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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
With his characteristic wit and sincerity, Hodgman writes moving essays about his experiences with fame, including "the other side of the mountain," which seems an increasingly discussed topic with so many talented, thoughtful figures getting to that point in their careers (looking at you, Green brothers). While I didn't connect as deeply with many of these stories as I did with Vacationland, I enjoyed them very much, and I think that's a symptom of my life experience rather than Hodgman's writing. The story about Petey did make me cry, and the final essay brought home the message of the book to me hard - themes of community and belonging ring true throughout.
Smart and funny and touching. Excellent John Hodgemannery.
I’m a huge fan of John Hodgman’s podcast, and I was extremely eager to read this book. I love books of humor and books about travel, particularly dull, work-related travel since it’s so much more relatable and so much less enviable than the travel people tend to write about.
I was surprised to see how closely Hodgman’s voice on the page mirrored his voice on the podcast and disappointed that it didn’t quite work for me. While there were plenty of laughs, a lot of the humor felt quite awkward. Watching improv comedy can be fun, but reading the transcript of an improv sketch? Less so. This was most pronounced in Hodgman’s use of fake dialogue, which was pretty jarring in parts and consistently undercut genuinely humorous situations. These asides work well in audio comedy, where they’re aided by Hodgman’s inflection and a giggling, kindly co-host, but including them here felt like a disservice to the reader. The world is funny enough as it is; why resort to injecting your reimagining of it?
Overall, this book was a lot of fun to read and I really appreciated the moments of sincerity and vulnerability, which are plentiful. I already know which essays I’ll think back to, and they’re the ones that have nothing to do with points and everything to do with people. My favorites are: the one about pets, the one about jobs, and and the one about the election. I’m now really looking forward to reading Vacationland, since my impression is that it’s an even more personal and humanistic work.
I was surprised to see how closely Hodgman’s voice on the page mirrored his voice on the podcast and disappointed that it didn’t quite work for me. While there were plenty of laughs, a lot of the humor felt quite awkward. Watching improv comedy can be fun, but reading the transcript of an improv sketch? Less so. This was most pronounced in Hodgman’s use of fake dialogue, which was pretty jarring in parts and consistently undercut genuinely humorous situations. These asides work well in audio comedy, where they’re aided by Hodgman’s inflection and a giggling, kindly co-host, but including them here felt like a disservice to the reader. The world is funny enough as it is; why resort to injecting your reimagining of it?
Overall, this book was a lot of fun to read and I really appreciated the moments of sincerity and vulnerability, which are plentiful. I already know which essays I’ll think back to, and they’re the ones that have nothing to do with points and everything to do with people. My favorites are: the one about pets, the one about jobs, and and the one about the election. I’m now really looking forward to reading Vacationland, since my impression is that it’s an even more personal and humanistic work.
Didn't strike me quite the same way as Vacationland did, but these stories are still very good and a pleasure to read.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
If you're looking for straight up entertainment, with some out-loud chuckles, this is a solid bet. Fittingly, since much of the book is about Hodgman's attempt to sustain airline special customer status, it would be a perfect book to read on a flight. Hodgman makes an art of self-deprication, and I'm a sucker for middle-aged white men, who embrace and roast their status. For fans of his last book, Vacationland, note that this has much less substance and introspection. I don't mean that as a criticism, just advice in setting expectations.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. I adored Vacationland and this is more of the same delightful humor and insightful critique of this very silly world we live in. The Judge John Hodgman podcast remains one of the most consistently funny podcasts around so if you like the books make sure you are listening and if you like the podcast you’ll love his books.