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A review by commander_blop
Last Words by George Carlin
3.0
I've been an admirer of Carlin for so long that it was impossible not to relish the autobiographical details and craft observations throughout this book. Since I listened to the audiobook I was also treated the eerie experience of hearing Carlin's brother, Patrick, read this book--Patrick's voice is similar to George's and, at times, he seemed to be channeling his younger brother.
Near the end of Last Words, Carlin reveals that he had always wanted to do a live one-man Broadway show about is life (a la Lily Tomlin, etc) so that he could put the characters that inspired his many voices and personas onto the stage more fully. This autobiography was intended as the first-step toward making that happen. It's a shame George Carlin died before he could bring that project to life, for as fun as this book is to read (or listen to) the fact is that Carlin was, first and foremost, a performer. So much of what made Carlin's words funny and profound was his way of bringing them to life for his audiences through voices, expressions, gestures, and sheer charisma.
Still, this book is a worthwhile consolation prize. It is worth the price of admission to read Carlin's account of how he pulled himself together in the late 1980s and produced some of his finest work in what many had assumed was the twilight of his career.
Near the end of Last Words, Carlin reveals that he had always wanted to do a live one-man Broadway show about is life (a la Lily Tomlin, etc) so that he could put the characters that inspired his many voices and personas onto the stage more fully. This autobiography was intended as the first-step toward making that happen. It's a shame George Carlin died before he could bring that project to life, for as fun as this book is to read (or listen to) the fact is that Carlin was, first and foremost, a performer. So much of what made Carlin's words funny and profound was his way of bringing them to life for his audiences through voices, expressions, gestures, and sheer charisma.
Still, this book is a worthwhile consolation prize. It is worth the price of admission to read Carlin's account of how he pulled himself together in the late 1980s and produced some of his finest work in what many had assumed was the twilight of his career.