Wow, This One Is Actually, (Mostly), Funny

In the past year I've read probably a dozen books by authors who were promoted as former writers for this talk show, or that sitcom, or some podcast, or some improv group. They were all supposed to be hilarious and/or brilliant and/or, even, "breathtakingly brilliant". The ones that worked along the lines of Hollywood memoir mostly told sour stories about celebrities they didn't like. The ones who wrote confessional humor mined the apparently inexhaustible vein of I'm-an-incompetent man-child dork. The ones who wrote fiction always featured a hero who was an incompetent man-child dork. The edgier ones wrote a lot about drugs, apparently assuming that we never heard any stories about SNL in the 70's. None of these struck me as even remotely funny, unless you really dig flop sweat.

Anyway, I apologize for venting and for taking the very long way around to saying that this book exhibits not a single one of those disqualifying features. These stories are cheerfully absurd, with just the right amount of edge - all of it complemented by smart dialogue, and a deadpan eye and restrained, sneaky-funny style. Simon can be brutal and sweet, often on the same page, and sometimes in the same line. He's been compared favorably to lots of writers I like, (Christopher Moore might be the closest), and that's good.

Is it all gold? Well, of course not. But the assay value is high, which is the best you can usually hope for.

So, bottom line, for me, if you're going to try one funny book by one behind the scenes supposedly funny writer, Rich is definitely that guy.

(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

I like Simon Rich and his work for television. His comedy, like Man Seeking Woman, translates well into prose and this collection of short stories was hilarious.

**Review will be published to blog in month-in-review blog post on 01 Oct 2018 at 10:00AM EST**

"Growing up horse, I do not expect much from life. My ten older brothers all end up in stable. My sisters become glue." Wait what? This collection is so absurd and I was along for the ride. This excerpt came from my favourite story of the collection, "Riding Solo: The Oatsy Story," which I made my friend, who was sitting next to me, read (it was only two pages on my iPad!) (she needed a pick-me-up that day). The collection has a particular kind of humour, mainly nodding to themes regarding media, entertainment, and fame, some of which I got, some which I didn't get so much. But it's a quick collection, almost more like bits than short stories, so have a flip through yourself!

"All he liked to do was sit around in his underwear, making up jokes and then laughing at them." That pretty much describes the self referential author of these short stories. Unfortunately, I wasn't laughing along with him. Some of the more satirical stories might have made amusing New Yorker cartoons and some of the others might have been ok as part of a set in a comedy club. But they didn't work for me at all as short stories. Each consists of one joke, drawn out. What if your future career could be predicted from a sonogram, and an author found himself competing with the novel his fetal son was typing while in the uterus? What if Paul Revere's horse wanted equal credit for the ride? What if death were an actor? The gofer for a studio exec tries to talk the exec into heaven. I just didn't find any of this funny. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Hits and Misses: Stories by Simon Rich is a very highly recommended humorous collection of eighteen short stories.
The various stories in this collection run the gamete from hilarious to satirical, from absurd to insightful, from audacious to circumspect. In the final analysis, however, they are all entertaining, while simultaneously pointing out some absurdities or proclivities of the human condition (especially related to writers, media, film work and even when the main protagonist isn't human) in a humorous manner. I thoroughly enjoyed every story in this collection. They were all hits for me.

Contents:
The Baby - A novelist begins competing with his unborn child for literary recognition.
Riding Solo: The Oatsy Story - Paul Revere's horse reveals the true story.
The Foosball Championship of the Whole Entire Universe - Two brothers are in an uneven competition where only one can be named the ultimate winner.
Birthday Party - A man who takes a corporate job is confronted by his former selves over his choices.
The Book of Simon - Simon's life as compared to the Book of Job.
Relapse - An intervention is needed for an artist who thinks she wants to get back into the music business.
Hands - A Christian monk is tested by his ethical deficits.
New Client - An old-time talent agent signs up his last client.
The Great Jester: Havershire, a medieval court jester, tells his life's story.
Physician’s Lounge, April 1st: Dr. Metzger is no longer allowed to make April Fool's jokes.
Menlo Park, 1891 - Thomas Edison makes a film, Newark athlete.
Tom Hanks Stories - Tom Hanks is a nice guy.
Adolf Hitler: The GQ Profile - A gushing magazine profile of the dictator.
Any Person, Living or Dead - Frequently asked questions about the new technology allows you to have dinner with anyone, living or dead.
Upward Mobility - A powerful studio boss and his able assistant are before Saint Peter.
Dinosaur - A dinosaur writer is unable to keep up with the new writers.
Artist’s Revenge - A successful director forces his harshest critic to make a movie.
Stage 13 - A young, unaccomplished director is offered the opportunity to make a movie with a unique star.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Little, Brown and Company via Netgalley.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2018/07/hits-and-misses.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2466495784
https://www.librarything.com/work/21604053/book/158560341
https://www.facebook.com/shetreadssoftly/
https://twitter.com/SheTreadsSoftly/status/1021131343844061186
Amazon and Barnes&Noble after publication

I enjoyed the humour and writing in this collection of irreverent short stories, although sometimes I wonder if I was smart enough to truly appreciate them. There definitely seemed to be a slant to those in the entertainment industry, with several winks in their direction. I did like reading the book and while personally not my usual tastes, I know a few people that I would recommend this to that I think would find this hilarious.

In typical Simon Rich form, he continues to somehow create books that are hilarious, original and quirky. The short stories each pack such a punch as he fits in these perfectly succinct and captivating tales that leave you constantly wondering how he comes up with these ideas. Every public library should own this book.

I always forget just how much I like Simon Rich until I inevitably stumble across one of his new books somewhere. The short stories here are delightful, whether they are simple silliness or biting satire, and I laughed out loud more than once. The GQ profile of Adolf Hitler is a great send-up of certain publications' *cough* New York Times * cough* recent attempts to make white nationalists somehow more palatable with sympathetic profiles.

"Relapse" is perhaps one of the best and most horrifying commentaries on the ways in which people give up art as they get older and life gets in the way. I don't want to say much else about it, because it's 100% worth reading this entire book to experience just this one gut-punch of a story.

Simon Rich had me cackling out loud right away. These stories are so irreverent and fun with characters ranging from a genius in utero infant to Paul Revere’s horse to Adolf Hitler. Some are better than others, as the title implies, but all are entertaining.