12 of 14 copies available
“I’ve known Bob Odenkirk for more than thirty years, and yet I had to read this book to believe his stunning career arc.”—Conan O’Brien
ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2022—Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, Parade, The AV Club
Bob Odenkirk’s career is inexplicable. And yet he will try like hell to explicate it for you. Charting a “Homeric” decades-long “odyssey” from his origins in the seedy comedy clubs of Chicago to a dramatic career full of award nominations—with a side-trip into the action-man world that is baffling to all who know him—it’s almost like there are many Bob Odenkirks! But there is just one and one is plenty.
Bob embraced a life in comedy after a chance meeting with Second City’s legendary Del Close. He somehow made his way to a job as a writer at Saturday Night Live. While surviving that legendary gauntlet by the skin of his gnashing teeth, he stashed away the secrets of comedy writing—eventually employing them in the immortal “Motivational Speaker” sketch for Chris Farley, honing them on The Ben Stiller Show, and perfecting them on Mr. Show with Bob and David.
In Hollywood, Bob demonstrated a bullheadedness that would shame Sisyphus himself, and when all hope was lost for the umpteenth time, the phone rang with an offer to appear on Breaking Bad—a show about how boring it is to be a high school chemistry teacher. His embrace of this strange new world of dramatic acting led him to working with Steven Spielberg, Alexander Payne, and Greta Gerwig, and then, in a twist that will confound you, he re-re-invented himself as a bona fide action star. Why? Read this and do your own psychoanalysis—it’s fun!
Featuring humorous tangents, wild characters, and Bob’s trademark unflinching drive, Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama is a classic showbiz tale told by a determined idiot.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
March 1, 2022 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781984885296
- File size: 226891 KB
- Duration: 07:52:41
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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Author/narrator Bob Odenkirk's timing and comic persona animate this inward-looking memoir. His Chicago accent permeates his narration as does his whip-smart humor. He reads and writes with self-conscious wit, and his audiobook is a candid story of "try, try, and try again" told with panache and a boatload of insider riffs on sketch comedy and its players. Odenkirk spent years in the comedy trenches as a writer for "SNL," had a little-known but influential HBO program called "Mr. Show with Bob and David," and wrote numerous comedy pilots that never aired. Best known for his fine work as Saul Goodman, the likable sleaze first seen on "Breaking Bad" and reprised in the spin-off "Better Call Saul," Odenkirk is funny and revealing--as is his memoir. A.D.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine -
July 1, 2022
Comedy legend Odenkirk's memoir traces his sketch comedy roots through his breakout success with Breaking Bad with self-effacing wit. He delivers a chronological retelling of his ever-diversifying Hollywood r�sum�, regaling listeners with old-school comic deep dives about the early days of the Chicago comedy scene, the grind of writing for Saturday Night Live, and the trailblazing collaborative spirit of HBO's Mr. Show with Bob and David. Fans of Odenkirk's more dramatic roles learn insightful tidbits such as how he was emotionally exhausted by playing lawyer Saul Goodman in Better Call Saul. Odenkirk's Midwestern chip-on-the-shoulder gives his narration an unsentimental edge. The actor offers no hot takes or quick tricks after a lifetime in the entertainment business, just the straightforward mantra that hard work can yield success. His sincerity and skilled craftsmanship shine through in a well-paced narrative with quick jokes and relevant asides. VERDICT A high-quality addition and a must-listen for even casual fans of the robust "comedic memoir" genre of audiobooks.--Lizzie Nolan
Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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Starred review from October 11, 2021
Comedian and actor Odenkirk (A Load of Hooey) spills on the good, the bad, and oftentimes hilarious moments of his life in this gleeful and irreverent memoir. His love of sketch comedy was cemented in middle school when he discovered Monty Python, or as he calls it “the hip-hop that saved my life.” “It was comedy with a kick... that said, ‘We’re in, and whoever doesn’t get it is out.’ It felt great to find my people.” In 1983, following a chance meeting with comedian Del Close, Odenkirk moved to Chicago (where the wind was “cold enough to hurt your face and your feelings”) to become a comedian. Never missing a beat—or a bit—he hits the highlights of his impressive career, including writing for SNL from 1987 to 1991 (“My grades for the SNL experience: a solid C-minus, but with an A for effort... and an F for citizenship”), cocreating the underground hit ’90s comedy series Mr. Show, and portraying crooked attorney Saul Goodman on Breaking Bad and its spin-off Better Call Saul. Above all, he frankly demonstrates how hard work, pure dumb luck, and “learning to grab your junk and jump” can pay off in the most gratifying ways. Comedy fans will find plenty of laughs and some heartening lessons, too. Agent: Erin Malone, William Morris Endeavor.
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