How to be Famous
The laugh-out-loud Richard & Judy Book Club bestseller
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4.6 • 9 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
The Sunday Times bestselling Richard & Judy Book Club favourite
'Being Moran, the jokes and one-liners fizz and crackle off the page' Richard's Review
'As usual, Moran writes fearlessly, openly, honestly and incredibly funnily about sex - especially bad sex' Judy's Review
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I'm Johanna Morrigan. It's 1995. I'm nineteen and I live in the epicentre of Britpop. Parklife!
My unrequited love, John Kite, is busy with a Number One album, world-tour, drugs, and a nervous breakdown.
So, I've started hanging out with hot young comedian Jerry Sharp. Big mistake.
"He's a vampire," my friend Suzanne warns. "One of those men who destroys bright young girls. Also, he's a total dick."
Unfortunately, I've already had sex with him. Bad sex. And now, I'm one of the girls he is trying to destroy.
I know I have to stop him. But how does one girl fight a famous, powerful man?
A novel about friendship, feminism and finding your place in the world.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Moran's rollicking second novel (after How to Build a Girl) characteristically combines nonstop witticisms with razor-sharp, pointed, and timely cultural critique. Johanna Morrigan (pen name Dolly Wilde) is making her way at 19 in mid-'90s London writing for a music magazine and intent on cultural and sexual adventure. As her ambition and wit propel her further into the world of celebrity in the age of Britpop, she encounters unexpected triumphs, but also challenges: workplace harassment; sexual imbalances of power; and the outsized role of gender in art and criticism, fame and fandom. Moran's depiction of London is detailed and exuberant, and a convincing backdrop for her unflinching exploration of these issues (though the language used to describe them sometimes seems anachronistically plucked straight from 2018 and #MeToo). Better still, her characters are madcap and lovable but nuanced enough to feel real: Dolly's friend Suzanne is strident and wise but also self-centered and irresponsible; her family is loyal but dysfunctional; and her true but unrequited love, John Kite, is a sweet and genuine musical talent who poorly manages his newfound fame. With Dolly, Moran has created an excellent heroine that readers will enjoy spending a summer day with.
