Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated

I love this book ! I was actually bummed when I came to the end of it because I wanted to read more . Reading it I could actually hear her voice in each word . She does go into great detail about her time on LHOTP and it was so refreshing to read that she values her experience and how much it meant to her . She’s very funny in her descriptions too, so it’s a very good read . Highly recommend !

I absolutely enjoyed reading Alison Arngrim's memoir. It is funny, relatable, and moving. I can no longer hate on Memoir Oleson. She is a Prairie survivor! Ms. Arngrim is a joy to read. Someone I would definitely like to meet in person. Her activism and compassion are incredible. A great read!!!!

This is not a review of the "book" itself,which is excellent. We LOVE Alison!This is a review of the Audiobook CD media. I received a CD in perfect condition with NO FLAWS.HOWEVER, whoever mastered the mp3s on the CD cut off Alison's reading mid sentence on the 5th file in the series! I have yet to hear the rest of the CD, but wanted to report this oversight before I forget where it was. I do not know if Blackstone Publishing has discovered or corrected this issue yet, But I have contacted them about his so they have an opportunity to fix it.

Nellie Olson was my favorite character on the "Little House on the Prairie" TV show, and I quit watching it when she left the series. This biography of Alison Arngrim is so well written I couldn't put it down until I reached the end. What an amazing woman.

Alison is funny, sarcastic, poignant, and above all truthful. She doesn't sugar coat anything but neither does she wallow. The biggest thing I've learned is that she makes a hell of a friend and fighter. This is a must read.

While I watched Little House a few times as a kid, I didn't become a big fan until recently when I re-read the books from childhood and bought the boxed set when it was on sale at B&N. As a child, Nellie scared the daylights out of me - mostly because I was bullied a lot in school and she reminded me of those mean girls. As an adult, I kind of loved her brazen bitchy style. While she was annoying, she was pretty damn smart. I did like how she grew up though and was sad to see her leave the show (but was thrilled when she came back for visits).Since I read "Prairie Tale" Amazon suggested that I may want to preorder Confessions of a Prairie Bitch... and I did, immediately. It sounded like a much more enjoyable read than the former book. While I liked Prairie Tale okay I didn't relate much to Melissa at all. I didn't grow up rich. I didn't have a seemingly great family. I didn't drink until I was 21. I never rebelled. So while her story was interesting to me, I couldn't really relate. It was also told in more of a dramatic sad fashion, than in the dark-humor fashion that I greatly prefer and understand.I got Confessions the day it was release and it killed me to have to finish my book I was reading before I could delve into it (I'm anal like that). I kept looking at the cover just KNOWING a great story lied beneath it's pink pop art cover. While you can't always judge a book by its cover, this one is exactly what its cover depicts - sassy, spunky, edgy and hilarious.While I didn't have a gay father, I had a similar abusive relationship with my older brother so from the early stages of this book I felt like Alison was a kindred spirit. It's rare to meet someone that has and appreciates dark humor and isn't weirded out by it. I'm also a Daddy's girl and am proud to this day when people tell me that I remind them of him in looks and wit. While I was never an actor (well unless you count the local theater!) I could really relate to a lot of Alison's stories and life. Even if I couldn't, I know that I would still enjoy this book so much more than the other prairie tales because it plays it real.If you are looking for a backstory on some of the antics on the Little House set they are here in abundance. Alison tells the truth about everything and doesn't sugar coat a thing, including just what was beneath Charles' trousers and what Melissa Sue was really like. If you are just looking for a fun memoir to read, look no further. This book is a great read, even for the non-LHOP fan!Beyond Little House, Alison delves into what became her life's work afterwards beyond her stand-up routine, her fight for AIDS rights and for [...]. I honestly had no idea such a law existed to protect relatives of abuse victims and am aghast that such a law even EXISTS in this time and day! I plan on signing up immediately and I hope that you do as well (especially after reading her novel).The bottom line is that it's easy to take a life of sadness and heartache and turn it into a lifelong sorrow. I hear all too often "woe is me" and "life isn't fair" and yet most of these people complaining don't even know what unfair or true sadness is. The beauty of this book is that never once does Alison wax poetic about the crappy hand life dealt her, she chucks it up to a life lesson and something to grow from and moves along. Alison's wit and candor may not be your cup of tea, but you have to admit to admiring her brass set of balls and her positive outlook on life.By far the best book I've read this year and one of the best memoirs ever. I hope to read more from Alison and that she makes a stop somewhere near the lonely state of Ohio on her tour!!

Contrary to most fans, I was not really a fan of Little House on the Prairie. The sole reason I watched the show was for Nellie Oleson. I remember in the 70's, before I even turned 10 years old, my sister and I would sit in front of the TV asking; "Where's Nellie?!" We always knew when Nellie was on screen, we would be guaranteed a sadistic uproarious laugh. I never hated Nellie, but loved her for the villain that she was, even then.In the 90's, I began to catch reruns of Little House, and was reminded at the brilliance that is Nellie; her looks, her dialog delivery, her vicious little smile..., then it all made sense to me. I was now able to view Nellie's antics as the undeniable camp that they were, and my love for this character in the 70's was apparently the first hint that I was a budding little gay boy. I have no idea why the idea of a vicious little girl, (The Bad Seed, anyone?) appeals so much to gay men, but it does. I think it may have to do with the cartoonish over-the-top situations they are usually depicted in. And let's face it, Nellie Oleson was often wonderfully over the top.I found myself recording these reruns, copying only the Nellie bits for future viewing pleasure. I'm now tempted to buy the whole series because there are many other Nellie bits that I've probably not seen since the original broadcast.I'm not a very spiritual person, though I do sometimes find that I am drawn to specific people, musical artists or movies, even before knowing much about them. One of the first things I did when I got online in the mid-90's was look up Alison Arngrim and any information I could find about her. I was able to read various interviews and Q&As which proved that not only was Nellie Oleson a brilliantly acted character, but Alison Arngrim was also a very funny, witty, strong, caring and brilliant woman. She was not dull or bland, with her depiction of Nellie just being a fluke. She was a hilarious and fascinating person. I've adored Alison as much more than Nellie ever since.A couple of months ago, I got a phone call from a friend of mine in another state. He casually mentioned the upcoming release of Alison's book, assuming I must already be aware of it. I had no idea what he was talking about, and promptly came to Amazon to see if my friend was just playing the cruelest of jokes on me. But there it was in all its glory - Confessions of a Prairie Bitch. I thought I was dreaming by the look of that hilariously perfect cover, and the amusing title. I honestly think I may have had a tear in my eye. Oh, no! The book was still a couple of months from release! I found myself returning to this Amazon listing a couple of times a week, giddily anxious like a kid at Christmas time in anticipation for the big day.I received my copy of the book last week, and it has been everything I expected, and more. I had no doubt that a book recalling Alison's life would be a fascinating and insightful read, and the humor I had come to expect was all over it. It was informative, hilarious, revealing, and even sad at times, but always up front, frank and real. I love people who are truly authentic, and Alison is all of that. Having written and released my own memoirs a few years ago, (though mine is more focused on a specific time frame and subject matter), I know how therapeutic and purging compiling something like this in print can be. But what an adventure she has been on.I love Nellie Oleson for the brilliantly campy villain that she was, and no one could have brought her to life the way Alison did. I adore Alison for being the funny, strong and wonderful woman she is. I would love her to stop by the Cleveland area some time with her show and for a book signing. I wish Alison all the luck in the world in her life and with her book, and hope the steady stream of well deserved 5 star reviews continue to add up. You deserve every one of them!

Loved it

Loved 'Nellie' in LHOTP and so when I saw this I decided to buy it. It's such a good read, with some interesting revelations as well as some shocking details. Recommend

Excellent !

La fantastica Nellie Oleson in tutta la sua naturalezza. Dietro le quinte di una delle serie più famose della televisione viste con gli occhi di una ragazzina che ci è cresciuta dentro. Pettegolezzi, giudizi, scoperte, pregi e difetti raccontati senza pudore.

Zugegeben, der größte Teil des Buches geht natürlich über ihre Rolle als Nellie Oleson in "Unsere kleine Farm", die Arbeit am Set und die anderen Darsteller. Darüber hinaus erzählt sie aber auch viele private Dinge, wie z.B. das Aufwachsen in einer Schauspielerfamilie oder z.B. wie sie durch ihren Filmehemann mit dem Thema AIDS konfrontiert wurde.Das Buch ist sehr locker geschrieben, wenngleich man an manchen Stellen schon mal schlucken muss, da das Thema nicht so ganz locker ist.Insgesamt aber wirklich spannend und unterhaltsam geschrieben und, wie ich finde, ein guter Einblick in ihr Leben vor, während und nach Nellie Oleson.