Tales From A Broad: An Unreliable Memoir

by Fran Lebowitz

When a frazzled New Yorker who is mad, bad and dangerous to know lands in Asia, life is never quite the same again - for anyone … Fran Lebowitz cheerfully admits that she is intergalactically self-absorbed, a little crazy and really, really hard to please - just ask her eternally patient and bemused husband, Frank. But when her life in the fast land falls apart - again - it's time for a miracle. Reeling from the worst week of her life, topped off by her most important client stabbing her in the back, Fran realises that she's almost forgotten what her family looks like. She wants out of the rat race and her hectic life as a literary agent - and time to be herself, a real wife and mother to her two small children. Good old Frank delivers what seems the answer to her prayers - to escape for three months to Singapore while he does some business. But what starts out as a little break and a very big culture shock for all concerned marks the hilarious beginning of the end of the old Fran - and a whole new life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Travel, Biography Memoir, Humor

346 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Fran Lebowitz was a New York literary agent with Writers House for twelve years, including three years from a remote office in Singapore. During this time, she represented three New York Times bestsellers and two National Book Award finalists and a few pop stars.

She also represented New Line and Fine Line, creating books to complement their products, ie, an Austin Powers guide to life book, a Freddy Krueger horror series, Hoop Dreams and a memoir about David Helfgott.

When her husband’s job became permanently located in Singapore, Fran turned her attention to editing, subagenting and writing Tales From A Broad, An Unreliable Memoir.

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

To write a book under the same name as a well known author and iconic 'personality' is deceptive not to mention sleazy. I knew that Fran Lebowitz had written only two books, 'Metropolitan Life' and 'Social Studies', and was surprised to see this title popup. It seemed suspect, reviews proved that my suspicions were correct. If you are a fan of the REAL Fran Lebowitz watch the Netflix series "Pretend it's a City" and pick up a copy of the 'Fran Lebowitz Reader' which includes both of her books. At least this author (Tales from A Broad) is truthful saying that the memoir is 'unreliable'.

[Bonnie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hmmm, I thought this book was by THE Fran lebowitz but apparently not. This book is vapid, superficial and silly. Poor rich woman gets to fly first class to Singapore, oh poor lady. And sitting by the pool at a luxury hotel, how does she stand it. And she has to take care of her own children part of the time, horrors. And plenty of money for baby sitters and booze, unbearable. Sorry I can't relate at all and it wasn't funny.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is poorly written, appallingly tone deaf to class and race struggles, especially on a global scale, and serves only to make the reader Increasingly uncomfortable w the attitudes, actions, and entitlement of the narrator/main character. I only kept reading so I would have no guilt associated with despising this MEMOIR and the “characters” having given the author a full chance at redemption. But realizing this is a somewhat fictionalized memoir made the entire book even more repulsive.

The main “character” is conceited, cruel, and beyond pretentious. Plus, there were incredibly uncomfortable anecdotes in the book like “I really wanted a big fat Mammy to bustle around” to describe her disappointment w the physical appearance of the “impoverished” maids for hire. Or her multiple derogatory references to the mentally handicapped, like this “So it would seem Singapore is on a different power system. Most profoundly retarded people know this.” Or her racially insensitive quips like “And, now, I look Indian, especially over the phone: ‘Vhad are you dolking about? I am nod from New Yorg.’”

The other “characters” are just as repugnant and serve a narrative purpose only to worship the main character and affirm her legend-in-my-own-mind status. Their constant drunkenness is awkward to read over and over. They seem oppressively desperate and cloying, rather than carefree and flighty.

[Elka · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oops! I thought this was by THE Fran Lebowitz. I realized my mistake pretty quickly, but I kept going. I waded through the drunken exploits of a bunch of overgrown children living in Singapore. No plot, no character growth, just hints of interesting developments that never turn into anything. Much like the characters in this book. You may have the occasional chuckle, but it's not worth it.

[Ian · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm glad I finally found this book on Goodreads. I, like others, thought that I was reading a book by THE FL. I simply could not reconcile the author of Metropolitan Life with this garbage. I read it all the way through, hoping for some redemption. Then, I thought, perhaps she's written it as a parody. Thank Goodreaders for the clarification.

[Cadmium Candy · Rating 3 out of 5]

not exactly a work of literary genius, but quite pleasant light reading.

[Terra Firma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay after a few pages I realized it wasn't THE Fran Lebowitz. but it seemed sharp and funny so I continued. It just got so boring. So much complaining. So much anger and thinking her anger and the way she scared others was funny. I pushed through and finished it. A quick epiphany at the end was too long a wait. Throughout the book she was self centered which made her boring, because she thought she was the most interesting person in the room This isn't a person you want to spend time with.

[Anna Purves · Rating 2 out of 5]

I LOVE Fran Lebowitz. I could listen to her for hours--the many interviews, the movies with Scorcese... There's a reason she hardly wrote. She's not that good on paper. All the intonation is gone. This book is just not worth the time, even as a curiosity piece. Did I say I LOVE Fran Lebowitz? Her brilliance is in the act of talking, where she's on (cool) fire, in the discernment, the brilliant brain, our local public intellectual, a public intellectual for our times from coast to coast, all of the decades since she's been around.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Goodreads, please fix the association you have to THE Fran Lebowitz for this book. Like many others I thought this could be a long awaited book from the well known author. The intro to this book is a scam where a few stories are told which one could think are associated with the famous author. After a few pages of the first chapter I knew something was off. I read on in morbid curiosity. It is an insipid, anti-Asian book which I ask you to decouple from the treasured author of the same name.

[Wendy Purdon]

Well the antics of daily privileged life kept me reading to the end, did not relate to any characters, negative narration was anxiety producing...don’t waste your time...there are too many other great books to read!

[Jess · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only way to describe the protagonist is as a vapid poorly written narcissist who I feel would be right at home on a real housewives programme. Was very glad to finish this. I love hateful characters but this was... not good

[Veronica Kirin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the sardonic humor that chaotically wove itself throughout the book. The quick wit and unusual circumstances kept me turning the page. I wanted so badly for the adventure to go on, but for both reader and characters, it came to a bittersweet end.

[chiara kimelia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Omg I just found out this isn’t THE Fran Leibowitz after reading like 2/3 of it and being absolutely pissed off at how annoying this woman is. It was fun to hear about Singapore but man she’s racist and stuck up.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was hard going at times. She portrays herself as a very obnoxious and clueless American. I’m pleased that I live a safe distance away from her. But it’s pretty entertaining. I’ve been a kind of expat myself and I’ve been to Singapore a few times, and maybe that helped to understand.

[Janine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why oh why didn't I check out the Goodreads reviews first? It's not even THE Fran Lebowitz.
What a waste of time.

[Thom Ball · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and fast paced story of New York expatriates living in Singapore as only Fran Lebowitz could imagine it.

[Think-On-It]

If you'd like to know what I thought of this book, please contact me directly and I'd be happy to discuss it with you.

All the best,

- TB

[Joann Nelson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great fun - good treadmill book! I love Fran.

[Matilda · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book was confusing because 1. i thought it was by actual fran lebowitz and 2. did it end with 9/11?

[peachy · Rating 1 out of 5]

vapid, racist narrator.

thought it was the actual fran lebowitz.

so, so wrong.

[Jo Horan · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a god awful waste of time. Utterly vapid narcissism. Don't waste your time.

[Andreina · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a moment of lunacy I gave this book 3 stars but it really doesn’t deserve any. The broad, Fran, is self absorbed, selfish, disconnected, narcissistic, vapid and ultimately boring. The only thing that kept me reading was the hope that her husband would leave her, or at least have an affair. Even then, reading to the end was tough. There was no real story, no plot, no hook. Just a never ending bla bla ultimately mindless and uninteresting. A dreadful book certainly not worth the time.

[Melina O. · Rating 1 out of 5]

****Update: The review below was written when I assumed the book was written by THE Fran Lebowitz, but apparently she didn't write this and that's actually a good thing.****

It took me a whole year to read this and I wanted to finish it because I just couldn't let this go unread not because it was good but because I promised myself that I would finish it even if I struggled through it.

I heard of Fran Lebowitz through a documentary made about her by, I think, Scorcese. She seemed so smart, so New York, so interesting that I always wanted to read something by her and I, unfortunately, picked this.

I wasn't a fan of the book. The titular character, Fran (who I think is her, which i guess is obvious) is extremely annoying. She's just so selfish and childish. She's living this rich lifestyle and really doing nothing but living off her husband yet she still has time to complain. She is the epitome of the wealthy, W.A.S.P.Y (except she's Jewish) woman with "huge" problems that consist of what party should she go to, what dress should she wear & what should she eat. All this apparently helps her realize what she really wants in life is to be a mom? Its a weird sort of tale of self exploration.

Lebowitz doesn't hold back and she's witty, at times. But there was just too much nagging in 200 plus pages that it took me a whole year to finish the book.

I would not recommend THIS book to anyone. But I'd still try to read something else of hers.

[Gu Kun · Rating 1 out of 5]

Moderately well-written. Funny here and there. Amazing: you get a once-in-a-lifetime chance to spend an extensive period of time in the most successful country of the past half century, yet you manage to learn nothing about it - this is a writer with a very superficial mind, only interested in food, sex and the latter's produce (the kids). Found this book on the table with new acquisitions in a Berlin library about a year ago - liked the title and the illustration -read it through, completely - then forgot all about it

[Libbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful. I wanted to stop about halfway through, but kept hoping it would redeem itself. The woman is self-centered and she and her friends are culturally insensitive and sound just like turn of the century British colonists in terms of their attitudes towards other cultures. Some kind of end of book enlightenment might have saved it, but it was awful until the end.

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fran Lebowitz, a famous (or so she claims) literary agent in New York, whines to her husband (a music copyright lawyer) about being burnt out. So the dutiful husband takes her and their 2 kids along to Singapore, when he gets sent there by his boss for a long business trip

[Jenny Tornado · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I own it and reread it whenever I need a good laugh. Her wit and description make the book personal and I can imagine a night out on the town with her crew.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny in a snarky way. Largely unlivable main character.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I love when I pick up a book from an author I don't know and am blown away. Coming of age isn't just for teens anymore.

[Abby]

This wasn't what I was looking for. May revisit at another time.