Carrie Pilby: A Hilarious and Charming Story

I read this book on the recommendation of a friend and while I don't normally read 'chick-lit' ('cause, y'know, I'm a guy), I was hooked from page 1. Funny, insightful and touching, anyone who has ever felt like a misfit can relate to Carrie, who has it even worse than the rest of us, since we at least had our high school and college years to go through the usual angst. Carrie, unfortunately, is still a teenager, but living the life of a full-grown adult out in the real world. One of the many things that impressed me about this book, was that the author doesn't attempt to provide the reader with any easy answers to some very difficult questions. Upon finishing the book, you're left to think about them and hopefully come to some conclusions on your own. An impressive debut from a talented writer worth keeping an eye on both within the world of 'chick lit' and beyond.

Carrie Pilby is odd by her own admission, or perhaps the rest of the world is what is odd. At nineteen, she is a genius, dateless, unemployed, and while not agoraphobic, prefers not to leave her home. At her father's insistence, she sees a psychiatrist weekly, but is getting nowhere. The doctor gives her an assignment. She is to name things she loves, do things on the list, join something, celebrate New Year's, and go on a date.Carrie does her best to follow the assignment. She does join a church, though she suspects it might be a cult, does some things on the list, especially the sleeping part, and places a personal ad to get a date. It is not her fault that all the repliers are unsuitable. Her odyssey to get a date will lead her through several unfortunate meetings, a lesbian encounter, and a promising relationship with a man cheating on his fiance. Carrie learns a lot about herself and about life, and gives the reader her witty commentary in the process.***** Carrie is someone with whom everyone can identify, at least in part. She is so realistic, it can be scary at times. However, she is someone that you will want for your best friend, once you can get her to leave home to meet you. *****

I didn't know whether to expect a 'chick' read or the satire that the back of the book seemed to indicate but there a good helping of both...there are some really sharp observations from this recent-college-grad genius who is trying to figure out how to fit in with the real world and still maintain her beliefs. On one hand, there are modern allusions to everyday pop culture, and on the other, you will come across a literary quote or even Monty Python thrown in. I was impressed with the quality writing without it being overwrought or stuffy...it was a breezily-moving, fun story that seemed a step above. One great line I remember is (this might not be exact) is: "There's nothing like watching people get caught in the thick, coarse gossamer of their own hypocrisy." The dialogue is fun, and there are doses of romance AND suspense. It will probably come up in a few of my discussions this summer. If you remember what it was like to be young and think you knew everything you should get something out of this.

This book is extremely funny and fun to read, but it also made me think. I actually wrote down a few of the lines and told them to a friend, because there are many good quotable observations here about society. Carrie Pilby is a 19-year-old genius who graduated from Harvard last year. She has spent her life getting good grades and didn't socialize much with people her own age. Now she lives in New York and her psychologist gives her a list of goals, like going on a date and joining a club. She is very moral, though, and findsit hard to tolerate all the 'hypocrisy' among people in the city. (She also talks about all the hypocrisy there was back at college, and it really reminded me of some things from my own college days). She tries to understand religion, make friends, and get to know different types of people. Carrie starts off very judgemental, and after some funny adventures and foiled social outings, she slowly learns not to judge so much. A big dilemma is when she meets a guy she's attracted to but who is morally off limits. Should she be like everyone else and just have her fun?I think most people will get something out of it...maybe different things for different people. As a bonus, I also think I'll do a lot better at the "word origins" category on Jeopardy now! I laughed, but I learned some things, too. It gives you a lot to think about and talk about, especially the whole idea of 'fitting in' as Carrie's attempts to avoid changing in negative ways just to fit in with society. I also enjoyed the cast of characters.

Laden with comic wit and the pop-culture references that are standard of any New York-centric novel in this day and age, Carrie Pilby is the story of a nineteen-year-old genius who tries to come to terms with the hypocrisy and contradiction that is required of a civilized society. The novel begins with her explanation (or rather non-explanation) of a video purchase to a neighborhood clerk, and continues with Carrie's travels as she tries to execute a 5-point plan given to her by her therapist in an attempt to better understand the society that she is a part of.Mistakenly labeled as a romance novel, it crosses genres as it goes from comedy to drama to tragedy (and yes, there is some romance, but not as a focal point of the novel). Profanity is lightly used and several sexual situations are implied (but not outright described, so get your mind out of the gutter). This novel is the author Caren Lissner's first, and majestically displays her irregular wit. Shakespearean quotes and historical linguistic explanations go side-by-side with quotes from Monty Python, commercial catch-phrases, and use of the word "ebullient" (used twice in the novel at this writer's count). Her vivid explanations of the landscape and culture of New York serve to enhance Carrie's experiences and makes anybody wonder exactly how the author was able to research all the random trivia that is referenced. No doubt it involved many walks around town and a constant Internet connection (for research purposes, of course).In the span of just over 300 pages, the novel Carrie Pilby manages to penetrate the subconscious, latch onto the soul, and make any reader feel ebullient in the end.