I Shudder: And Other Reactions to Life, Death, and New Jersey Book

I don't quite know what to say about the book. I liked it, but didn't looooove it - but I'm hesitant to say that because I'm beginning to suspect that I simply don't "looooooove" any sort of memoir/collection of essays type of book, and I fear that my criticism is more one of genre than of the book itself. I chose this book partly because it's fun to make fun of New Jersey (even though they DO sell beer, wine, and liquor all in one store as opposed to Stupid Pennsylvania) and partly because I figured that it was bound to be funny since the author wrote the screenplay for the movie In & Out and I laughed a lot in it. The essays in the book fit a few different categories: (1) general wit and wisdom; (2) anecdotes about famous people and making movies and plays and stuff; and (3) what I presume are fiction vignettes from the "diary" of a character named Elyot Vionnet. In general, I loved the essays that fell into categories 1 and 3 and found myself skimming those in category 2.

There's no denying that Paul Rudnick is a funny dude, and his book makes me want to go back in time so I can participate in some of his escapades (most notably, I would like to attend the party his friend William threw at The Chelsea Hotel. I'd also like to meet William's sister Laura), but I'd also be content just to have a drink with the guy one day. Anyone who subsists on treats like Peeps is pretty ace in my book.