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A review by zamyatins_fears
Medallion Status: True Stories from Secret Rooms by John Hodgman
4.0
Medallion Status is a must read for any John Hodgman fans. I’ve been a fan of his comedy podcast Judge John Hodgman for years, and I’ve enjoyed his appearances on the Daily Show, but as I haven’t read any of his other books, I really didn’t know what to expect.
I found that it was absolutely chock full of the alternately self-effacing and jokingly narcissistic charm that I’ve come to expect from John Hodgman. It’s witty. It’s brutally honest, despite the comedic framing and because of that, it’s brave.
John tackles the idea of status and what it means to us in its various forms. Everything from the status you hold in your hometown, status in your career, amongst your family/pets, or the perceived status gained from spending too much money climbing the tiers of your favorite rewards program. He addresses the feeling of having status, the importance we place on it and the struggles faced when losing that status, as well as the freedom gained from the loss of status.
This book had me laughing all the way through. It was impossible not to hear his voice. There is some major name dropping going on all throughout, so you may just get a fun anecdote of your favorite celebrity. He also has an entire chapter dedicated to lovingly ribbing the various cities he’s been to on tour, so you might just get his take on your hometown.
I already loved John, but I fell in love with him a little more when I read his painfully accurate mocking of my hometown Portland, Oregon. Don’t worry FAKE Portland, Hodgman gets around to Portland, Maine too.
I burned through this book in a few days and could have easily burned through it in one, if I hadn't had another library book with an approaching due date. It was just that hard to put down.
I’d give it five stars, if it weren’t for the fact I try to reserve that rating for books that I know I’ll read dozens of times, or that absolutely blew my mind. I can see myself coming back to this one maybe once or twice over the years, but it’s a comedic memoir. I’m not going to reread it dozens of times, because there is only so much you can get out of it.
I found that it was absolutely chock full of the alternately self-effacing and jokingly narcissistic charm that I’ve come to expect from John Hodgman. It’s witty. It’s brutally honest, despite the comedic framing and because of that, it’s brave.
John tackles the idea of status and what it means to us in its various forms. Everything from the status you hold in your hometown, status in your career, amongst your family/pets, or the perceived status gained from spending too much money climbing the tiers of your favorite rewards program. He addresses the feeling of having status, the importance we place on it and the struggles faced when losing that status, as well as the freedom gained from the loss of status.
This book had me laughing all the way through. It was impossible not to hear his voice. There is some major name dropping going on all throughout, so you may just get a fun anecdote of your favorite celebrity. He also has an entire chapter dedicated to lovingly ribbing the various cities he’s been to on tour, so you might just get his take on your hometown.
I already loved John, but I fell in love with him a little more when I read his painfully accurate mocking of my hometown Portland, Oregon. Don’t worry FAKE Portland, Hodgman gets around to Portland, Maine too.
I burned through this book in a few days and could have easily burned through it in one, if I hadn't had another library book with an approaching due date. It was just that hard to put down.
I’d give it five stars, if it weren’t for the fact I try to reserve that rating for books that I know I’ll read dozens of times, or that absolutely blew my mind. I can see myself coming back to this one maybe once or twice over the years, but it’s a comedic memoir. I’m not going to reread it dozens of times, because there is only so much you can get out of it.