The Premise:
Patton Oswalt tries his hand at being a “Writer”.
The Good:
Mr. Oswalt’s strengths as a stand-up comedian best translate
to the printed page when he’s making cultural and sociological observations. When
he sticks to telling straightforward stories peppered with references, both
popular and obscure, he is at his best, but it’s a misnomer to classify this
book as “humor”. There is a lot of heart between these pages. As a first
effort, this work is admirable, if severely flawed. The words worth a read:
·
Also By Patton Oswalt
·
Preface Foreword Intro
·
Ticket Booth
·
Prelude to “The Song of Ulvaak”
·
Zombie Spaceship Wasteland
·
The Victory Tour
·
Mary C. Runfola Explains Her Gifts
·
About the Type
The Bad:
For fans expecting Mr. Oswalt’s stand-up routine in printed
form, or hilarious anecdotes about life on the road or Hollywood, they will be
sorely disappointed.
Mr. Oswalt never seems to know what kind of book he wants to
write. Is it a collection of stories? Is it more of a notebook with all sorts
of humorous sketches? Is it a walk down memory lane?
It reads as if he desperately wants to be taken seriously as
a writer, but then undermines that conceit with a cast-off piece of “humor”
writing. This might seem harsh, but that the book evokes any sort of emotion or
thought cannot and should not be dismissed.
The Verdict:
Borrow it. Or check it out
from the library. Like an Apple product, wait for version 2.0, when all the
bugs are worked out.
