Strident and larger than life bitch-fest about the author's life as a handbag (not purse!) salesman for an unnamed dept store in Burbank. Some of the customer descriptions were funny as hell, but there was way too much about the other sales people and this book seemed to go on forever. Also, I didn't get why he was still working there if he hated it SO much and the salary was lousy. I just wanted to grab him and yell, "Hey! QUIT already!"

I was hoping to read more about how he went off on nasty customers, but he was forced to be nice to them and took out his anger in writing. Not as entertaining to me. ( )

A friend provided me with Mr. Freeman Hall's first memoir, "Retail Hell" and thought it was outstanding and really funny. In that memoir Mr. Hall describes working in retail as a handbag salesman at the so-called 'Big Fancy' department store. He never divulges what the store's real name is but I loved trying to figure it out based on descriptions that he provided. In his follow-up to that memoir we have Mr. Hall returning to work at 'The Big Fancy' after his attempts to find success as a screenwriter falls through. Returning to the devil he knows is easier for him but definitely not more palatable.

First off Mr. Hall writes in a crisp hilarious manner that really reminds of Ms. Jennifer Lancaster in her accounts of her life dealing with being jobless for two years in her memoir. Mr. Hall has stories to tell and proceeds to let readers know what really goes on in retail. Frankly I was shocked to find out that when I return something it directly impacts the staff who checked me out that day commission. Stupidly I assumed that when I returned something it was no harm no foul. Mr. Freeman manages to let us know about how little those in retail make and how you are just a slave to sell, sell, sell and be nice to extremely nasty customers who are crazy and or thieves (sometimes both).

The only reason why I didn't rate this memoir 5 stars was because I really didn't care for the sections of the memoir where Mr. Freeman writes faux screenplays with customers or co-workers taking part. I know it was supposed to be funny but I found myself getting bored and thought it slowed down the momentum of the memoir as a whole. Other than that I really did find this funny and look forward to subsequent memoirs by Mr. Hall about his life as a handbag salesman at 'The Big Fancy.' ( )

I wasn't sure about this book. I loved Freeman and Big Fancy when I read his first book but in the case of memoirs/blog books, all too often a second book = one book too many. Luckily, that wasn't at all the case with his return to Big Fancy.
I think what made it funny was, Cammie and Satan aside, a fresh set of antics with a fresh set of colleagues. I keep reading custys as crustys, and that's a name that I think applies well to some that they dealt with. Beware of Sharks, NATs and Discount Rats.
Down side of this? Had Reba's "Fancy" in my head the whole time I was reading. A fun, light read. ( )