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Free-Range Chickens
by
Simon Rich
After a riotous debut collection, Ant Farm, Simon Rich returns to mine more comedy from our hopelessly terrifying world. In the nostalgic opening chapter, Rich recalls his fear of the Tooth Fairy (“Is there a face fairy?”) and his initial reaction to the “Got-your-nose” game (“Please just kill me. Better to die than to live the rest of my life as a monster”). He gets insid...more
Paperback, 144 pages
Published
May 12th 2009
by Random House Trade Paperbacks
(first published 2008)
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How some punk kid who was born THE YEAR I GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL can make me crack up this much, I have no idea, but Dude is hilarious.
I'm not sure this very short collection of humor qualifies as a "book" (on my Kindle, it's exactly the same size as the free samples of books that Amazon offers), but if you've got a few minutes to kill, you could do a whole lot worse than passing them this way.
He had me with "A conversation between the people who hid in my c...more
I'm not sure this very short collection of humor qualifies as a "book" (on my Kindle, it's exactly the same size as the free samples of books that Amazon offers), but if you've got a few minutes to kill, you could do a whole lot worse than passing them this way.
He had me with "A conversation between the people who hid in my c...more
Sarah
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
people with a short attention span, people who like to laugh
Recommended to Sarah by:
my e-book store
I downloaded this onto my new e-book reader because it was included in a complementary offer, but I actually really enjoyed it. Some of the stories made me bust up laughing. Totally hilarious. And the ones that weren't hilarious were still pretty entertaining.
Each story was only a page or two long, so I liked the lack of commitment involved. I could read a story or two before bed, or waiting for the bus or whatever.
I guess I could see some of the stories as being a little.. may...more
Each story was only a page or two long, so I liked the lack of commitment involved. I could read a story or two before bed, or waiting for the bus or whatever.
I guess I could see some of the stories as being a little.. may...more
The author of this McSweeney's-esque humor book, Simon Rich, is a writer for Saturday Night Live. He's also New York Times columnist Frank Rich's son. That's two strikes right there. But the book is actually pretty funny. It's slim-- more of a poetry chapbook than an actual book-- so get it used and don't pay more than a fiver.
Here's one of my favorite parts.
-----------------
Match.com profile
-----------------
NAME: Count Dracula
OCC...more
Here's one of my favorite parts.
-----------------
Match.com profile
-----------------
NAME: Count Dracula
OCC...more
Lots of people scream "Nepotism!" at this kid and walk away, and that's unfortunate because his writing is delightfully absurd.
Like, the Match.com profile for Count Dracula:
"What are your pet peeves? Monsters. I think they are so terrible! Someone should destroy them all so that we, the humans, are safe. You come to castle?"
***
Oh, man! I don't normally laugh out loud at writing, but the piece entitled "Frogs" had me...more
Like, the Match.com profile for Count Dracula:
"What are your pet peeves? Monsters. I think they are so terrible! Someone should destroy them all so that we, the humans, are safe. You come to castle?"
***
Oh, man! I don't normally laugh out loud at writing, but the piece entitled "Frogs" had me...more
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This is a very short collection of humorous vignettes compiled by Simon Rich who, among other things, was a former Harvard Lampoon editor and a writer for Saturday Night Live and Mad Magazine. I had just finished reading the book Middlesex, which I have recently reviewed. In searching for a new book to read I decided to look at a friends book-list on Goodreads.com. My strategy was to and scroll down until I got the first book that he rated five stars and read that one no matter what. This was an...more
Author's Note: "This is a joke book that I wrote. Nothing in it is real. It's just some things that I made up."
This is a collection of random craziness on the following topics: Growing Up, Going to Work, Daily Life, Relationships, Animals and God.
I bought this book at a Borders Bargain Blow-Out. After saving 10% using my Borders Rewards Plus card, I paid at total ninety cents for this hardcover book. I think the book was worth the money. There were some very fu...more
This is a collection of random craziness on the following topics: Growing Up, Going to Work, Daily Life, Relationships, Animals and God.
I bought this book at a Borders Bargain Blow-Out. After saving 10% using my Borders Rewards Plus card, I paid at total ninety cents for this hardcover book. I think the book was worth the money. There were some very fu...more
This series of extremely short comedy sketches penned by a former president of the Harvard Lampoon and current Saturday Night Live writer was a quick, witty read. It seemed familiar to me, and that's because I had read two of these pieces previously in the New Yorker. Give it a go if you dig David Sedaris or Napoleon Dynamite.
Oh look honey, another humor book with a title irrelevant to its contents... Books like these generally burn my biscuits but someone recommended it to me -- actually she put it directly into my hands; I didn't have to lift a single finger. I did have to open them, though, and what a mistake that turned out to be!
The book was written by Simon Rich. He has previously written stuff for Mad magazine, The New Yorker, The Harvard Lampoon, and SNL, only the Lord knows how...
Dur...more
The book was written by Simon Rich. He has previously written stuff for Mad magazine, The New Yorker, The Harvard Lampoon, and SNL, only the Lord knows how...
Dur...more
Free-Range Chickens reads like premises for comedy sketches. This makes sense as Simon Rich writes for Saturday Night Live. Among my favorites are Bar Mitzvah in which God inquires about Simon Rich who must now be a man as the Bar Mitzvah proves only to find out that he is still a silly child; Acupuncture School in which the students must spend an entire year learning to not laugh when telling their patients about the benefits of acupuncture, and Marathon in which Pheidippides is brought to the ...more
This was a free e-book of comedy pieces by Rich, who's done a couple of very funny bits in Shouts and Murmurs in the New Yorker. Rich has an off-kilter kind of humor, and the collection consists of short "hey, what if...?" pieces. "If adults were subjected to the same indignities as children" begins with "ZOE: Dad, I'm throwing a party tonight, so you'll have to stay in your room. Don't worry, though: one of my friends brought over his father for you to play with. His na...more
This collection of sharp, smart, funny mini-essays appealed to my irreverent, mischievous side. At the same time, its subtle references to a wide variety of historical and cultural events make it more substantial than a mere joke book. It is "bathroom reading" for the...well, if not the living room then at least the study. It was published for adults, but the author is in his early 20s, I think, so I think this book will appeal to many teens as well. The author humorously explores ...more
I didn't find this one quite as funny as Rich's first book, Ant Farm, but it was still very smile-inducing. And there were definitely a few laugh-out-loud moments for me. Perhaps I just identify with his humor because I can understand his references (yes, I played my share of Duck Hunt as a kid). Still, watch out for a little language and adult content. If you pick up the book to check it out, take a peek at the author's photo on the back jacket. He is so young! Or at least he looks it. The fact...more
Harold Ross, founder of The New Yorker, where several of this pieces were published, once said "If you can't be funny, be interesting." Simon Rich manages to be neither.
I suspect Frank Rich (New York Times columnist, and Simon's father) has some information regarding Jon Stewart that Stewart wishes to keep from the public.There is absolutely no other reason for Jon Stewart to have endorsed this book. There is nothing in this book even remotely clever or amusing. Give an u...more
I suspect Frank Rich (New York Times columnist, and Simon's father) has some information regarding Jon Stewart that Stewart wishes to keep from the public.There is absolutely no other reason for Jon Stewart to have endorsed this book. There is nothing in this book even remotely clever or amusing. Give an u...more
I finally found a book that I loved that I also think my husband will read! Yey! This was a seriously funny book. It has been too long since I've read anything that made me laugh out loud. The fact that Simon Rich takes the Lord's name in vain more times than I could count makes this a difficult book to use in its entirety in class, but there are definitely sections that could be fun for teens. I loved the Count Dracula and animal sections as well as Simon's reflection on what he used to think a...more
WHY I PICKED IT UP
Randomly, a food blogger I follow mentioned it. And it caught my eye because Simon and I were in the same class in high school, although admittedly not in the same group of friends. Finally, I got a Sony eReader for Christmas and it was a free download... So what the hell.
NOW THAT I'VE READ IT
I liked it. Each entry is unique, but all speak to Simon's style. Most are quite funny and I liked how they were compiled into sections. Light, easy reading; so sav...more
Randomly, a food blogger I follow mentioned it. And it caught my eye because Simon and I were in the same class in high school, although admittedly not in the same group of friends. Finally, I got a Sony eReader for Christmas and it was a free download... So what the hell.
NOW THAT I'VE READ IT
I liked it. Each entry is unique, but all speak to Simon's style. Most are quite funny and I liked how they were compiled into sections. Light, easy reading; so sav...more
I don't usually like joke books. But this author writes for Saturday Night Live and knows what he's doing! Several of these cracked me up. The selection "Middle School Telephone Conversation" has two kids emailing their friends about how they both won a million dollars in a Clearing House Sweepstakes. "Frogs" has one frog justifying their dissection but another one contradicting him because the freshmen kid's lab report was poorly written. "Time Machine" and "T...more
Althought I thought that rhythmically this collection seemed a little bit abrupt, I DID laugh a significant amount (and who really laughs aloud at books that often?). It's solidly funny and I found myself dying to share it with other people.
So let me share it with YOU, fair reader! This is funny. And I read the whole thing in an hour and a half. If you're going to the beach, bring two books 'cause you'll finish this one before you're done roasting in the sun!
So let me share it with YOU, fair reader! This is funny. And I read the whole thing in an hour and a half. If you're going to the beach, bring two books 'cause you'll finish this one before you're done roasting in the sun!
The follow up to Rich's "Ant Farm". Similar in structure and style, Free Range Chickens is a book of very short vignettes that hit quickly. Similar to Jon Stewart's "Naked Pictures of Famous People", it is at it's best when it takes on totally random stories and situations. "Gotham City Hall", "If adults were subjected to the same indignities as children" and "World's oldest profession" almost had me in tears. A great second book!
Awesome in the same vein as his earlier book, "Ant Farm." The jokes are all little vignettes and when one of these scenarios strikes you as funny, it strikes you as REALLY funny. I liked "Made for Each Other" quite a bit, also, "Gotham City Hall." It's hard to resist reading these out loud to the people nearby, but they are almost always funnier in Simon Rich's voice on paper anyway. Hope he keeps it up.
One of the funniest humour books I've ever read. After an unsuccessful attempt at inducing labour in hospital when I was 42 weeks pregnant, my doctor said to go home, relax, and see whether labour started on its own. I took a long (relaxing) bath while my husband read "Free-Range Chickens" to me in the bathroom. Many times he couldn't get through a passage for chuckling. We both ended up crying with laughter. And then contractions started the next day! That's how funny this book is.
I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life then when I read the Boxing observations in this book. It's a random collection of thoughts by comedian Simon Rich, and I was barely able to breathe going through it. Flip through it if only for the lavalife profile for Dracula!
If you don't buy this book, you have to go find it and read it in the shop.
Another hilarious Gord gift.
If you don't buy this book, you have to go find it and read it in the shop.
Another hilarious Gord gift.
Hilarious, found this book at a party where I read passages aloud. Seemed to liven everybody up... till I got to a passage so funny I couldn't stop laughing, leaving my audience want for the punchline. Takes about 12 minutes to read but well worth keeping around and passing on... Hard to believe he is a writer for SNL that show hasn't been funny for quite a long time.
I read it in less than an hour so all those book club members who want a short book, here you go. It's cute and with a chapter entitled "A conversation between the people who hid in my closet everynight when I was seven" it hits on something for just about everyone. I am glad I got it at the library rather than a purchase. Still, it was worth the hour.
Totally stumbled on this, but was excited to find it--I loved Ant Farm, so I cracked it open to the first page and found this:
Terrifying childhood experiences:
1) -Got your nose!
-Please just kill me. Better to die than to live the rest
of my life as a monster.
2) -What's that in your ear? Hey--it's a quarter!
-Why is everybody laughing? I have a horrifying brain
disease.
3) -Peek-a-...more
Terrifying childhood experiences:
1) -Got your nose!
-Please just kill me. Better to die than to live the rest
of my life as a monster.
2) -What's that in your ear? Hey--it's a quarter!
-Why is everybody laughing? I have a horrifying brain
disease.
3) -Peek-a-...more
2008 ended with a pathetic 23 books read (though several were close to completion), most of them really short or bad. 2009 will be better, starting with Simon Rich's really short but really funny second book. Google his stuff at the New Yorker, and if you you'd like to read a few dozen more pieces just like those, pick up this book or his earlier Ant Farm.
Why I Read this Book: I got it as a free download from fictionwise, and dipped in to it. I was surprised to finish half before I realized it, and went ahead and finished it.
This book is amusing and pretty short; I would have been annoyed to pay for it. Nothing made me laugh out loud, though I did grin in a couple places (e.g. the piece on Dalmatians).
(Finished before 2009-01-01 12:20 EST)
This book is amusing and pretty short; I would have been annoyed to pay for it. Nothing made me laugh out loud, though I did grin in a couple places (e.g. the piece on Dalmatians).
(Finished before 2009-01-01 12:20 EST)
After reading and loving Elliot Allagash I decided I would try his other books. I was not disappointed by Free-Range Chickens. Not exactly deep or profound, of course--I finished it in twenty minutes--but a hilarious read, and good for reading aloud to pester your relatives. I'd definitely recommend this as a quick, light summer read!
Slightly fewer chuckles than Ant Farm. In part because the gags get pretty redundant. My boyfriend, once again, found the whole thing totally hilarious, however, so part of it is just your sense of humor.
I'd be interesting to see how Rich would flesh out some of these types of ideas in another format. This is basically a brief set of sketches that show a humourous view of the world, primarily imagined from a child and teenage version of Rich. Autobiographically non-biographical.
(A fast read--took less than an hour.)
(A fast read--took less than an hour.)
This young guy is one of the funniest writers I have ever come across. This book is a brief easy read, and very amusing. I got it free for my amazon kindle (it's available right now on amazon for free!) or I wouldn't have read it, but I'm very glad I did. Watch out for this guy, he's got talent.
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Simon Rich (born 1984) is an American humorist whose first book, Ant Farm and Other Desperate Situations, was published by Random House in April 2007.
Rich is an alumnus of The Dalton School and a former president of The Harvard Lampoon, and the son of The New York Times editorialist Frank Rich. He received a two book contract from Random House prior to his graduation from Harvard Unive...more
More about Simon Rich...
Rich is an alumnus of The Dalton School and a former president of The Harvard Lampoon, and the son of The New York Times editorialist Frank Rich. He received a two book contract from Random House prior to his graduation from Harvard Unive...more
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