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darling_robot's review against another edition
3.0
Man. This book was a tough one for me. Don't get me wrong. It was incredibly well written and I laughed at Paul's expense on more than one occassion but I just felt awful for him. I shouldn't. He obviously grew up to be quite popular despite the ease in which his last name can be pronounced 'fag'. However, I had a hard time getting through the book itself. I wasn't drawn to it or thought to myself, "hmm..I need to see what crazy things happen to Paul next." It gets 3 stars.
loujoseph's review against another edition
4.0
smart comedy writing about growing up in the 70's from the guy who created "Freaks and Geeks" and wrote for the Office and Arrested Development. A good, quick read if you're bogged down in Russian literature.
tintinintibet's review against another edition
2.0
Teenage angst and nerdy anger is one thing, and can be funny (intentional or not), but there's a mean-even-in-retrospect element to the narrative of one or two stories that is unnerving. What's left is like Freaks and Geeks (awesome) without the tiny dose of the Wonder Years that show had. Feig gives us that tiny dose at the end of his book, but I think it is too late. We're already hoping he gets his ass kicked, gets a backbone, or just grows up already. At some point I stopped rooting for him when the adult narrator seemed to be bullying others in hindsight. Or maybe I'm weary and scarred by the harrowing embarrassment of these stories, and emptied of any empathetic reserves by the time Feig describes his scathing reaction to his junior prom date's appearance.
Just read a good review on goodreads by Crystal who describes the childhood stories as more compelling than the adolescent ones -- that's when I started to fade in my enthusiasm here too.
Just read a good review on goodreads by Crystal who describes the childhood stories as more compelling than the adolescent ones -- that's when I started to fade in my enthusiasm here too.
eliza_bangert's review against another edition
3.0
Some of the stories in this book are almost literally the same as some storylines from Freaks and Geeks. It's funny to know that they actually happened, but since many of the people who will read this book are already Freaks and Geeks fans, it would have been nice to have some more different stories we hadn't already heard.
It's a really funny book, but it's almost painful at times to think that these things actually happened to him!
It's a really funny book, but it's almost painful at times to think that these things actually happened to him!
stabaquail's review against another edition
2.0
This book was okay? I have mixed feelings. There were parts that made laugh and cringe and I did relate to being an awkward disaster of a child/adolescent, though probably not on the same level as Paul. I even read some bits out loud to my boyfriend, mostly from the section where the boys were learning about periods, because it made me laugh so much.
However, I will agree with some of the other reviewers that, primarily in the second half of the book, there is a weird thread of mean-spiritedness that I didn't care for. Making a joke out of the kid with a developmental disability is something I might have been fine with when I was 12 but, come on man, you're an adult writing this in retrospect. You're supposed to know better NOW. His description of his date to prom is pretty rough. While I initially could understand the shock of overly sprayed hair and too much makeup, the analysis of how her body looked and the judgment of everything she did for the rest of the night was pretty mean. She seemed like a pretty nice person who got sick because she was a silly teenager who drank a beer, and all he can do in this chapter is complain that she had the audacity to eat food and have moles on her arms.
Paul also tries to make kind of traumatic things into funny little anecdotes and it doesn't always work. I totally get that, though. I always laugh and shake my head as I'm telling a story about a horrible thing that happened to me. I think we just both need more therapy, friend.
I was tempted to say 3 stars, but I can be TOO NICE sometimes. I need to bang my gavel of book critique once in a while.
However, I will agree with some of the other reviewers that, primarily in the second half of the book, there is a weird thread of mean-spiritedness that I didn't care for. Making a joke out of the kid with a developmental disability is something I might have been fine with when I was 12 but, come on man, you're an adult writing this in retrospect. You're supposed to know better NOW. His description of his date to prom is pretty rough. While I initially could understand the shock of overly sprayed hair and too much makeup, the analysis of how her body looked and the judgment of everything she did for the rest of the night was pretty mean. She seemed like a pretty nice person who got sick because she was a silly teenager who drank a beer, and all he can do in this chapter is complain that she had the audacity to eat food and have moles on her arms.
Paul also tries to make kind of traumatic things into funny little anecdotes and it doesn't always work. I totally get that, though. I always laugh and shake my head as I'm telling a story about a horrible thing that happened to me. I think we just both need more therapy, friend.
I was tempted to say 3 stars, but I can be TOO NICE sometimes. I need to bang my gavel of book critique once in a while.
rocketiza's review against another edition
1.0
This isn't a bad book, I just hate this style of writing for exactly the same reason I hate David Sedaris - very one dimensional take the easy way out every time to make a joke.
cbreese's review against another edition
3.0
Paul Feig's memories of adolescence clearly inspired much of Freaks & Geeks, and the book feels as painfully awkward as the show does, sometimes even more so. It's heartfelt and funny, but the pain of some of these experiences brings down the humor.
francosteen's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.25
Ohmygoood Paul Feig did not have the nicest/easiest kids at his schools!
You can clearly see how Freaks and Geeks came about, and how he was so perfect to direct many episodes of The Office.
A very funny memoir, but I feel so bad for little Paul!
You can clearly see how Freaks and Geeks came about, and how he was so perfect to direct many episodes of The Office.
A very funny memoir, but I feel so bad for little Paul!
jcpdiesel21's review against another edition
3.0
Amusing at times and Feig's talent as a writer is on full display, but somewhat forgettable. The kernels for several storylines from Freaks and Geeks are present here, and some of the events documented are so cringeworthy that they verge on being uncomfortable to read. Even though I am younger and a different gender than Feig, several of his experiences are so universal that I was easily able to relate to them, and his recollections of physical education in particular brought back a wash of horrible memories. While not as memorable or humorous as I would have liked it to be, this book was an enjoyable way to pass the time.