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A review by themaddiest
Sleepwalk With Me and Other Painfully True Stories by Mike Birbiglia
3.0
Mike Birbiglia’s memoir recounts his exploits as a child growing up in a fairly conservative, Catholic family in the 70s and 80s. It recounts his struggle to become a working comic, and his struggle with a pretty terrible case of sleepwalking (he once jumped through a glass window on the second floor of a hotel because he thought there was a missile pointed at him, which, I think, qualifies it as a “serious” case). The stories in this memoir are loosely arranged by topic and are pulled from much of his stand-up routine and his off-Broadway one-man show. I first heard of Birbiglia on This American Life (I still remember listening to him talk about the dreams he would have about the jackal hovering above his bed), and I’ve been meaning to get to this book for a while now. I’m glad I did.
What is remarkable about Birbiglia is that he manages to embody what so many comics aspire to: the everyman that audiences can identify with and actually believe in. With Birbiglia, it doesn’t feel like a bit or a gimmick: he seems very real and very natural. This comes across in both his stage presence and delivery as well as his conversational writing tone (he’s not a bad writer, either). Much of his comedy comes from within himself, and he explores issues such as his relationship to his parents, to women, and to his raging hypochondria (which, as it turns out, wasn’t far off the mark). His storytelling is easy-going, mostly positive, and funny, but it isn’t rip-roaring hilarious. It’s a layered kind of comedy, and in that respect, it’s much more complex.
For the most part, this book really works. His observational style is clear and focused, and it’s clear that Birbiglia knows his way around a sentence. It’s a book that is oftentimes deeply personal and occasionally really funny. Birbiglia spends some time talking about the late Mitch Hedberg, which offered some interesting insight into what it was like to know him. It’s clear that Birbiglia has nothing but respect for Hedberg, and his memories of him are bittersweet. Overall, Birbiglia has taken a wide array of stories and turned them into a compelling memoir.
Recommended to fans of memoirs, comedy, and NPR. This is a book that’s worth a closer look.
What is remarkable about Birbiglia is that he manages to embody what so many comics aspire to: the everyman that audiences can identify with and actually believe in. With Birbiglia, it doesn’t feel like a bit or a gimmick: he seems very real and very natural. This comes across in both his stage presence and delivery as well as his conversational writing tone (he’s not a bad writer, either). Much of his comedy comes from within himself, and he explores issues such as his relationship to his parents, to women, and to his raging hypochondria (which, as it turns out, wasn’t far off the mark). His storytelling is easy-going, mostly positive, and funny, but it isn’t rip-roaring hilarious. It’s a layered kind of comedy, and in that respect, it’s much more complex.
For the most part, this book really works. His observational style is clear and focused, and it’s clear that Birbiglia knows his way around a sentence. It’s a book that is oftentimes deeply personal and occasionally really funny. Birbiglia spends some time talking about the late Mitch Hedberg, which offered some interesting insight into what it was like to know him. It’s clear that Birbiglia has nothing but respect for Hedberg, and his memories of him are bittersweet. Overall, Birbiglia has taken a wide array of stories and turned them into a compelling memoir.
Recommended to fans of memoirs, comedy, and NPR. This is a book that’s worth a closer look.