Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Search - The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club: True Tales from a Magnificent and Clumsy Life

The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club: True Tales from a Magnificent and Clumsy Life
The Idiot Girls' ActionAdventure Club True Tales from a Magnificent and Clumsy Life
Author: Laurie Notaro
"I've changed a bit since high school. Back then I said no to using and selling drugs. I washed on a normal basis and still had good credit." — Introducing Laurie Notaro, the leader of the Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club. Every day she fearlessly rises from bed to defeat the evil machinations of dolts, dimwits, and creepy boyfriends?and that's...  more »
Info icon
ISBN-13: 9780375760914
ISBN-10: 0375760911
Publication Date: 7/2/2002
Pages: 240
Rating:
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 467

3.8 stars, based on 467 ratings
Publisher: Villard
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Audio CD
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

luluinphilly avatar reviewed The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club: True Tales from a Magnificent and Clumsy Life on + 367 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 21
Simply put ... HATED IT. All in caps. That's right, I said it! Laurie was trying too hard to be funny. After two chapters, I stopped reading. There was nothing entertaining about this book. And when you start off a book, try not to start it off with a frustrating character. Yucks all around.
reviewed The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club: True Tales from a Magnificent and Clumsy Life on + 43 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 20
Luckily, I got this book free from a friend, but, unfortunately, I can't get back the hours of my life it took to read it. It's a series of columns, which are really rants, by this woman who no one in their right mind would want to be friends with. Her sole goal in life seems to be to get "Stinkin' Drunk," of which she details the 12 levels. I guess if you never experienced your 20's or never had a gross, obnoxious, cynical friend who smoked and hated the "pretty girls," then maybe you'll enjoy this book. Everyone else, steer clear.
reviewed The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club: True Tales from a Magnificent and Clumsy Life on + 84 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 14
I swapped for this book because of all the raves reviews, but I just did not find it very entertaining. Almost every story seems to involve being drunk and doing stupid things. I did not get that from reading all of the other reviews and that is not something I generally find funny, so I was quite disappointed. Laurie Notaro is a good writer and I like her style and her non-drinking related essays, but the book was a bit much for me.
hoopridge avatar reviewed The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club: True Tales from a Magnificent and Clumsy Life on + 252 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 12
The saddest part of this book was that I could see my college self in many of the situations described in these essays. I made many poor choices, as Laurie does, I was never considered the "pretty girl," just like Laurie, and I did many of the same dumb things while drinking that she did. The good news is, I grew up. Thankfully, it takes Laurie a bit longer to do that, which makes for some pretty dang funny reading. Others have dissed the book for being too silly or juvenile...that is its charm. I found this book funny and light, easy to pick up and put down.
VeganFreak avatar reviewed The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club: True Tales from a Magnificent and Clumsy Life on
Helpful Score: 5
Light and funny compilation of short, article length anecdotes. Probably funnier if, like me, you could be a club member.

Many of her adventures are alcohol induced and the stories are from the point of view of a twenty-something, outcast, who lacks direction. It wasn't the funniest book I've read this year, but it was good enough to make me interested in reading her other books.
Read All 87 Book Reviews of "The Idiot Girls ActionAdventure Club True Tales from a Magnificent and Clumsy Life"

Please Log in to Rate these Book Reviews

portabellopig avatar reviewed The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club: True Tales from a Magnificent and Clumsy Life on + 40 more book reviews
After all the hype and friends' recommendations, I figured I would adore this book - the dry sense of humor, self depreciating jokes and slightly off-color topics sounded right up my alley. What I ended up reading was a thinly-veiled diary of a self hating, chain smoking (current? previous?) alcoholic, filled with a lot of "You Had To Be There" stories.

Notaro's most successful when reminiscing about her family, but even those you can't count on 100%. You can tell the effort was there when this was being written, the product just falls way short and reveals how hard she had to try to be funny. I'll stick with Sloane Crosley from here on out.
tamugirl avatar reviewed The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club: True Tales from a Magnificent and Clumsy Life on
I was looking forward to this book as I had heard such great things about the author. Unfortunately, I could not even finish reading. I read about the first 5 or 6 chapters before I decided I had wasted enough time. The humor seemed contrived and juvenile. This just didn't work for me.
reviewed The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club: True Tales from a Magnificent and Clumsy Life on
As always, Laurie Notaro has me smiling, smirking and laughing out loud.


Genres: