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nitsabean's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
There are definitely points that didn't age well, but they are all the more evident because it's easy to forget the context when his observations on race, class, religion, and politics can be applied today. He played a key role in why his commentary around language and sexuality can't be so easily. It took me a long time to get through this for many reasons, not the least of which is his scattered stream-of-consciousness voice-- not as easy to read as to listen to. It's hard not to wonder what else he might have said or whether his views would have evolved.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Homophobia and Drug abuse
reaperreads's review against another edition
5.0
I personally loved this book. I recognized that there were some mixed reviews about it because of the politics-oriented last third of the book, but having read such play-by-play court hearings as the PMRC ordeal, I have become accustomed to this sort of reading. Lenny Bruce is an incredibly articulate, satirical, and often outright hilarious writer. Of course that was his job, but it is one thing to make that stuff sound good on stage and a complete other thing to make hilarity apparent in a book. This is now tied for first place among my favorite autobiographies/memoirs with A Choice of Weapons by Gordon Parks. There is just something about early twentieth century American writers that is beyond artistic--and most definitely beyond most writing I see today on New Release shelves in nearby book stores (of course there are always exceptions, but it's the point of the matter that counts, not the literalness).
crazyrhythms's review against another edition
funny
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
lenny bruce was a real one. dude was getting arrested for swearing onstage. we need more lenny bruces in this world.
mehitabels's review against another edition
5.0
"Everyday people are straying away from the church and going back to God. Really."
apokras's review against another edition
4.0
Bruce was really the original shock comic. The things he discussed on stage just hadn’t been done before him. He talked about sex (a lot), drugs (a lot), and rallied against war and our government. He was arrested multiple times, debuted reentry to the UK due to his previous stand up routines there, and was the original “obscene” comic. While his some of his comedy may be rather tame by today’s standards, it can still shock. His memoir is no different. For those of us 50 and 60 years removed from his comedy, his memoir is a testament to his values and his honesty to his own vision of the world. The first 2/3 of the book was better than the end, but I think that also reflects his mental state as he grew older. The book itself isn’t often funny, but it is incisive and humorous with its melancholy. Sadly, he died at 40 due to a drug overdose.
neilsarver's review against another edition
4.0
This is really good and interesting material. I'm sure I would have rated it 5 stars on my previous reading decades back. I might even go 4.5 stars if Goodreads allowed it now.
But it was originally written as a series of articles and it shows. The articles are terrific as pieces, but this book feels like it needs to gel. I'd guess if [a:Bruce|61344|Lenny Bruce|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1208183218p2/61344.jpg] had lived, he could have worked with [a:Paul Krassner|31209|Paul Krassner|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1353988782p2/31209.jpg] or another editor to make this into a stronger, more cohesive book.
But it was originally written as a series of articles and it shows. The articles are terrific as pieces, but this book feels like it needs to gel. I'd guess if [a:Bruce|61344|Lenny Bruce|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1208183218p2/61344.jpg] had lived, he could have worked with [a:Paul Krassner|31209|Paul Krassner|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1353988782p2/31209.jpg] or another editor to make this into a stronger, more cohesive book.
andrewmull2's review against another edition
4.0
I laughed out loud in public many a time, and learned a lot about the life and struggles of Lenny Bruce
panastasia's review against another edition
The autobiography of Lenny Bruce, stand up comedian in the '50s and the' 60s. Sex, religion, racism, free speech. You name it, he spoke about it with unmatched brilliance, sparking controversy and paying a heavy price.
"it is biting, sardonic, certainly stimulating and quite often funny—but never in a jovial way."
While half the book talks about his life from his formative years, taking us through the choices that led him to the stage in front of the audience the rest of it is consumed by his legal troubles concerning his "obscene" material, that eventually took a toll. It was the hardest part of the book to follow and more often than not, I got lost in it.
"Now there are no more dirty Japs; there are dirty Commies! And when we run out of them there’ll just be dirty dirt. And dirty mud. Then we’ll eat the mud and Pearl Buck will write a book about it. By that time, the few hippies who discovered that it’s the earth which is dirty will have made it to the moon for the Miss Missile contest."
Η αυτοβιογραφία του Λένι Μπρους, stand up κωμικός στις δεκαετίες του '50 και του '60. Σεξ, θρησκεία, ρατσισμός, ελευθερία του λόγου. Ότι και αν πείτε, έχει μιλήσει για αυτό με απαράμιλλη οξυδέρκεια, πυροδοτώντας διαμάχες και πληρώνοντας το βαρύ τίμημα.
«Είναι δηκτικός, σαρδόνιος, σίγουρα διεγερτικός και αρκετά συχνά αστείος αλλά ποτέ με εύθυμο τρόπο».
Ενώ το μισό βιβλίο μιλά για τη ζωή του από τη νεαρή ηλικία του μέχρι την ενηλικίωση, περνώντας από τις επιλογές που τον οδήγησαν στη σκηνή μπροστά στο κοινό, το υπόλοιπο κυριεύεται από τα νομικά του προβλήματα σχετικά με το «άσεμνο» υλικό του, που τελικά τον κατέβαλλαν. Ήταν το πιο δύσκολο κομμάτι του βιβλίου και τις περισσότερες φορές χανόμουν στις αναφορές του.
"Τώρα δεν υπάρχουν πια βρώμικοι Ιάπωνες, υπάρχουν βρώμικοι Κομμουνιστές! Και όταν μας τελειώσουν και αυτοί, θα υπάρχει απλώς βρώμικη βρωμιά. Και βρώμικη λάσπη. Μετά θα φάμε τη λάσπη και η Περλ Μπακ θα γράψει ένα βιβλίο γι' αυτό. Μέχρι τότε, οι λίγοι χίπις που ανακάλυψαν ότι η γη είναι βρώμικη θα έχουν φτάσει στο φεγγάρι για το διαγωνισμό Μις πολεμικό βλήμα."
"it is biting, sardonic, certainly stimulating and quite often funny—but never in a jovial way."
While half the book talks about his life from his formative years, taking us through the choices that led him to the stage in front of the audience the rest of it is consumed by his legal troubles concerning his "obscene" material, that eventually took a toll. It was the hardest part of the book to follow and more often than not, I got lost in it.
"Now there are no more dirty Japs; there are dirty Commies! And when we run out of them there’ll just be dirty dirt. And dirty mud. Then we’ll eat the mud and Pearl Buck will write a book about it. By that time, the few hippies who discovered that it’s the earth which is dirty will have made it to the moon for the Miss Missile contest."
Η αυτοβιογραφία του Λένι Μπρους, stand up κωμικός στις δεκαετίες του '50 και του '60. Σεξ, θρησκεία, ρατσισμός, ελευθερία του λόγου. Ότι και αν πείτε, έχει μιλήσει για αυτό με απαράμιλλη οξυδέρκεια, πυροδοτώντας διαμάχες και πληρώνοντας το βαρύ τίμημα.
«Είναι δηκτικός, σαρδόνιος, σίγουρα διεγερτικός και αρκετά συχνά αστείος αλλά ποτέ με εύθυμο τρόπο».
Ενώ το μισό βιβλίο μιλά για τη ζωή του από τη νεαρή ηλικία του μέχρι την ενηλικίωση, περνώντας από τις επιλογές που τον οδήγησαν στη σκηνή μπροστά στο κοινό, το υπόλοιπο κυριεύεται από τα νομικά του προβλήματα σχετικά με το «άσεμνο» υλικό του, που τελικά τον κατέβαλλαν. Ήταν το πιο δύσκολο κομμάτι του βιβλίου και τις περισσότερες φορές χανόμουν στις αναφορές του.
"Τώρα δεν υπάρχουν πια βρώμικοι Ιάπωνες, υπάρχουν βρώμικοι Κομμουνιστές! Και όταν μας τελειώσουν και αυτοί, θα υπάρχει απλώς βρώμικη βρωμιά. Και βρώμικη λάσπη. Μετά θα φάμε τη λάσπη και η Περλ Μπακ θα γράψει ένα βιβλίο γι' αυτό. Μέχρι τότε, οι λίγοι χίπις που ανακάλυψαν ότι η γη είναι βρώμικη θα έχουν φτάσει στο φεγγάρι για το διαγωνισμό Μις πολεμικό βλήμα."