Tickled Pink by Rita Rudner: The subtitle, “A Comic Novel,” should have been left off the cover. I was expecting a laugh-a-minute romp, which this is not. It’s the story of two girls who run away to New York to make a better life for themselves: Mindy the dancer-turned-comedian (more or less Rudner in disguise) and Ursula the ubergorgeous model. There is quite a bit of humor, mainly in the form of one-liners, most of which are likely far funnier on stage than in print. Most of the drama comes from misunderstandings and people not talking to each other, which is a pet peeve of mine when it comes to plot devices. The final few chapters felt forced, as if Rudner got stuck and decided she needed a disaster or two in order to wrap things up. It’s not a bad book, just not a very good one. I suppose die-hard fans of Rudner’s stand-up comedy may enjoy this (and indeed, her routines are pretty funny), but readers unfamiliar with her will probably want to pass this one by.
Also posted on BookCrossing.