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A review by blankpagealex
Misfit: Growing Up Awkward in the '80s by Gary Gulman
2.0
*Audiobook*
Book #6 of 2024
I'm a long time fan of Gulman's stand up from his early appearances on Conan O'Brien and so I downloaded the audiobook to hear it in the author's own voice, knowing that the mental health aspect would make this less of a "laugh riot" than other comedic memoirs might be. The brief in-between chapters when Gulman discusses his struggle with depression and how debilitating it is to normal life, were well-told, sympathetic, and interesting. The rest of the extended chapters where Gulman recounts every detail that happened to him during each grade of school were unremarkable, over-detailed, and, most disappointingly, not very funny. Gulman has great control of language, which is part of what makes his standup so good (the state capitals riff on Conan is an all-time great bit). He demonstrates that control here and is a solid writer, but most of his childhood was atypical.
This book reminds me of some of his more targeted stand-up jokes like his bit on the Sony Discman and the infamous "bass boost" - a joke I could never show my kids because it will only appeal to people who did a particular activity at a specific period of time. For people who grew up in the 1980s in the Northeast of the United States in a mixed Jewish neighborhood, this book is probably a hoot. But a lot of the references didn't land for me or elicit the nod and smile of recognition it likely will for others.
Book #6 of 2024
I'm a long time fan of Gulman's stand up from his early appearances on Conan O'Brien and so I downloaded the audiobook to hear it in the author's own voice, knowing that the mental health aspect would make this less of a "laugh riot" than other comedic memoirs might be. The brief in-between chapters when Gulman discusses his struggle with depression and how debilitating it is to normal life, were well-told, sympathetic, and interesting. The rest of the extended chapters where Gulman recounts every detail that happened to him during each grade of school were unremarkable, over-detailed, and, most disappointingly, not very funny. Gulman has great control of language, which is part of what makes his standup so good (the state capitals riff on Conan is an all-time great bit). He demonstrates that control here and is a solid writer, but most of his childhood was atypical.
This book reminds me of some of his more targeted stand-up jokes like his bit on the Sony Discman and the infamous "bass boost" - a joke I could never show my kids because it will only appeal to people who did a particular activity at a specific period of time. For people who grew up in the 1980s in the Northeast of the United States in a mixed Jewish neighborhood, this book is probably a hoot. But a lot of the references didn't land for me or elicit the nod and smile of recognition it likely will for others.