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Pretty in Plaid: A Life, a Witch, and a Wardrobe, or, the Wonder Years Before the Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smart-Ass Phase Hardcover – May 5, 2009

4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 268 ratings

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The newest memoir from the New York Times best-selling author of Such a Pretty Fat offers an humorous, inside look at the scribe's childhood. Original.
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Funny girl Lancaster has crafted a successful career by honing the breezy, bloggy style she first exhibited in Bitter is the New Black; her latest, in part a backhand to the resurgent 80s fashion trends, is sure hit resonant, hysterical notes for anyone who came of age in the era of the Preppy Handbook. Authorial voice is at the heart of Lancaster's charm, and she chronicles her early 20s-blunders from fashion and finances to academics and retail jobs-with a candor that few will be able to resist. Lancaster confesses to a fascination with plastic (the material, not the credit card), gloating over her impressive new Liz Claiborne bags, and difficulty finding faithful friends, even (especially) in her Greek affiliations ("Even though I read Seventeen and Glamour every month, I'm already thought of as the Jean Jacket Jackass in my rush group"). Falling somewhere between David Sedaris and Laurie Notaro, Lancaster's goofy charm will no doubt continue to win fans, as well as influence the next generation of sardonic, winning, self-effacing memoirists.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Jen Lancaster is a former vice president at an investor relations firm.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ NAL Hardcover; 1st edition (May 5, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 365 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0451226801
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0451226808
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.45 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.48 x 1.3 x 9.28 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 268 ratings

About the author

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Jen Lancaster
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Jen Lancaster is a New York Times bestselling author who has sold well over a million books. From Bitter Is the New Black to The Tao of Martha, Jen has made a career out of documenting her attempts to shape up, grow up, and have it all - sometimes with disastrous results. Her NYT bestselling novel Here I Go Again received three starred reviews (Kirkus, Booklist, Publishers Weekly). Her memoir I Regret Nothing was named an Amazon Best Book of the Year, and she's regularly a finalist in the Goodreads Choice Awards. She loves bad TV, terrible wine, and will die before she gives up her Oxford comma.

Jen can often be seen on The Today Show, as well as CBS This Morning, Fox News, NPR All Things Considered, among others. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and her many ill-behaved dogs and cats. Visit her website: jenlancaster.com, Twitter: @altgeldshrugged, Instagram: @jennsylvania, or Facebook.com/authorjenlancaster.

Hear the stories behind Jen's books on The Stories We'd Tell in Bars podcast, available on iTunes, Podbean, Spreaker, GooglePlay, and iHeartRadio, among other entities.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
268 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book humorous and lighthearted. They describe it as an easy read that provides pure entertainment. The author's relatable style and stories make readers smile and laugh out loud.

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39 customers mention "Humor"39 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor. They find it entertaining, with witty and preppy writing style that makes them laugh out loud. The memoir keeps readers entertained on long drives with its sarcastic humor.

"...I'm always sad when her books come to an end. It's nice to escape everyday life and get a sneak peak into someone else's dysfunction for a moment...." Read more

"...This book is a nice walk.... jog... no, it's a stumble through Jen's childhood into teen angst and many years of college..." Read more

"...through a book and want more when your done, then this is a book you need to read!" Read more

"...Some of the comments take me back in a flash, and they're fun memories. And yet, she's much younger than I am...." Read more

8 customers mention "Readability"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and entertaining. They say it's a light summer read.

"...If you're looking for light summer reading that's pure entertainment, this is the book for you." Read more

"...It was an easy read , one that you could take to the beach or on vacation," Read more

"...the humor and whit in all her books thus far b/c they are such a easy read - this one is no different!" Read more

"I just love Jen Lancaster. I love her easy to read style and her honesty. I always look forward to reading one of her books during summer break." Read more

5 customers mention "Pacing"5 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's pacing and find the characters relatable. They describe the woman as smart, witty, and preppy. The stories have a personal connection for readers.

"Okay let me just start by saying this woman is my soul mate ( not in a creepy stalker way). She makes me smile and have good hard belly laughs...." Read more

"...I was you" with "I am SO glad I am not you" in a way that is relatable to everyone...." Read more

"...outfits that she's worn (and loved) over the years and a story attached to each one. I can't wait to read more Lancater books" Read more

"Very relate-able" Read more

3 customers mention "Plaid"3 positive0 negative

Customers like the plaid cover.

"Pretty In Plaid-A Memior..." Read more

"Pretty in Plaid..." Read more

"Pretty in Plaid..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2016
    Okay let me just start by saying this woman is my soul mate ( not in a creepy stalker way). She makes me smile and have good hard belly laughs. Much like me, her filter is on the fritz. I appreciate her genuineness. I don't care what others say, Jen Lancaster you are my savior!!
    This book will make you LOL throughout each chapter. I'm always sad when her books come to an end. It's nice to escape everyday life and get a sneak peak into someone else's dysfunction for a moment. Pretty in Plaid may be my absolute favorite and I've read all her work. Thank you for putting the F U in FUN!!!!!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2010
    Having been in a reading slump after weeks of books that just could not catch my interest or were so badly written, so depressing, so off-putting I was using them as kindling in the fireplace, I remembered Jen Lancaster had put out Pretty in Plaid. Normally I shy from "pre-quels" as they are never as good as the original stories you fell in love with - can we say Star Wars? I finished a book for the first time in 3 weeks and ENJOYED IT!!! Yea me - yea Jen! Wonder if this is what guys with the little blue pill feel like? Sorry.... I digress.

    This book is a nice walk.... jog... no, it's a stumble through Jen's childhood into teen angst and many years of college (really Jen? how many years? Party much? LOL) as she finds her way to the book where we all made her acquaintence for the first time. If you are from the generation before Jen's or the one after ours, then you probably won't care for her story or her voice much. However, for those of us born in the early '70's (or so) Mrs. Lancaster's journey rings true on many levels, for many reasons. Not the least of which is the burning need to fit into a size 6 Jordache jeans with no panty lines and making our mothers understand that spending the same for a pair of said jeans as she spent on two week's worth of groceries was not unreasonable. Her European trip as a junior was a SCREAM! Oh and thank you for reminding me of the awful first car - the Toyota Tercel and it's evil GM twin, the Geo Prizm. I love that we now have a glimpse of the real reasons Jen is who she is.

    Granted, parts of this book aren't quite as funny as her previous efforts and in fact there are sections that do feel rushed and stretched, but heck, no author is perfect and when you have multiple books out, there will always been one that isn't as good as the rest. Hopefully her next one will be focused again on the present which is where her current observations on life and people are their snarkiest and thus funniest.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2009
    I have read everyone of her books. From one smart ass to another, Jen Lancaster gets better every book she writes. I can just only hope she will keep us wondering what she will bluntly say next. But, I will bluntly say this, "if you can't appreciate her wittiness or her rudeness then you are probably one of the dumb ass people she has encountered in her life that she has wrote about!" If you want to laugh all the way through a book and want more when your done, then this is a book you need to read!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2009
    i've read all of Jen's books. at first, her ego-centricity was charming...but it's a one-trick premise. fortunately, her writing is strong enough to over-compensate for what ultimate can encroach into whiny.

    Although amazingly charismatic, after four books, I'm increaingly convinced that she's best taken in short doses. I'd love to have drinks with her...but anything more and I'd want to smack the snot out of her (figuratively - not literally). Her husband is either completely oblivious or an absolute saint.

    For maximum enjoyment, take her books one at a time. Back to back, charming gets a bit grating. Her books (particuarly the first) would make great movies - why hasn't that been picked up on yet?

    One aspect that I particular love about her books are her generous use of footnotes. One warning though...it doesn't work very well in Kindle format.
    9 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2010
    I've read Jen's books out of order, but it doesn't really matter. After the first one you start to feel that you know her and the members of her family. Wish I had
    known her in junior high and high school. Some of the comments take me back in a flash, and they're fun memories. And yet, she's much younger than I am.
    I think she's an alter-ego for me -- someone that I wish I could be at times.
    Don't just read one -- get them all.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2009
    I hesitated in buying this book thinking that going back to Jen's childhood could not be nearly as Snarky and hillarious as doing such adult things as pretending you have a homeowner's association and that you are the president. I saw that other readers didn't love this one as much, so that made me hesitate too. Boy, was I wrong and I'm so glad I read it.

    I found this book delightful and HILLARIOUS! Now, that could be because I think Jen and I are about the same age, with a very practical, middle class up-bringing, therefore have we have many of the same experiences and perspectives. If you are a child of the 70's & 80s and remember Kristy McNichol, Jordache Jeans, Polo shirts and Michael Jackson, you may relate too. She walks readers through her real first job and how she though she was RICH! Didn't we all? When you hit the 20k's in salary.. woo hoo!! until you have to pay rent and a car payment. Then the first time you heard people talking about "Their Lewie" - not know ing it wasn't a dog or an uncle, but a Louis (As in Louis Vuitton).

    Jen feels like a Facebook friend I don't personally know very well, but because I read her posts and see her photos, I feel like we are BFFs. I think this book is worth the read. Just be prepared to remember who you were at that time. The entertainment lies not only in Jen's story, but who the reader was at that time in their own history.
    27 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Danielle Sterling
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on April 4, 2017
    Good
  • Kat
    4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty in Plaid is pretty good
    Reviewed in Germany on July 6, 2010
    Genau wie in ihren drei vorangegangenen Büchern schreibt Jen Lancaster in gewohnt originellem Stil. Vor dem Kauf des Buches war ich skeptisch, ob dieses Buch, welches zeitlich vor Bitter is the New Black, Bright Lights, Big Ass und Such a Pretty Fat angesiedelt ist und von Jens Kindheit und Jugendjahren handelnd, genauso komisch und interessant sein könnte wie ihre Vorgänger. Die Antwort lautet ja.
    Zudem ein herrlicher "trip down memory lane" für all diejenigen, die in den 70er und 80er Jahren aufgewachsen sind. A fun and easy read.
  • Tutu and a T-Shirt
    5.0 out of 5 stars Laughed so much it hurt!!!!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 21, 2009
    Jen Lancaster has done it again with another fantastic book! This time she reflects back on her childhood !!!! I love every book she has written so far and I can not wait for the next one. I hope one day she will do a book tour in London as I am sure so many others would as well!!!!
    I suggest to anyone to read all her books if you need to laugh out loud !!!!
  • EYE TC
    5.0 out of 5 stars Awesomeness
    Reviewed in Canada on January 2, 2016
    Great Book and seller.