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What I'd Say to the Martians and Other Veiled Threats
by
Jack Handey
The bestselling author of "Deep Thoughts" returns with a new collection of wacky musings and hilarious ramblings.
Hardcover, 192 pages
Published
April 8th 2008
by Hyperion
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This book is one crescendo of stupidity after another. Which is why I loved so much of it. The middle slowed down significantly and the ending had descriptive passages of former sat. night live material that didn't work in written format but the parts that made me laugh, MADE ME LAUGH!
Did I feel shallow and unintelligent for letting the collection of Nerudo poetry, the short stories of checkov, and the moviegoer keep waiting for me on my nightstand as I barreled forward with this inane co...more
Did I feel shallow and unintelligent for letting the collection of Nerudo poetry, the short stories of checkov, and the moviegoer keep waiting for me on my nightstand as I barreled forward with this inane co...more
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I love Jack Handey! His writing reminds me of George Saunders' without the humanity and insight into American society, but with greater use of the word "buttocks." Which honestly, in Handey's masterful hands, never fails to get a laugh out of me.
This slim collection had a couple of great pieces I'd never read before ("How Things Even Out" "Ideas for Paintings" "Little Tiny Stories"), some more only OK pieces, and then some reprints of his o...more
This slim collection had a couple of great pieces I'd never read before ("How Things Even Out" "Ideas for Paintings" "Little Tiny Stories"), some more only OK pieces, and then some reprints of his o...more
I try not to give five stars to very many books. My ratings-criteria is fairly simple, based on a system first introduced to me by the brilliant Roger Ebert.
What is the book/movie/art piece/piece of cultural detritus trying to do, and how well does it do it?
Assessing a work under this criteria means one cannot give lower and higher scores based on one's personal tastes. One must cast aside personal bias and rate the work simply on what they determine it is trying to do, a...more
What is the book/movie/art piece/piece of cultural detritus trying to do, and how well does it do it?
Assessing a work under this criteria means one cannot give lower and higher scores based on one's personal tastes. One must cast aside personal bias and rate the work simply on what they determine it is trying to do, a...more
I laughed my ass off while reading this book. There were a couple of pieces that flopped for me, but I just really like this style of humor. I'm not sure who Jack Handey is, with the obvious Steve Martin references in it, there's good reason to believe Jack Handey is just Steve Martin. I'd be shocked if Steve Martin didn't have a profound involvement in this book. However, it's possible that other SNL writers, or maybe just "friends of the circle" wrote little pieces for this too. This...more
Hilarious.
It might not be for you if you hate "funny things that are really great".
Otherwise, check it out. It's like book candy.
It might not be for you if you hate "funny things that are really great".
Otherwise, check it out. It's like book candy.
For my money, middle Americans find it too easy to lump Jack Handey in with the alumni of SNL, which is a real shame. Handey is, in my opinion, the master of the short form comedic essay. This book is the first collection of his that I've read, so I can't say how it fares against past collections. I will say that I accidentally left the book on top of my bathroom cabinet and now the binding boards curl out like a duck's bill. But if you're a Jack Handey fan, you've probably already read some of ...more
I should be very clear that I found this book never less than entertaining, and at times "howlingly" funny, but that does not necessarily translate into a 4-star book rating. For Jack Handey fans, this is an appealing grab bag of some of his more memorable bits for SNL, as well as a place for him to showcase some "longer" pieces (i.e., 3-4 pages).
Of more lasting literary value would be some extended mullet-brained musings and manic meditations; nevertheless, a co...more
Of more lasting literary value would be some extended mullet-brained musings and manic meditations; nevertheless, a co...more
I don't think that there is a funnier or more original writer than Jack Handey. I find it remarkable that he can tie together so many idiosyncratic things in such a short space, and have it all blend so well. The nice thing about this book is that many references are linked throughout (even though they're pulled from varied pieces). Thus, the recurring jokes about his “so-called friend Don,” his “funny cowboy dance,” etc. pack a little more punch. I highly recommend this and wish that there were...more
Funny stuff. Picked this up randomly at the library and was happy with my choice. A lot of the weird stuff that you see in the last skit of SNL, the ones where they think you've already stopped watching. Those were always my favorite ones. Plus, since Handey is the originator of "Deep Thoughts," there are several "Deep Thoughts" sections as well. Definitely some moments where I laughed out loud. I recommend this for a fast, funny, and strange read.
I laughed so hard at parts of this book that I cried. My favorite of the selections was probably "My Nature Documentary," which I had to read while taking frequent breaks so that I wouldn't pass out.
I've always loved Jack Handey and was pleased when my wife picked this book up for me. Highly recommended for anyone who has found Handey even moderately amusing at any point.
I've always loved Jack Handey and was pleased when my wife picked this book up for me. Highly recommended for anyone who has found Handey even moderately amusing at any point.
I never knew that Jack Handey wrote such brilliant essays. The man is so versatile and so clever, he positively blows me away. The essays are far better than his Deep Thoughts or Fuzzy Memories, and I would highly recommend this book to anyone in good need of a laugh. My favorite was the title piece.
Whether you were introduced to Jack Handey through Saturday Night Live, his pieces in The New Yorker, Outside and Playboy, or one of his many collected works, including Deep Thoughts, Deeper Thoughts or Deepest Thoughts, his humor, born from Steve Martin's "Jerk Humor,"; plays the fool again in these longer essays. Essays/bits/theories (I'm not sure WHAT to call them)vary from why your skeleton should be as scary as possible after you die to how he'd film a nature documentary. In add...more
Jack Handey is hilarious, as always. I think this book is best read in small chunks, so you don't get overwhelmed/worn out by the comedy. If you've been following his career (with the New Yorker and other places), many of these pieces may be familiar to you, but it's still well worth reading.
I haven't laughed out-loud while reading in ages. Jack Handy helped me do that again. My buddy, Randy< let me borrow this after reading it on our way back from L.A. I'm sure glad he brought it. I remember watching "Deep Thoughts" on SNL when I was a kid and now I can appreciate them now that I'm older. I can't wait to read Jack's others.
If you like Deep Thoughts you will be entertained for the majority of the book. Some is laugh out loud funny while other stories leave you wanting more. I was disappointed that Handey cheated by filling some of the pages with "my favorite deep thoughts"...um, I already read that book?!
Hilarious. If you like Jack Handey's sense of humor, you'll love this book. A few words that get me rolling: "glue mud", "marshmackies", and "wow, how did they think of that?". It's too funny and my only complaint is that there's not enough. I finished it in a day.
Exceedingly silly and funny. While he previously wrote Saturday Night Live skits in the day, Handey now occasionally contributes to "The New Yorker." Many of these essays are from that publication.
"When we woudld go for a drive in the family car, I used to love to stick my head out the window, until one time we passed an oncoming car and my head knocked off a dog's head."
An excellent set of short essays by a master comedian. The essays were quick, witty, and hilarious and often had me laughing out loud. A must for any Jack Handey fans. Loved it.
Commitment to deadpan is absolute, absurd, and at points, laugh out loud ridiculous. Brought me back to the salad days of my youth, watching SNL in he early 90s.
I am giving this three stars because it did make me laugh out loud a few times, but a lot of it was actually not that funny. I just skimmed a couple of the pieces.
I love this book!!! The sense of humor is right up my alley. Highlights are "MY FIRST DAY IN HELL" and "MY THIRD BEST FRIEND". A Classic Tome.
Not that I loved every story, but enough of them made me laugh out loud to give it a 5 star rating. The hitchhiker one... I don't know... pretty disturbing.
The funniest book I have ever read. Not even close. The most hilarious writer and many people don't even know he's a real person.
The best sketch is "Thank You for Stopping." I heard it ten years ago, and I can't get it out of my mind.
I'd already read many of these in the New Yorker, but who cares? I laugh just as hard the second or third time. A few of the essays leave me flat, but they are more than made up for by all the ones that have me snorting inappropriately or laughing until my eyes water. And I don't think that I had made the connection that Jack Handey was the genius behind both the Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer and Toonces the Driving Cat. A few of his Saturday Night Live skits and some old Deep Thoughts are tossed ...more
Every bit as funny as his Deep Thoughts shorts, and sometimes even better.
This is by far the funniest book ever written. End of review.
Today I read excerpts out loud to co-workers and we laughed until we ached. This is a very funny book!
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Jack Handey is an American humorist. He is best known for his Deep Thoughts, a large body of surrealistic one-liner jokes, as well as his "Fuzzy Memories" and "My Big Thick Novel" shorts. Many people have the false impression that Jack Handey is not an actual person, but a character created by Saturday Night Live or a pen name used by National Lampoon.
More about Jack Handey...
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