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alpenn31's review against another edition
4.0
If I had never heard his comedy, I would have probably give this 5. I don't laugh out loud at books, but I did a few times. I thought it was going to all be about his sleep disorder, but that was only a small part. At first I was disappointed, but as I read, I was more okay w/ this. Good easy read.
danchibnall's review against another edition
3.0
Mike Birbiglia is just flat-out funny and this book helps you to see who he really is. It's good for some laughs and to learn about the difficulties of trying to become a stand-up comic.
justabaldguy's review against another edition
4.0
Mike is hilarious and sad at the same time. I've seen a few of his shows online and wanted to read his book to compare. He is dry witted and quite touching. The sleepwalking story is at the end, and I got the sense Birbiglia has developed a good bit over time. Would love to read more of his works. For now, I'm off to find more of his shows.
ohjessican's review against another edition
4.0
The book was much like Mike's stand-up; funny, entertaining, and surprisingly touching as some stories turn the humor down a notch and share some personal stories.
gimchi's review against another edition
3.0
enjoyable. sad I missed him in person when he came through.
amymo73's review against another edition
4.0
Loaned to me by my boyfriend after he first lent it to my mother (who bough it for him for Christmas) I was told it was funny and a quick read. And you know what? It was funny and quick read. The "quick read" comment can be taken several ways, but in this case, it's a complement, noting that the stories flowed, the writing was easy and I could just enjoy the book.
Birbiglia made me laugh out loud at several points. Which is good. He is a comedian after all. But while his stories were witty, there was a truth and honesty about them which at times made me smile. Or nod knowingly to myself.
I particularly enjoyed his stories about being part of focus groups and his description of his family as Olive Garden Italians. But while the book has some stories which are seemingly random tangents (and I have nothing against tangents as my life could be described as a series of them) towards the final pages, it all starts to come together in a really entertaining, cohesive work.
This was a much more productive way to spend a snowy Friday than say, actually working from home, which, if you're my editor, as far as you know is still true.
Birbiglia made me laugh out loud at several points. Which is good. He is a comedian after all. But while his stories were witty, there was a truth and honesty about them which at times made me smile. Or nod knowingly to myself.
I particularly enjoyed his stories about being part of focus groups and his description of his family as Olive Garden Italians. But while the book has some stories which are seemingly random tangents (and I have nothing against tangents as my life could be described as a series of them) towards the final pages, it all starts to come together in a really entertaining, cohesive work.
This was a much more productive way to spend a snowy Friday than say, actually working from home, which, if you're my editor, as far as you know is still true.
jcpdiesel21's review against another edition
3.0
Most of the stories that Birbiglia tells in this book are amusing, but much of the material is culled directly from his stand-up act and while it comes alive and is fun to hear onstage, a lot of the jokes and anecdotes fall flat in readable form. Some of these stories aren't particularly memorable or special, either. However, the portions at the end devoted to his sleep disorder are easily the highlights of this book and reach a deeper emotional and personal level that the rest lacked.
bookchew's review against another edition
2.0
I'm a fan of birbiglia's standup, but part of his charm is his simplicity of language, his molasses-slow cadence, and his casual, almost childlike delivery. Unfortunately, this style works better in a spoken-word format than in the written word. "Sleepwalk with me" is more or less a transcription of the stand-up routine by the same name, but the humor is somehow lost.
Opt to hear these stories told by the man himself. He's a master of pacing in oral storytelling, but his simplicity works on stage, not on the page.
Opt to hear these stories told by the man himself. He's a master of pacing in oral storytelling, but his simplicity works on stage, not on the page.