Ali in Wonderland

And Other Tall Tales

By: Ali Wentworth

Narrated by: Ali Wentworth

Length: 5 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Growing up in a family of political journalists - and daughter of President Reagan’s White House social secretary - Ali Wentworth rebelled against her blue-blood upbringing, embracing Hollywood, motorcycles, even a few wildly inappropriate marriage proposals. Today she is an acclaimed comedic actress and writer, former Oprah regular, wife of political and media star George Stephanopoulos, and a mother who lets her two girls eat cotton candy before bed. Though she’s settled down, her rebellious nature thrives in her comedy and her view of her crazy world.

In this addictively funny and warm memoir, she takes us through the looking glass and into the wonderland of her life, from a childhood among Washington’s elite to a stint in the psych ward they called a New England prep school; days doing L.A. sketch comedy (with then-aspiring artists Will Ferrell and Lisa Kudrow) to a series of spectacularly failed loves (that eventually led her to Mr. Right). Constant throughout is her mother, Muffie - a flawlessly elegant yet firm, no-nonsense force of nature and pure WASP convictions.

As charming and off-the-wall as Ali herself, Ali in Wonderland is an entertaining look at life that is both intimate and hilarious.

©2012 Trout the Dog Productions, Inc. (P)2012 HarperCollinsPublishers

Critic reviews

“Wentworth is amusing and frank, often frenetic, with sharp intelligence underneath the sassy wackiness; passages about her struggle with depression, falling in love with her husband, and her daughter’s baptism have funny moments, but they’re thoughtful and touching, too…. Highly entertaining memoir.” ( Publishers Weekly)

“Ali Wentworth is funny and warm and crazy all at once. Like Barbara Eden. But on something. Like crystal meth.” (Alec Baldwin)

“[A] satirical dissection of class and privilege….A smart, often-funny memoir.” ( Kirkus Reviews)

Funny

Enjoyable read by a nxdand interesting details of her life and marriage to George and Greek weddings

Exhausting.

I watched an interview with Ali Wentworth and it was hilarious. So I picked up her book. I definitely regret it. It tries too hard to be clever, to use as many silly comparisons and words as it can, and I only listened for about twenty minutes before I couldn’t take it anymore. There was no true theme or story that I could find, just trying to humble brag about all the famous people she knew while still poor and trying to make it in Hollywood or wherever she was. The entire narrative was jumbled and lost me.

Loved It!

Ali Wentworth does such an entertaining job reading her own book (which isn't often the case). This is a light, funny and highly listenable book that kept me at my jeweler's table for the whole 5 and a half hours that it lasted and I really, really hope she writes another. Miss Wentworth's growing up in no way resembled mine ("If anything goes wrong , go to the Four Seasons", is her mother Muffy's fix all advice) but that's the point of a book. I want to live in someone else's shoes for a couple of hours. Thanks for lending me yours Ali!

It's alright, sort of entertaining.

It's sort of entertaining but did not meet my expectations. It's very "me, myself and I".
There were some funny anecdotes but most of them are universal in nature. It's not as unique and not as funny. I'll say, just enjoy it for the sake of listening.

Very enjoyable!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. It is stories of kids growing up and things all kids do!

What did you like best about this story?

It makes me laugh

Have you listened to any of Ali Wentworth’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

laugh

Any additional comments?

I've seen her on TV and she is a very funny woman. I love her sense of humor.

Loved it!

Would you listen to Ali in Wonderland again? Why?

Yes, I'd love to hear an update on what she has been doing and thinking.

Love it.

What made the experience of listening to Ali in Wonderland the most enjoyable?

I always liked Ali Wentworth, but now I like her even more. She is funny and honest about her life. I would love to have a bottle of wine with her.

Wanted a little more, but overall likeable

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Probably not. If you want a funny story about someone who talks to you like a friend - buy Kathy Griffin's book instead

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I don;t know what I was expecting (maybe this was the problem). It had a few laugh out loud spots, but not as many as I desired

What three words best describe Ali Wentworth’s voice?

Declarative, clear, upbeat. I actually think it would have been better with a llitle more variety (not the same tone the whole time).

Was Ali in Wonderland worth the listening time?

Kind of - I did enjoy how Ali spoke about her Mom though - great voice when she spoke as her Mom

Enjoyed this audio while icing my blephroplasty

Very engaging. This audio book did help me keep ice packs (crushed ice filled pampers) on my post surgical eyelids for 48 hrs. I wish Ali's surgeon had directed her to ice yielding less swelling and faster recovery.

Mildly Entertaining

What did you like best about Ali in Wonderland? What did you like least?

Best - she had some funny moments and I liked hearing about her experiences in Los Angeles in the entertainment industry. Least - the narrative kind of went all over the place with little glimpses into certain times of her life but not in any kind of order.

Would you ever listen to anything by Ali Wentworth again?

Possibly

Have you listened to any of Ali Wentworth’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No