Status
Available
Publication
St. Martin's Press (1990), Paperback, 278 pages
Description
Confessions of a Failed Southern Ladyis Florence King's classic memoir of her upbringing in an eccentric Southern family, told with all the uproarious wit and gusto that has made her one of the most admired writers in the country. Florence may have been a disappointment to her Granny, whose dream of rearing a Perfect Southern Lady would never be quite fulfilled. But after all, as Florence reminds us, "no matter which sex I went to bed with, I never smoked on the street."
User reviews
LibraryThing member blaiseastra
Florence King provides her readers with a hilarious and calculated look at the Southern culture she grew up in. I have read this book dozens of times--it never gets old--but I didn't truly appreciate it until I moved to Georgia. It's golden--read it.
LibraryThing member ocgreg34
With her Mama having turned out to be a tomboy rather than the Southern Lady dreamed of by her Granny, poor Florence finds herself in the unwanted role as the last hope to raised in the tradition of the Daughters, to be a real Southern Lady. To do so, Granny and her faithful friend Jensy, try to
As she gets older, Florence realizes the only way to escape the pressures of becoming what Granny wants is to go to a college far from home. She finds herself at Ole Miss. Which leads her to her first romance in college with a female professor. Thanks to this relationship and its outcome, Florence finds the strength to remain true to herself. She also learns what being a true Southern Lady means and how much her Granny, Jensy and even her Mama are more like that ideal than they believe.
"Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady" is a delight to read, an autobiography dusted with Southern charm. It's almost hard to believe the "characters" are real people: Granny Lura's determination to make a Lady of Florence (so that she can claim to be a Great Lady -- finally); her Mama, who thwarts Granny at every step of the road by being a chain-smoker, a tomboy and by holding down a job; her father Herb King, an Englishman who bartends and plays in a dance band, but acts more like the voice of reason for the entire family. The story offers some good insight into what it meant to come out in the 1950s South. Florence tries to rationalize her feelings and finally comes to terms with them when she meets Bres -- a professor at the University. She has to hide part of herself in public or face nasty phone calls and resentment. But Florence becomes a stronger woman and puts it into her book.
A great book that I highly recommend to everyone.
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steer Florence away from everything unladylike: education, holding down a job, keeping a clean household, ignoring doctors (because they don't know what they're talking about), fussing about the pains and misfortunes of others and how they relate to oneself. Florence is very reluctant to do so and thanks to her father Herb, her desire to learn keeps her from falling under the charms of her Granny's wishes. Much to Granny's disappointment.As she gets older, Florence realizes the only way to escape the pressures of becoming what Granny wants is to go to a college far from home. She finds herself at Ole Miss. Which leads her to her first romance in college with a female professor. Thanks to this relationship and its outcome, Florence finds the strength to remain true to herself. She also learns what being a true Southern Lady means and how much her Granny, Jensy and even her Mama are more like that ideal than they believe.
"Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady" is a delight to read, an autobiography dusted with Southern charm. It's almost hard to believe the "characters" are real people: Granny Lura's determination to make a Lady of Florence (so that she can claim to be a Great Lady -- finally); her Mama, who thwarts Granny at every step of the road by being a chain-smoker, a tomboy and by holding down a job; her father Herb King, an Englishman who bartends and plays in a dance band, but acts more like the voice of reason for the entire family. The story offers some good insight into what it meant to come out in the 1950s South. Florence tries to rationalize her feelings and finally comes to terms with them when she meets Bres -- a professor at the University. She has to hide part of herself in public or face nasty phone calls and resentment. But Florence becomes a stronger woman and puts it into her book.
A great book that I highly recommend to everyone.
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LibraryThing member isabelx
"Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady" must the funniest autobigraphy that I have ever read.
LibraryThing member satyridae
Often imitated, never yet surpassed. Hilarious and poignant reminiscences. King takes no prisoners while letting her fondness for her decidedly eccentric family shine through.
LibraryThing member paperloverevolution
I'm not sure what marketing genius decided to saddle this book with a pink floral cover. It's unfortunate and misleading.
Once I recommended this book to a soccer-mom type looking for something for her Southern Writers Book Club. I'm not sure what I was thinking. Possibly I was only remembering how
At any rate, I failed to mention the massive amounts of drinking, swearing, smoking, and sex (lesbian and otherwise), or the fact that Florence King pretty much loathes humanity. It was apparently a little much for the Southern Writers Book Club Ladies, who were, however, too polite to directly complain. They did let me know that they would NOT be taking my recommendations ever again. Alas.
Once I recommended this book to a soccer-mom type looking for something for her Southern Writers Book Club. I'm not sure what I was thinking. Possibly I was only remembering how
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hilarious this book is, and how I actually cry with laughing every time I read it (and I'm up to my tenth rereading at this point). Or maybe I remembered the inspirational coming-of-age aspects. I think the flowery cover is what put the finishing touches on my argument and sealed the deal. At any rate, I failed to mention the massive amounts of drinking, swearing, smoking, and sex (lesbian and otherwise), or the fact that Florence King pretty much loathes humanity. It was apparently a little much for the Southern Writers Book Club Ladies, who were, however, too polite to directly complain. They did let me know that they would NOT be taking my recommendations ever again. Alas.
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LibraryThing member hadden
Florence King wrote her stories of growing up in the south in the 1940s and 1950s, and problems of race, class, belonging, position, status, relationships, security and family desires for their children and grandchildren to be different and sometimes contradictory things. An especially touching
As usual, she has an observant and wicked eye for other people, rendering the most pretentious to simple stereotypes, and then surprisingly, showing them also to be fully three dimensional and caring people. Her ideas of race, sex, class and southernisms are very humorous, and the reader can see that she would have been a difficult girl to raise, even in a one-child family.
The last third of the book devotes itself to her challenging and sometimes tragic lesbianism interactions, but it is handled, most of the time, with humor and grace. All though the book, even if the reader does not agree with her, the writer is a good traveling companion, showing off interesting sites and people along the way, some good, some bad, some subjected to penetrating wit.
I was saddened to learn she died recently. That is a shame, since the world needs more people like Florence King. But then, not too many people like her. I don't think we could stand it. Indeed, Ah don't!
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book about a smart girl growing up in a society that did not appreciate or nurture smart women; one that expected their children to behave within social norms, when eccentricity was part of her upbringing; of life among the gentile poor.As usual, she has an observant and wicked eye for other people, rendering the most pretentious to simple stereotypes, and then surprisingly, showing them also to be fully three dimensional and caring people. Her ideas of race, sex, class and southernisms are very humorous, and the reader can see that she would have been a difficult girl to raise, even in a one-child family.
The last third of the book devotes itself to her challenging and sometimes tragic lesbianism interactions, but it is handled, most of the time, with humor and grace. All though the book, even if the reader does not agree with her, the writer is a good traveling companion, showing off interesting sites and people along the way, some good, some bad, some subjected to penetrating wit.
I was saddened to learn she died recently. That is a shame, since the world needs more people like Florence King. But then, not too many people like her. I don't think we could stand it. Indeed, Ah don't!
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LibraryThing member RoC
I'm not a big fan of biographies, auto or otherwise, but i love this one - possibly as I thought it was a novel the first few times I read it. The bit that always makes me go back to it is the american dating rules, but theres so many other things to it. Always makes me laugh.
LibraryThing member Matke
This drags just a bit at first, but when Florence starts college, the book really begins to roll. Lots and lots of fun and well worth a read.
LibraryThing member PitcherBooks
One of the funniest books I've ever read. And a bio, no less! Recommended & lent to me by a 90 y/o friend who made me swear never to reveal her name! God forbid one of her church friends should ever find out that she read & loved it too. A Southern Lit classic!
LibraryThing member wareagle78
Hmm. Interesting book about growing up Southern in the 1950's. Not quite as funny as I thought it would be (although it certainly had its moments), and I didn't know it got so into lesbianism in the last third. King's writing is wry and descriptive. Some of my favorite passages were descriptive,
It's worth reading, and I'm glad I finally did. But it just wasn't as funny as I thought it would be. I have a friend who has been dropping quotes from this book for years, but now I realize my friend is funnier than King!
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such as the explanation of the decor in the house Grandma inherits. The Ole Miss years are wonderful to read, with their broad dialect and on-target renderings of several of the Deep South college stereotypes of the day.It's worth reading, and I'm glad I finally did. But it just wasn't as funny as I thought it would be. I have a friend who has been dropping quotes from this book for years, but now I realize my friend is funnier than King!
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LibraryThing member Sandra_Berglund
I'm loathe to admit how much I enjoyed this, seeing that Southern humor is something I actively avoid. Somehow, though, King won me over. She manages to paint the lives of herself and those around her in a way that employs a certain element of caricature without becoming schtick or saccharine.
LibraryThing member DrLed
Synopsis: Florence King was the daughter of a woman who didn't fit into a mold. She held a job in a time when married women were supposed to be at home; she swore; she played baseball. Her father was a Brit who played in bands and worked as a bartender; when not working he read widely and
Review: This is a most entertaining book. The first and third portions have you laughing out loud; the middle third is a bit plodding but still enjoyable. So much of what she writes about is still true in the deep south to this day.
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extensively. Florence's grandmother made it her goal in life to make this child into a 'lady'. Florence lived through this rather schizophrenic parenting and tell about her life from childhood through a few years after college.Review: This is a most entertaining book. The first and third portions have you laughing out loud; the middle third is a bit plodding but still enjoyable. So much of what she writes about is still true in the deep south to this day.
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LibraryThing member Rdra1962
Fun, easy read, nothing I could really relate to, but certainly a good beach book.
LibraryThing member spiralsheep
100/2020. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll kiss Florence King's ass, goodbye! And if that's your type of humour then you'll enjoy this witty confessional memoir (although how much is strict historical truth is open to question):
"No matter which sex I went to bed with, I never smoked on the
(I recommend skipping the intro by Sandi Toksvig as it's an unedifying performance of trying to position a fave as The First Woman Who Did X by erasing all the other women who also did X, in this case apparently neither Dorothy Parker nor Mae West, for example, were ever truly funny writers. Sigh.)
"No matter which sex I went to bed with, I never smoked on the
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street."(I recommend skipping the intro by Sandi Toksvig as it's an unedifying performance of trying to position a fave as The First Woman Who Did X by erasing all the other women who also did X, in this case apparently neither Dorothy Parker nor Mae West, for example, were ever truly funny writers. Sigh.)
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LibraryThing member ShellyQ
I read such great reviews on this book, I was really looking forward to reading it...but it was a huge disappointment. I kept reading the book waiting for something to happen, but it never did. I also didn't like the way the author misspelled words to make it look like a southern
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conversation...very hard to figure out at times what the characters were even trying to say. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Original publication date
1985
Physical description
278 p.; 8.4 inches
ISBN
0312050631 / 9780312050634
Local notes
autobiography