I Was Told There'd Be Cake

By: Sloane Crosley

Narrated by: Sloane Crosley

Wry, hilarious, and profoundly genuine, this debut collection of literary essays 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 that's aiming 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.

©2008 Sloane Crosley (P)2008 Penguin Audiobooks

Critic reviews

“Sloane Crosley is another mordant and mercurial wit from the realm of Sedaris and Vowell. What makes her so funny is that she seems to be telling the truth, helplessly." (Jonathan Lethem)

Meh

I just couldn’t sit through all the short stories. The endings left me feeling like something was missing.

Less-funny Chelsea Handler

Kinda funny, but really not all that thoughtful. Sloane Crosley has a really similar style to Chelsea handler, but isn't nearly as funny.

Tease

This book started as very interesting with the ponies essay. I thought the perspective was good, and had a good amount of clever insights... but the majority are real bombs that bored at work i can't sit through.

Loved this book

So many relatable stories. So funny. The style reminds me of David Sedaris - if he were younger and female.

So self-involved

Any additional comments?

I am a big This American Life fan, and ended up finding this audiobook because Sloane Crosley and David Rakoff (whose work I love) did a Thalia Book Club event together. Crosley is much younger that Rakoff and it really shows. The tone of this book aims for self-deprecating but ends up at self-involved. I grew up in the suburbs and have spent some time living in New York, so you would think I would relate to Sloane, but I can't. The character she builds in this book is so shallow it's kind of hard to listen to. That being said, they are some extremely funny passages.

Blithely Witty and Charming

The essay seems to be enjoying a resurgence these days with such luminaries as David Sedaris, Sarah Vowell and (the now late) David Rakoff. These authors are trend-setters in their own right, mixing personal revelation with the ability to turn a brilliant phrase and a keen sense of social perception. Enter Sloane Crosley to that growing congress of writers. She is a genuinely funny writer of the dysfunctional and unapologetically self-deprecating variety. While she never goes too far and always remains apropos, no subject seems too private or sacred for her to share it with us. And there is always a point, even in the longest of the essays, and the thrilling part of encountering her writing was discovering how she eventually manages to tie everything together in a way that never feels forced or artificial. These are the kinds of stories you might hear from a friend over coffee or drinks, because there are some writers who have a writer's voice. Sloane falls into the conversational category, which is what makes her voice so engaging and approachable, from the first essay to the last. The most mundane detail may end up being the pinnacle of the story, and she makes you want to hear it through to the end to see how she's going to resolve it. This is the mark of a great writer: who wins you over with her ability to communicate honestly and movingly.

Funny, self-deprecating, & relatable essays

I was already a fan of her writing but Sloane maybe be the perfect reader for her own work. these essays are funny, self-deprecating, & relatable.

I Loved This Book!

This book was a fun listen, I think that this author is sooooo funny I can't wait for her next book.

witty essays and amusing thoughts to ponder

I really enjoyed it. kept my mind occupied during appointments like the dentist and acupuncturists.

i was told this would be funny

While Sloane Crosley has some moments of bright, shiny humor throughout I was Told There'd Be Cake, mostly the whole book falls flat. I kept waiting for the zinger around the corner but was regularly disappointed. Sloane describing her family's deep av ersion to open flame gave me hope that the rest of the book would be weird and silly. She is a good and capable reader of her own work and i suspect this is what saved much of the book. Overall i found it to be a bit whiny and predictable to listen to a woman of some privilege try and make her story unusual.