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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
Performative comedy and poignancy blended into an entertaining narrative of a comedian's journey through life, loss, and showbiz!
The only way to "read" this book is to listen to the audiobook, which Martin Short narrates himself. AMAZING!
I fell for Martin Short the first time I saw Ed Grimley on SNL. Then the movies of the 80’s - Three Amigos, Three Fugitives, Innerspace - funny and sweet. His humor can be over the top but he never fails to make me laugh. This memoir was hilarious and so very touching. I love the cutaways to various characters (so perfect on audio), the singing, the stories about Sinatra and Sammy, the Christmas Parties! (I want to be on that guest list). His tales about friendships and relationship with wife, Nancy, and their children are so endearing. It’s easy to see why he has continued to work for so many years - talent and a delightful seeming person.
I’m convinced the only reason this book doesn’t have five stars is because people didn’t listen to the audio version. Martin Short is an absolute delight, and I loved reading about his life and career and hearing him read certain sections in his character’s voices. Also, I was not expecting to absolutely sob in the last chapter when he talks about his wife Nancy’s cancer diagnosis and death, but here we are. Highly, highly recommend.
p.s. This book will also make you love Steve Martin and Tom Hanks (among others) even more.
p.s. This book will also make you love Steve Martin and Tom Hanks (among others) even more.
Fantastic, funny, poignant, interesting, and Martin Short seems like he would be a decent guy I must say....
I honestly didn't expect such a thoughtful book (not in a condescending way) when I picked this up. I expected something silly like Ellen DeGeneres' [b:Seriously... I'm Kidding|11230081|Seriously... I'm Kidding|Ellen DeGeneres|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1441195131s/11230081.jpg|16156051]. This autobiography is truly autobiographical in nature. Short discusses his childhood, rise to fame, marriage, friendships, characters, etc. I laughed and I cried. I appreciated every minute of this and highly suggest listening to the audiobook to hear it all in Martin's voice. I definitely have a whole new respect for this man.
I love the movies Pure Luck and Innerspace. They are ridiculous, and probably do not hold up, but I love them. I also hold a special place in my heart for The Three Amigos. The one thing they have in common? Martin Short.
This is a very sweet book, which makes sense, because Mr. Short is, by all reports, a very sweet guy. He seems kind, generous, and funny in a dorky way that works for some people but not everyone. And if written by anyone else, I think this book would rub me the wrong way. It’s basically a few chapters about his early life, followed by a whole lot of name dropping. But the thing is, he’s not actually dropping names. These are just his friends, and they of course feature prominently in his memoir.
Mr. Short faced some rough stuff in his life. He lost his older brother when he was in his early teens; by the time he was 20 he was an orphan. His wife died in 2010, after 30 years of marriage. He’s experienced a lot of loss, but he’s also experienced a lot of joy. He’s had an extraordinarily successful career without necessarily being everywhere all the time. I don’t know if most people think of him as a big name of comedy, but I think comedians think of him as a big name in comedy, and they would know. I also have some issues with some of his choices – especially using a fat suit as Jiminy Glick – but I do genuinely believe it does not ever come from a place of hate.
One thing I really took away from this book is the Nine Categories. It sounds like a cult, but it’s kind of amazing, and I think I’m actually going to try it. Basically, as he faced some challenging times in his career, he wanted to keep things in perspective, and make sure he was devoting time to the things in his life that matter. So, to quote him: “I decided to systematically compare my performance in that one specific category of my life – work – with my performance in the other important life categories, and to give them all equal importance.” Man, that is a refreshing outlook. It doesn’t put work at the center of everything. In case you’re interested, the categories are:
- Self
- Immediate Family
- Original Family
- Friends
- Money
- Career
- Creativity
- Discipline
- Lifestyle (this is meant to include both having fun and making a difference in the world)
I love it.
I read the book, but I believe he read the audio version, and I’m betting that would be fantastic.
This is a very sweet book, which makes sense, because Mr. Short is, by all reports, a very sweet guy. He seems kind, generous, and funny in a dorky way that works for some people but not everyone. And if written by anyone else, I think this book would rub me the wrong way. It’s basically a few chapters about his early life, followed by a whole lot of name dropping. But the thing is, he’s not actually dropping names. These are just his friends, and they of course feature prominently in his memoir.
Mr. Short faced some rough stuff in his life. He lost his older brother when he was in his early teens; by the time he was 20 he was an orphan. His wife died in 2010, after 30 years of marriage. He’s experienced a lot of loss, but he’s also experienced a lot of joy. He’s had an extraordinarily successful career without necessarily being everywhere all the time. I don’t know if most people think of him as a big name of comedy, but I think comedians think of him as a big name in comedy, and they would know. I also have some issues with some of his choices – especially using a fat suit as Jiminy Glick – but I do genuinely believe it does not ever come from a place of hate.
One thing I really took away from this book is the Nine Categories. It sounds like a cult, but it’s kind of amazing, and I think I’m actually going to try it. Basically, as he faced some challenging times in his career, he wanted to keep things in perspective, and make sure he was devoting time to the things in his life that matter. So, to quote him: “I decided to systematically compare my performance in that one specific category of my life – work – with my performance in the other important life categories, and to give them all equal importance.” Man, that is a refreshing outlook. It doesn’t put work at the center of everything. In case you’re interested, the categories are:
- Self
- Immediate Family
- Original Family
- Friends
- Money
- Career
- Creativity
- Discipline
- Lifestyle (this is meant to include both having fun and making a difference in the world)
I love it.
I read the book, but I believe he read the audio version, and I’m betting that would be fantastic.