smo's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
lordcheez's review against another edition
4.0
A ribald collection of short stories in humorous antidotes. Not laugh out loud, hilarious, but always funny and charming.
tjreadsalot's review against another edition
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
kidsquid's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
none of the stories are truly misses, they all offered something. just fun little stories to pass the time, and a good palate cleanser after a long, or more serious read.
emelynreads's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
sonia_reppe's review against another edition
5.0
After reading and loving the hilarious Spoiled Brats, I was excited to see this book. Just as funny and brilliant as I had expected.
jeremyanderberg's review against another edition
3.0
Simon Rich was born into a family of writers, which makes his first story in this collection make that much more sense. Titled "The Baby," it's about a middle-of-the-road writer who finds out during his wife's pregnancy that his unborn son is also in fact a writer. The kid is holding a pen and a moleskin, and a 4-D ultrasound can even make out some of his brilliant ideas. Agents start contacting dad about the fetus. It's ridiculous, sure, but also makes some witty points about jealousy and familial legacies.
And that story sets the stage for all the rest. They are often poignant mixtures of satire, wit, absurdity, and wisdom. Some of them are purely jokes — a story told from the point of view of Paul Revere's horse, a doctor on April Fool's Day — but many offer some sort of nugget of insight that's worth chewing on, particularly for those in creative pursuits.
It's clear that many of these stories are drawing on his experiences as comedy writer and screenwriter: One story features a guy working at a BuzzFeed-like viral content factor; he encounters younger versions of himself who are asking why he's working for the man instead of chasing his dreams. Another is about a middle-aged woman who's been forced to give up playing and writing music; she ends up in rehab because her daughter catches her playing piano. One that was especially clever was a GQ profile of Adolf Hitler; it was a lovely dig at formulaic magazine features. As a writer myself, I especially appreciated those few stories especially.
I will say that I don't think everyone will like them. If you can't get over the absurdity, it'll be rough going. In the final story, for instance, a guy makes a movie with an actual ghost. But, Hits & Misses is an incredibly quick read, and was worth the couple hours it took me to plow through these 18 short stories.
And that story sets the stage for all the rest. They are often poignant mixtures of satire, wit, absurdity, and wisdom. Some of them are purely jokes — a story told from the point of view of Paul Revere's horse, a doctor on April Fool's Day — but many offer some sort of nugget of insight that's worth chewing on, particularly for those in creative pursuits.
It's clear that many of these stories are drawing on his experiences as comedy writer and screenwriter: One story features a guy working at a BuzzFeed-like viral content factor; he encounters younger versions of himself who are asking why he's working for the man instead of chasing his dreams. Another is about a middle-aged woman who's been forced to give up playing and writing music; she ends up in rehab because her daughter catches her playing piano. One that was especially clever was a GQ profile of Adolf Hitler; it was a lovely dig at formulaic magazine features. As a writer myself, I especially appreciated those few stories especially.
I will say that I don't think everyone will like them. If you can't get over the absurdity, it'll be rough going. In the final story, for instance, a guy makes a movie with an actual ghost. But, Hits & Misses is an incredibly quick read, and was worth the couple hours it took me to plow through these 18 short stories.