I Was Told There'd Be Cake

Wry, hilarious, and profoundly genuine, this debut collection of literary essays from Sloane Crosley is a celebration of fallibility and haplessness in all their glory.

From despoiling an exhibit at the Natural History Museum to provoking the ire of her first boss to siccing the cops on her mysterious neighbor, Crosley can do no right despite the best of intentions -- or perhaps because of them. Together, these essays create a startlingly funny and revealing portrait of a complex and utterly recognizable character who aims for the stars but hits the ceiling, and the inimitable city that has helped shape who she is. I Was Told There'd Be Cake introduces a strikingly original voice, chronicling the struggles and unexpected beauty of modern urban life.

Sloane Crosley is also the author of How Did You Get This Number.

Customer Reviews:

A writer worth watching

By M. Hood "Avid Reader" - May 7, 2008

I was drawn to this book because the pull quote on the cover said it was in the tradition of Sederis and Vowell. While I am glad I read it, it is not a must read. Crosley is talented but can be predictable and cliché. She lacks self-awareness. At the same time, she's terribly funny (she even pulls off mean funny), gutsy and admirably self-confident. She's best when she is honest and generous. I look forward to reading more of her work and watching her grow as a writer. As for this book, it would have benefitted from a tougher editor.

Um...not really that funny.

By Lisa Topal "Liza" - May 1, 2008

I feel mean sayin' it, but it's true. I was all excited about curling up with this read after reading great reviews. I jumped ship after about 30 pages. It's not David Sedaris. It's not anything remotely as funny or interesting or insightful. It reminds me of a girl who goes out with you and your work friends and tells embarrassing stories about herself, and you laugh/wince, cause you're a bit drunk, and then, the next day, you feel kinda bad for her, like she exposed too much, and that she kinda needed the attention, and you're kinda embarrassed for her, even though she isn't. I lived in NY for a long time and these people are all over the place. This is her book.

Mildly entertaining collection

By exiledcal - April 11, 2008

While the writing is pretty good, and this collection of essays has its moments of cleverness, overall it's not as funny (by no means would I call it "hilarious") or interesting as hyped. The essays suffer somewhat from a steeping in twentysomething self-absorption/middle-class angst, and don't qualify for inclusion in the same league as David Sedaris and Dorothy Parker, because they lack a certain edginess. The stardard white-girl fare (first job, mean boss; being in a wedding), is, at times, mildly entertaining, but not particularly memorable. Bottom line: it's okay.