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A review by monitaroymohan
You Can't Be Serious by Kal Penn
5.0
I loved this book! My mom recommended it, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to read/listen to it because I'm not a huge fan of autobiographies/memoirs, and I'm not necessarily a fan of Kal Penn's work either (it's nothing personal, his brand of comedy just isn't appealing to me).
But from the get-go, this book had me hooked. Kal has a brilliant way of presenting the story of his life and the intricacies of being an Indian-American who loves acting. His prose is vivid, but casual. The book has very little navel-gazing and leans into the social and political context of everything he went through. I think that helped me appreciate the book a lot more. Far too often, people write hagiographies that gloss over their privilege, but Kal doesn't.
His stint with the Obama campaign was enthralling, especially because he broke down some of the intricacies involved. Fascinating and inspirational.
I think the most essential part of the book was what went down with his show 'Sunnyside'; it was an uncomfortable reminder that meritocracy is a lie, especially in North America.
But Kal doesn't wallow too much in the book, which is great. I think listening to the audiobook made the experience that much better because Kal is a brilliant storyteller and narrator. He does the accents and impressions so well—at one point he emulates an Indian customs officer, and it's so believable I burst out laughing.
This was a grand experience and every part of me wishes I could listen to this audiobook for the first time again. Highly recommend this whether you like comedy or not!
But from the get-go, this book had me hooked. Kal has a brilliant way of presenting the story of his life and the intricacies of being an Indian-American who loves acting. His prose is vivid, but casual. The book has very little navel-gazing and leans into the social and political context of everything he went through. I think that helped me appreciate the book a lot more. Far too often, people write hagiographies that gloss over their privilege, but Kal doesn't.
His stint with the Obama campaign was enthralling, especially because he broke down some of the intricacies involved. Fascinating and inspirational.
I think the most essential part of the book was what went down with his show 'Sunnyside'; it was an uncomfortable reminder that meritocracy is a lie, especially in North America.
But Kal doesn't wallow too much in the book, which is great. I think listening to the audiobook made the experience that much better because Kal is a brilliant storyteller and narrator. He does the accents and impressions so well—at one point he emulates an Indian customs officer, and it's so believable I burst out laughing.
This was a grand experience and every part of me wishes I could listen to this audiobook for the first time again. Highly recommend this whether you like comedy or not!