
November 6, 2020
A true masterpiece of our time
December 5, 2020
the level of incompetence in this office is STAG GE RING!
December 19, 2020
I haven't seen this show and can't decide if I want to or not! Hilarious at some times, grating at others. It's a short book, but I wish it had been even shorter!
August 17, 2021
Very fun. I'm surprised a written version of this exists because the best experience is audiobook. Selina reads it and Gary is with her. The side comments between them are the best parts.
March 16, 2020
If you’re a fan of “Veep,” you HAVE to listen to the audiobook version because Selina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) & Gary (Tony Hale) will have you cracking up! Throughout the whole recording, they’re constantly going “off script” & bantering back and forth, all while staying in character. Gary’s editing of Selina’s swearing & his comments while reading her college chapters are worth it all on their own!
The “Veep” writers really knocked it out of the park, making her fictional book from the show become a reality. It’s definitely worth a listen!
The “Veep” writers really knocked it out of the park, making her fictional book from the show become a reality. It’s definitely worth a listen!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 339 reviews