ch4pterfour's review
4.0
I listened to the audiobook and it felt like I was listening to a standup routine. Most of it was funny and I often found myself laughing out loud. Warning: The language was offensive at times, and it seemed to get worse as the book progressed.
cj_mo_2222's review
5.0
“Seinfeld” is one of my all-time favorite television shows and I have watched every episode multiple times. I’ve never seen Jerry Seinfeld’s stand-up act, however, so I was very interested in reading this book. It consists of the comedian’s favorite material, organized by decade. Each section has a brief introduction by Jerry setting up the material that follows. The 70s through the 90s sections include some new gems such as the one about being afraid to adjust the thermostat and some old favorites of his that I enjoy including why men flip tv channels, people obeying the “Dry clean only” label, and spoiling your appetite. The newer material includes Seinfeld’s take on weddings, marriage, parenting, and other topics. I especially liked the bits about texting. Of course I didn’t love every joke, but there is a wide variety of material that kept me entertained throughout the book.
If you’re a fan of the television show or Jerry Seinfeld’s stand-up act, you will enjoy the book. I could hear Jerry’s voice as I read it, I just wish I could have pictured his gestures and facial expressions since they add so much to his jokes. I loved the book and recommend it to all Seinfeld fans - just be prepared to laugh out loud while reading it.
I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Simon & Schuster. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
If you’re a fan of the television show or Jerry Seinfeld’s stand-up act, you will enjoy the book. I could hear Jerry’s voice as I read it, I just wish I could have pictured his gestures and facial expressions since they add so much to his jokes. I loved the book and recommend it to all Seinfeld fans - just be prepared to laugh out loud while reading it.
I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Simon & Schuster. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
alisonchannita's review
3.0
I have this terrible habit of picking up a book without reading what it’s about so long as it’s written by someone I know and then wondering why I’m so confused with the direction of the book 50 pages in…
I don’t know why I was expecting this to be a memoir, but it’s not (or not really… there’s a little bit of biographical information). This is literally a book of Jerry Seinfeld’s jokes since the 70s. If you’ve seen his Jerry Before Seinfeld special on Netflix, you will see many of the jokes told there on the pages.
I think comedy as an art form is so interesting and I’m fascinated by the process of writing jokes and figuring out what’s going to hit. This book got me wondering about how Jerry Seinfeld performs on the mic—I’m not as familiar with his standup as I am with Seinfeld (the show) where there’s a script and a laugh track. The jokes in the book are (for the most part) stand alone bits and don’t appear to flow together, yet the collection feels organized.
Without going back and watching the aforementioned Netflix special, I’m trying to remember if this was his game plan to make up for the lack of continuity in jokes: tell a joke, wait for the laugh to fade, then segue into a new joke with, “You know when…” or “Have you ever…”
While many of his jokes definitely reflect the times (read: *very* heteronormative), still some solid LOLs scattered throughout.
I don’t know why I was expecting this to be a memoir, but it’s not (or not really… there’s a little bit of biographical information). This is literally a book of Jerry Seinfeld’s jokes since the 70s. If you’ve seen his Jerry Before Seinfeld special on Netflix, you will see many of the jokes told there on the pages.
I think comedy as an art form is so interesting and I’m fascinated by the process of writing jokes and figuring out what’s going to hit. This book got me wondering about how Jerry Seinfeld performs on the mic—I’m not as familiar with his standup as I am with Seinfeld (the show) where there’s a script and a laugh track. The jokes in the book are (for the most part) stand alone bits and don’t appear to flow together, yet the collection feels organized.
Without going back and watching the aforementioned Netflix special, I’m trying to remember if this was his game plan to make up for the lack of continuity in jokes: tell a joke, wait for the laugh to fade, then segue into a new joke with, “You know when…” or “Have you ever…”
While many of his jokes definitely reflect the times (read: *very* heteronormative), still some solid LOLs scattered throughout.
ohio_is_for_readers's review
3.0
2.5 - 3. It's hard for me to decide.
If you're a fan of Jerry's stand up and watched his show, you've heard a lot of this before. I'm a huge Seinfeld fan all around. He's a great comedian, "artist", and human being -- someone I would absolutely love to sit and have a drink with.
For those that don't know, this book is just a compilation of his jokes. I found I barely laughed or smiled but there was a handful of jokes that made me laugh out loud.
It's a very quick and easy read, I found myself getting bored with it half way through but I pushed through. That's never a way you want to feel about a book.
If you're a fan of Jerry's stand up and watched his show, you've heard a lot of this before. I'm a huge Seinfeld fan all around. He's a great comedian, "artist", and human being -- someone I would absolutely love to sit and have a drink with.
For those that don't know, this book is just a compilation of his jokes. I found I barely laughed or smiled but there was a handful of jokes that made me laugh out loud.
It's a very quick and easy read, I found myself getting bored with it half way through but I pushed through. That's never a way you want to feel about a book.
ktcarlston's review
3.0
Because I am a fan of Seinfeld's stand-up- I feel like I had heard the VAST majority of the content in this book prior to listening to it. And that part just made me sad. His delivery on the older bits that I have heard made him seem tired and old and ornery. His newer stuff did make me laugh out loud. Definitely. So kind of a hit and a miss.