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dopadelirium's review
4.0
Mike Birbiglia is a funny guy, but honestly, this book is also full of stories that *may* (on one occasion) make you cry. Especially if you're a baby like me.
Also, spoilers...but Birbiglia has a sleeping disorder, and when it begins to radically change his life, as someone with a chronic medical condition, I completely related to it.
Also, spoilers...but Birbiglia has a sleeping disorder, and when it begins to radically change his life, as someone with a chronic medical condition, I completely related to it.
thereadingraccoon's review against another edition
3.0
Funny with some laugh out loud moments. Didn’t stray too far from the typical comedian memoir.
whimsicalmeerkat's review
4.0
Unfortunately, [b:Sleepwalk with Me|7775841|Sleepwalk with Me|Mike Birbiglia|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1277744598s/7775841.jpg|10682678] is not quite as funny as [a:Mike Birbiglia|3390625|Mike Birbiglia|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg]'s show of the same name. Fortunately, it is still hilarious. He uses the same wry sense of humor and strikes a perfect note of self-deprecation in this witty account of his childhood and early adulthood. Of particular note to me are his depictions of his father and the central theme of the book, his sleepwalking. While the bulk of the book is funny, it has touching moments as well, which because of their rarity and unexpected nature are rendered more powerful than they would be otherwise. I definitely recommend this to anyone who has seen or heard Birbiglia's comedy, to anyone who loves [a:David Sedaris|2849|David Sedaris|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1213737698p2/2849.jpg], and to anyone else who is looking for a laugh.
michaelstearns's review
1.0
Tepid stuff. Probably funnier to hear him tell it aloud in more concise, bite-sized bits.
I used to be super-keen on Birbiglia. His Moth pieces that were later broadcast on TAL are hilarious. But it turns out that may be the best way to take in his material. Because as fine a storyteller as he can be in the short form, on the page his stuff isn't quite as funny or well-crafted. In fact, sometimes it is downright annoying.
Of course, I've been soured on him since seeing him "interview" Sarah Vowell at the Bell House, when he talked about himself the entire time and didn't allow her to say much of anything. After that, it's been hard to think much of the guy. He gets old fast, and this book's welcome was worn out before I'd ever read the first page.
I used to be super-keen on Birbiglia. His Moth pieces that were later broadcast on TAL are hilarious. But it turns out that may be the best way to take in his material. Because as fine a storyteller as he can be in the short form, on the page his stuff isn't quite as funny or well-crafted. In fact, sometimes it is downright annoying.
Of course, I've been soured on him since seeing him "interview" Sarah Vowell at the Bell House, when he talked about himself the entire time and didn't allow her to say much of anything. After that, it's been hard to think much of the guy. He gets old fast, and this book's welcome was worn out before I'd ever read the first page.
bodger's review
4.0
I can't say much without giving stuff away. This is Mike Birbiglia at his most open, true tales in painful detail. Great!
heathererosky's review
3.0
I found myself laughing out loud at some of the stories in the beginning, but the second half of the book was not nearly as humorous as the first--this isn't necessarily a bad thing.
I love that the book gives us a behind the scenes look into the life of a comedian; a comic's life is not always funny. I can't imagine the stress some entertainers feel when performing in front of audiences, and I'm finding it difficult to write a critique on Birbiglia's work for that sole reason.
In someone else's review, they mentioned how they read it in Birbiglia's voice but not aloud because that would be weird. Well, I'm a weirdo because I definitely read many of the stories aloud to my kitten! ;)
As far as my rating goes, I think most of the material works best as spoken word. It is a lengthy performance piece in a book's clothing. I bought my copy on a date 4-5 years ago, but I was never able to get into it while reading it silently.
I love that the book gives us a behind the scenes look into the life of a comedian; a comic's life is not always funny. I can't imagine the stress some entertainers feel when performing in front of audiences, and I'm finding it difficult to write a critique on Birbiglia's work for that sole reason.
In someone else's review, they mentioned how they read it in Birbiglia's voice but not aloud because that would be weird. Well, I'm a weirdo because I definitely read many of the stories aloud to my kitten! ;)
As far as my rating goes, I think most of the material works best as spoken word. It is a lengthy performance piece in a book's clothing. I bought my copy on a date 4-5 years ago, but I was never able to get into it while reading it silently.
themaddiest's review
3.0
Mike Birbiglia’s memoir recounts his exploits as a child growing up in a fairly conservative, Catholic family in the 70s and 80s. It recounts his struggle to become a working comic, and his struggle with a pretty terrible case of sleepwalking (he once jumped through a glass window on the second floor of a hotel because he thought there was a missile pointed at him, which, I think, qualifies it as a “serious” case). The stories in this memoir are loosely arranged by topic and are pulled from much of his stand-up routine and his off-Broadway one-man show. I first heard of Birbiglia on This American Life (I still remember listening to him talk about the dreams he would have about the jackal hovering above his bed), and I’ve been meaning to get to this book for a while now. I’m glad I did.
What is remarkable about Birbiglia is that he manages to embody what so many comics aspire to: the everyman that audiences can identify with and actually believe in. With Birbiglia, it doesn’t feel like a bit or a gimmick: he seems very real and very natural. This comes across in both his stage presence and delivery as well as his conversational writing tone (he’s not a bad writer, either). Much of his comedy comes from within himself, and he explores issues such as his relationship to his parents, to women, and to his raging hypochondria (which, as it turns out, wasn’t far off the mark). His storytelling is easy-going, mostly positive, and funny, but it isn’t rip-roaring hilarious. It’s a layered kind of comedy, and in that respect, it’s much more complex.
For the most part, this book really works. His observational style is clear and focused, and it’s clear that Birbiglia knows his way around a sentence. It’s a book that is oftentimes deeply personal and occasionally really funny. Birbiglia spends some time talking about the late Mitch Hedberg, which offered some interesting insight into what it was like to know him. It’s clear that Birbiglia has nothing but respect for Hedberg, and his memories of him are bittersweet. Overall, Birbiglia has taken a wide array of stories and turned them into a compelling memoir.
Recommended to fans of memoirs, comedy, and NPR. This is a book that’s worth a closer look.
What is remarkable about Birbiglia is that he manages to embody what so many comics aspire to: the everyman that audiences can identify with and actually believe in. With Birbiglia, it doesn’t feel like a bit or a gimmick: he seems very real and very natural. This comes across in both his stage presence and delivery as well as his conversational writing tone (he’s not a bad writer, either). Much of his comedy comes from within himself, and he explores issues such as his relationship to his parents, to women, and to his raging hypochondria (which, as it turns out, wasn’t far off the mark). His storytelling is easy-going, mostly positive, and funny, but it isn’t rip-roaring hilarious. It’s a layered kind of comedy, and in that respect, it’s much more complex.
For the most part, this book really works. His observational style is clear and focused, and it’s clear that Birbiglia knows his way around a sentence. It’s a book that is oftentimes deeply personal and occasionally really funny. Birbiglia spends some time talking about the late Mitch Hedberg, which offered some interesting insight into what it was like to know him. It’s clear that Birbiglia has nothing but respect for Hedberg, and his memories of him are bittersweet. Overall, Birbiglia has taken a wide array of stories and turned them into a compelling memoir.
Recommended to fans of memoirs, comedy, and NPR. This is a book that’s worth a closer look.
richard's review
It is often difficult to follow Birbiglia's train of thought as he jumps from topic to topic. However, this book is frequently laugh out loud funny. For real, like I actually laughed out loud while reading it.
hollowspine's review
4.0
Sleepwalk with Me is the short version of Mike Birbiglia's life. He tells stories of his awkward years at school, his family, his employment or lack thereof, and finally his REM sleep disorder. He talks about everything with this awkward magnifier, bringing everything that is funny about these sometimes not-so-funny moments into sharp focus.
I have heard him, as I'm sure many people who read this book have, on This American Life, I've seen some animations of his stories, the same stories that were retold here. So I could hear him telling the stories again as I read. And it was good. It was almost as if I were listening to the audio book version.
I think the best thing I can say for this book is that, if I found the audio book version I would listen to it. Even though I've heard him tell some of these stories on the radio, even though I've heard him tell these stories while watching animations on YouTube, even though I've already read the book, I would listen to them all again. While laughing, and not only laughing but also thinking, "Mike Birbiglia is awesome. I really want to hear more from Mike Birbiglia. Where can I find more Mike Birbiglia?"
I have heard him, as I'm sure many people who read this book have, on This American Life, I've seen some animations of his stories, the same stories that were retold here. So I could hear him telling the stories again as I read. And it was good. It was almost as if I were listening to the audio book version.
I think the best thing I can say for this book is that, if I found the audio book version I would listen to it. Even though I've heard him tell some of these stories on the radio, even though I've heard him tell these stories while watching animations on YouTube, even though I've already read the book, I would listen to them all again. While laughing, and not only laughing but also thinking, "Mike Birbiglia is awesome. I really want to hear more from Mike Birbiglia. Where can I find more Mike Birbiglia?"
musikitty's review
5.0
I often find it difficult to read memoirs written by comedians because their comedic voices don't translate well to the written word. Birbiglia is definitely the exception. Perhaps it helped that I had heard some of the jokes before when seeing his live performance, but I could practically hear him speaking the words as I read them. I devoured the book in about a day, and it was nothing short of hilarious. I especially enjoyed the thoughtful chapter about Mitch Hedberg.