Write your own review!
Joan R. (Chicago, IL)
(07/05/13)
A Wonderful Blend of Laughter and Poignancy
This is a terrific book and I urge everyone to read it. While Willett nicely skewers the publishing world with a cast of characters and adventures certain to make you laugh out loud, she also adds very poignant moments from Amy's life, both past and present. Willett's description of Alphonse the bassett hound barking at ants in the moonlight brought me to tears. I have discovered an amazing author and look forward to reading more from her.
Lisa E. (Cincinnati, OH)
(07/01/13)
The Writing Life
I loved this book! Jincy Willett's Amy is a writer of short stories who had not published in years, and she is both endearing and infuriating. This novel discusses her truly funny adventures in the new world of blogging, NPR talk shows, and author promotion.
Dorothy L. (Manalapan, NJ)
(06/30/13)
A Change of Pace
I took this book with me to read on vacation. I am a writer myself so I was looking forward to having the protagonist a writer. Amy is fun, very intelligent and definitely quirky. The book made me smile often and I enjoyed the ironies throughout. It was a view into the pseudo intellectual literary circuit and the honesty of the main character as well as the instant celebrity acquired on the internet for anything the slightest bit unique. We have at the beginning an author who is being interviewed in one of these "where are they now?" segments and ironically because she is not herself and interviewing with a concussion she suddenly becomes an instant celebrity. I enjoyed the book but found Amy somewhat limited as a character because she is either writing or caring for her dog most of the time. We should know more about her. While I enjoyed most of the book (I did find it repetitive and tiresome in places), I'm not sure it's for mass market readership even though most readers on here enjoyed it. I liked it but wouldn't be interested in recommending it to my book club because I think it is more limited in scope that her earlier book on the writing life.
Lori L. (La Porte, IN)
(06/27/13)
"Compelling"
Amy Gallup is a reclusive curmudgeon of a former writer who now makes her living teaching on-line writing classes and very much enjoys her solitary life. When she falls and hits her head on the birdbath in her yard, as they say, "hi-jinx ensue". In the aftermath of the fall, a likely concussed Amy gives an interview that thrusts her into the world of Internet celebrity, to both her horror and amusement. This book is funny, yet poignant, as Amy realizes that she does in fact wish to know and be known. For lovers of reading and writing, social satire and wicked wordplay.
Mary R. (San Jose, CA)
(06/27/13)
Amy Falls Down and Finally Gets Up
The dead-pan hilarity of everyday quirks and phobias in "Amy Falls Down" is reminiscent of David Sedaris. There is a bit of Amy in all of us, which is exactly what makes this book so hard to put down. We see ourselves mirrored back – all of our insecurities, fears, tragedies, and obsessions. But they become morphed into something less sinister, something that can be examined, embraced and finally released. This book is a reminder that we are all amazing, in spite of ourselves.
Priscilla M. (Houston, TX)
(06/26/13)
Great Fun to Read!
It started with an accidental fall that may or may not have caused a minor concussion. What it did cause was a lifestyle change. Amy is a grumpy curmudgeon, a writer who now makes a living teaching online writing classes. The fall puts into action a change of events that move her from the life of a semi-recluse into a whirlwind of public appearances and a steady stream of new stories. The writing is crisp, brisk, and unfailingly funny. Amy's adventures are told with sardonic humor and a wonderful understanding of human nature. I had a great time reading this and plan to read the first book by this author to learn more about Amy and the world she lives in.
Erin G. (Dulles, VA)
(06/25/13)
Hilarious and deeply moving
I loved this book. Amy Gallup is an unforgettable character, so sympathetic and full of life despite her anti-social tendencies. Her dry wit had me laughing out loud, yet this novel also had moments of truly poignant grief and love and loss. Dare I use the word compelling? Amy would not approve.
Christie K. (Hobbs, NM)
(06/23/13)
Funny!
Yes, the book was humorous in many places throughout. But that's about all I received from this novel. I believe the story got lost in all the extra adverbs and phrases...and the seemingly trying too hard to entertain the reader. I would have loved to get to the heart of Amy's story more...a good mixture of humor with seriousness. If I could have seen the human side of Amy, the one more serious about her health and her writing career, etc...then I think the humor would have been even funnier and I WOULD HAVE gotten a good story out of it. Let's have a mixture of humor and seriousness. My opinion...too much humor is distracting and too abstract. I got tired after awhile of reading all the jokes. On the other hand, a light hearted read for those who enjoy these kinds of books.