Reviews - Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass—How I Went 77 Years Without Growing Up

51 reviews for:

Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass—How I Went 77 Years Without Growing Up

Dave Barry, Dave Barry

4.06 AVERAGE

rdeperi's review against another edition

4.0

funny fast-paced

himpersonal's review against another edition

3.75

funny lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

Dave Berry is a national treasure, as far as I'm concerned. What a fun and varied career he's had! Just like comedies rarely ever win an Oscar for Best Picture (and I don't count Birdman as a comedy - I actually thought it was tragically awful), it was a surprise that a humorist might win a Pulitzer. Obviously it happens, but not very often, and I think it's fair to say Berry was as surprised as anyone else. Nonetheless, I'd say it was well-deserved.

I see Berry as the embodiment of someone who followed his path, doing what he loved and leaning into his strengths. I know it's harder to do these days. Most of the young people I worked with came out of colleges with very practical and directly relevant degrees. Heck, that was true 30 years ago when I started in the workforce! But it does seem to get narrower and narrower each year, and the value of a liberal arts education less and less so. As a fellow English major from a small liberal arts college, cheers to you, Dave Berry!

rudaroots's review against another edition

4.0

funny informative lighthearted reflective fast-paced

As anyone who knows me knows, I love Dave Barry. He is one of my favorite humans of all time. This book was reflective, somber in places. He seems grateful for the life he has led, and I am glad if it.

I usually read a memoir to get a glimpse of how a person became famous, or their personal lives, or their interactions with other famous folks that they know. It’s these little life vignettes that I live for. I wish that this book had had more of these types of elements.

readorperish's review against another edition

3.75

funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Back in the days when Dave Barry’s column ran in newspapers (gasp, what are newspapers?) and he regularly churned out laugh-out-loud books, I found his humor to be juvenile but hilarious. His bit about “acts of Congress” (Google it) still makes me laugh uproariously. This book is part autobiography, part rehash of prior material, and part Boomer wisdom. It has its moments. I did laugh out loud a few times. But the tone of this book is more serious and wistful. Has Dave Barry grown up?