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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
The parts about her childhood were pretty hilarious but there were parts not as entertaining. Warning: There are some graphic pictures in the book so do not read it in front of children.
Update: I listened to the audio of the book after attending "Bedwetter"-The Musical (which was fantastic but highly inapproriate)
Update: I listened to the audio of the book after attending "Bedwetter"-The Musical (which was fantastic but highly inapproriate)
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
I borrowed the audio book from the library and started listening to it this afternoon. Sarah Silverman is reading her own book and she has a surprisingly soothing voice. I actually fell asleep during the first disk...
Laugh-out-loud funny in spots, interesting and enlightening in others. I liked this book better than I like most of her comedy. I don't love gross-out humor, but the horror of chronic bedwetting isn't played for laughs here.
Sarah Silverman’s memoir discusses her childhood, her road to becoming a comedian, life on the set of her show, and also… her chronic childhood bedwetting, of course.
I’m a fan of Sarah Silverman and think she’s pretty funny, but I was slightly disappointed with her book. While it was pretty entertaining at some points, I never laughed out loud or felt like I got to know her, two things I would expect from a comedian’s memoir. Kathy Griffin’s memoir, Official Book Club Selection, which I reviewed a while back, is the perfect example. I both laughed out loud on numerous occasions, and was happy to see Kathy getting more personal as well.
To me, it felt like this book was all about the shock factor more than anything else. It was pretty graphic and vulgar. I’m totally fine with these things, but only if it adds to the book and doesn’t constitute the majority of the book. That said, if you’re easily offended, don’t read this book… but then, I’m guessing those that are easily offended aren’t fans of hers to begin with. I also didn’t like that most of the stories were quite short and felt more like snippets and partial stories to me. I would have liked more depth and detail, and it would have been nice if the book had been written in a more linear or coherent fashion.
On the positive side of things, I did enjoy some of the stories, and I did get to learn a bit about how Sarah began as a comic, and more information about her show. She delved a bit into her childhood which was interesting, but again, I would have liked to know more about her past and personal life – for instance, she didn’t even bring up her relationship with Jimmy Kimmel. I also found it comical that she wrote a foreword, a midword, and an afterward and I like her ability to accept herself for who she is. Oh, and the cover… the cover is pretty damn funny.
If you like Sarah, give this one a go, but otherwise, read Kathy Griffin’s or Chelsea Handler’s memoirs – now those are hysterical.
I’m a fan of Sarah Silverman and think she’s pretty funny, but I was slightly disappointed with her book. While it was pretty entertaining at some points, I never laughed out loud or felt like I got to know her, two things I would expect from a comedian’s memoir. Kathy Griffin’s memoir, Official Book Club Selection, which I reviewed a while back, is the perfect example. I both laughed out loud on numerous occasions, and was happy to see Kathy getting more personal as well.
To me, it felt like this book was all about the shock factor more than anything else. It was pretty graphic and vulgar. I’m totally fine with these things, but only if it adds to the book and doesn’t constitute the majority of the book. That said, if you’re easily offended, don’t read this book… but then, I’m guessing those that are easily offended aren’t fans of hers to begin with. I also didn’t like that most of the stories were quite short and felt more like snippets and partial stories to me. I would have liked more depth and detail, and it would have been nice if the book had been written in a more linear or coherent fashion.
On the positive side of things, I did enjoy some of the stories, and I did get to learn a bit about how Sarah began as a comic, and more information about her show. She delved a bit into her childhood which was interesting, but again, I would have liked to know more about her past and personal life – for instance, she didn’t even bring up her relationship with Jimmy Kimmel. I also found it comical that she wrote a foreword, a midword, and an afterward and I like her ability to accept herself for who she is. Oh, and the cover… the cover is pretty damn funny.
If you like Sarah, give this one a go, but otherwise, read Kathy Griffin’s or Chelsea Handler’s memoirs – now those are hysterical.
This is an entertaining collection of short autobiographical stories (of courage, redemption, and pee, of course) that give some insight into the life of a comic that I enjoy, Sarah Silverman. Her over-the-top humor makes me giggle, though I must say that I haven't had a chance to watch too much of her material. Reading this book makes me want to go back and see more, though.
Peppered throughout the vignettes are a couple of e-mail chains that give a glimpse into the work behind the book and how ridiculous show business can be. For instance, she included a little of a conversation she had with her agent regarding the subtitle of the book where he's trying really hard to convince her to change 'pee' to 'pee-pee,' positing that it's more playful. Sarah stands firm, though, arguing that 'pee-pee' is creepy baby-talk and will never be included on the cover of her book as long as she has any say in the matter. I must say that I side with her in this debate, so I'm glad they let her have the reins on that issue. Also, the publishers tried to talk her out of writing her own forward, but she forged ahead anyway, a true trailblazer.
As with most comedians, Sarah Silverman's life definitely has its darkness and moments of tragedy. One example of her struggles involves (as the title would suggest) the fact that she was a bedwetter into her teens. This caused a lot of stress for her when it came to sleepovers, camp, and overnight class trips. After a class hiking trip that she didn't want to go on, though she successfully hid her problems, she describes getting back and meeting her mother, who kept taking pictures of her instead of talking to her. At that moment, there was a wave of depression that crashed over her, altering her life forever. I thought it was a particularly vivid image, and it's really interesting to me that she is able to pinpoint the start of her depression with such accuracy.
The later portion of the book also dealt with some controversies she encountered once she'd gained some fame as a comedian. Anyone who is familiar with her knows that she is a bit extreme sometimes, someone who likes to push on the boundaries of people's comfort zones by discussing gross topics or playing it up as an ignorant and offensive character. She came under fire for the latter, when she used a racial slur in a joke on TV. Later, she got flak for making fun of Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. The backlash for the latter two seemed disproportionally high to me, but oh well. I can understand why some may have gotten upset about a joke with a racial slur, but at the same time I think they might not have understood the purpose of the joke.
Side note: She talks about how ugly she is pretty frequently, but I've always thought that she's beautiful.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about Sarah Silverman, or who is looking for a funny book that still deals with some serious issues. It is in turns self-deprecating and self-aggrandizing, and overall an amusing read.
Peppered throughout the vignettes are a couple of e-mail chains that give a glimpse into the work behind the book and how ridiculous show business can be. For instance, she included a little of a conversation she had with her agent regarding the subtitle of the book where he's trying really hard to convince her to change 'pee' to 'pee-pee,' positing that it's more playful. Sarah stands firm, though, arguing that 'pee-pee' is creepy baby-talk and will never be included on the cover of her book as long as she has any say in the matter. I must say that I side with her in this debate, so I'm glad they let her have the reins on that issue. Also, the publishers tried to talk her out of writing her own forward, but she forged ahead anyway, a true trailblazer.
As with most comedians, Sarah Silverman's life definitely has its darkness and moments of tragedy. One example of her struggles involves (as the title would suggest) the fact that she was a bedwetter into her teens. This caused a lot of stress for her when it came to sleepovers, camp, and overnight class trips. After a class hiking trip that she didn't want to go on, though she successfully hid her problems, she describes getting back and meeting her mother, who kept taking pictures of her instead of talking to her. At that moment, there was a wave of depression that crashed over her, altering her life forever. I thought it was a particularly vivid image, and it's really interesting to me that she is able to pinpoint the start of her depression with such accuracy.
The later portion of the book also dealt with some controversies she encountered once she'd gained some fame as a comedian. Anyone who is familiar with her knows that she is a bit extreme sometimes, someone who likes to push on the boundaries of people's comfort zones by discussing gross topics or playing it up as an ignorant and offensive character. She came under fire for the latter, when she used a racial slur in a joke on TV. Later, she got flak for making fun of Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. The backlash for the latter two seemed disproportionally high to me, but oh well. I can understand why some may have gotten upset about a joke with a racial slur, but at the same time I think they might not have understood the purpose of the joke.
Side note: She talks about how ugly she is pretty frequently, but I've always thought that she's beautiful.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about Sarah Silverman, or who is looking for a funny book that still deals with some serious issues. It is in turns self-deprecating and self-aggrandizing, and overall an amusing read.
emotional
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
emotional
funny
informative
medium-paced
dark
funny
informative
fast-paced
Sarah Silverman is crass, gross, shocking, potty-mouthed…and often absolutely hilarious. Though she sometimes crosses the line into such bad taste that you feel uncomfortable listening, she also has moments that are surprisingly warm. My husband and I enjoyed listening to this memoir. Read my full review at:
http://bookbybook.blogspot.com/2011/08/memoir-review-bedwetter-stories-of.html
http://bookbybook.blogspot.com/2011/08/memoir-review-bedwetter-stories-of.html