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A review by carlylottsofbookz
I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell by Tucker Max
3.0
I felt so many emotions reading this book, I am almost unsure how to revew it.
To start, I thought after my last David Sedaris book (and a string of other books like it), that I would officially stop reading books I termed the "I'm an asshole" genre. I don't agree with giving someone a book deal just because they have writing abilities, and the ability to be a complete selfish jerk to everyone they come in contact with.
However, I knew that was what this book was...and I still wanted to read it. I needed, somehow, validation of "How absurd can he REALLY be?" Mind blowing is the answer.
I have an internal conflict with this book. I found Tucker Max to be the most terrible human being ever to walk the face of the earth. Literally, I have seen characters like him in books/tv/movies...but didn't know that kind of person really existed.
But (and we knew a but was coming..) I laughed my butt of reading this book. What does that say about me?
The thought that just kept popping into my head while reading this book is that Tucker Max represents EVERYTHING that is wrong with our country (maybe the world?). As a former teacher, I dealt with so many students who were disrespectful. And I remember thinking, How did they get this way? The answer: role models like Tucker Max (or perhaps Peter Griffin and Homer Simpson?). I do not doubt that Tucker has a pretty high intelligence. But rather than using that intellect to DO something, he makes a living by being an asshole to people. Well, if I were 16 and reading this book or seeing him get a movie deal and MTV shows...I might ask myself why I would bother to try in school--afterall, if I can get money to just be a dickhead to people?? Why not? It's easier than working.
What's worse, is the knowledge that, if there were a book about a person with the opposite qualities of Tucker Max: ie, a book about someone who just went around being nice to people and helping people....would I read it? Probably not. It'd be boring. So, while I can detest Max and the fact that he is only famous for being an ass...I must realize in myself that I contribute to the problem I say I detest.
That is the internal conflict.
One more note on the book itself: Although I laughed, and was shocked, I was bored by his actions halfway. The last half of the book was a DREAD to get though. Funny stuff still happened, but I just didn't care anymore.
To start, I thought after my last David Sedaris book (and a string of other books like it), that I would officially stop reading books I termed the "I'm an asshole" genre. I don't agree with giving someone a book deal just because they have writing abilities, and the ability to be a complete selfish jerk to everyone they come in contact with.
However, I knew that was what this book was...and I still wanted to read it. I needed, somehow, validation of "How absurd can he REALLY be?" Mind blowing is the answer.
I have an internal conflict with this book. I found Tucker Max to be the most terrible human being ever to walk the face of the earth. Literally, I have seen characters like him in books/tv/movies...but didn't know that kind of person really existed.
But (and we knew a but was coming..) I laughed my butt of reading this book. What does that say about me?
The thought that just kept popping into my head while reading this book is that Tucker Max represents EVERYTHING that is wrong with our country (maybe the world?). As a former teacher, I dealt with so many students who were disrespectful. And I remember thinking, How did they get this way? The answer: role models like Tucker Max (or perhaps Peter Griffin and Homer Simpson?). I do not doubt that Tucker has a pretty high intelligence. But rather than using that intellect to DO something, he makes a living by being an asshole to people. Well, if I were 16 and reading this book or seeing him get a movie deal and MTV shows...I might ask myself why I would bother to try in school--afterall, if I can get money to just be a dickhead to people?? Why not? It's easier than working.
What's worse, is the knowledge that, if there were a book about a person with the opposite qualities of Tucker Max: ie, a book about someone who just went around being nice to people and helping people....would I read it? Probably not. It'd be boring. So, while I can detest Max and the fact that he is only famous for being an ass...I must realize in myself that I contribute to the problem I say I detest.
That is the internal conflict.
One more note on the book itself: Although I laughed, and was shocked, I was bored by his actions halfway. The last half of the book was a DREAD to get though. Funny stuff still happened, but I just didn't care anymore.