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4th out of 96 books
—
22 voters
Sleepwalk With Me and Other Painfully True Stories
Hello, I am Mike Birbiglia and I want you to read my book. Too on the nose? Sorry. Let me dial it back.
I’m Mike Birbiglia and I’m a comedian. You may know me from Comedy Central or This American Life or The Bob & Tom Show, but you’ve never seen me like this before.
Naked.
Wait, that’s the name of another book. Also I’m not naked as there are no pictures in my book. Al
...moreHardcover, 191 pages
Published
October 12th 2010
by Simon & Schuster
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I love Mike Birbiglia's stand-up, but this collection of essays (many which are jokes from his act) suddenly has more poignancy . His humor is so subtle (it helps when you are familiar with his delivery and style) and there were moments where I genuinely laughed out loud...in public. But it's when he discusses the hard moments of his life that he draws the reader in. I don't know of a good word to use for the funny, bittersweet feel of this book, but anybody who wants to feel their humanity, in...more
Let's start by saying I adore Mike Birbiglia. He is an incredibly talented and genuine comedian, as well as a very sweet man (I got to meet him in person after his latest show). His recent movie, of the same title, was delightful. So when I saw this book, I obviously had to pick it up.
The book tells many stories that I have heard in his standup acts, but also includes a deeper look into his progression through the slog of becoming a professional comedian. Those views were my favorite parts of th...more
The book tells many stories that I have heard in his standup acts, but also includes a deeper look into his progression through the slog of becoming a professional comedian. Those views were my favorite parts of th...more
I have been wanting to read this book for a long time but the library loan system failed me – it seems no library has this book in Canada which is a shame since it is amazing. But I lucked out since it forced me to buy the book and I am glad to have it in my collection. Maybe not up there with Tina Fey’s Bossy pants but a close second of comedians who write interesting autobiographies while still making it funny. I love the fact it was a quick easy read but due to Mike’s brevity you don’t feel l...more
If you are familiar with the style of David Sedaris, Mike Birbiglia's style is similar. Mike is maybe cleaner and more self-deprecating, but just as funny. I found it an easy read with many stories I could relate to. For example, he talks about growing up, having a Dad who said things like "GODDAMMIT, I'M EATING PRETZELS!!!" and says "I could tell I was about to have my "GODDAMMIT, I'M EATING PRETZELS!" moment." He relates stories about his problems with kids on the playground and as he gets old...more
I found Birbiglia’s stand-up special “What I Should Have Said Was Nothing” hysterical. I love his delivery, and his stories are solid. Descriptions of this book enticed me – Birbiglia’s humor and storytelling combined with relationship drama? Sign me up. Sleepwalk with Me is essentially a memoir that describes his childhood, his choice of comedy as a career, and his many (many, many) early failings trying to break into professional comedy. Despite my fondness for Birbiglia’s comedy, at the end o...more
Did anyone else read the entire book in Mike Birbiglia's voice? Not out loud, that would be really creepy and weird, but in their head-voice? Because I did. I kept trying to get myself to stop and just read it in my normal head-voice, but I couldn't. Anyways....
The book was hilarious. It had some similar themes that he has in his stand-up, and a few familiar jokes, but I thought most of the stuff was different enough from what I'd already heard from him that it didn't feel stale. The whole thing...more
The book was hilarious. It had some similar themes that he has in his stand-up, and a few familiar jokes, but I thought most of the stuff was different enough from what I'd already heard from him that it didn't feel stale. The whole thing...more
8 likes · like · see review
Mike Birbiglia's novel "Sleepwalk with Me" is a comedic story of Mike's life. In his novel, he tells the stories of being put in awkward situtations and not know what to do when he was in them. His novel recounts him growing up in a fairly conversative, catholic family in the 70s and 80s. I ended up laughing in the first few pages because of the situation he was put in. This novel uses stories telling his struggles trying to become a working comedian going from state to state doing preformances....more
I love Mike Birbiglia's stand-up and Moth stories; his charmingly goofy storytelling style highlights the humor in some of his very bizarre (and possibly traumatizing) life events. His book is in the same vein, and puts his jokes and stories in a context that allows the reader to see the vulnerability and poignancy that lies behind the humor. His journey into stand-up notoriety was eye-opening to be sure. If I may make one admittance--maybe it's because I've heard a number of the stories in the...more
Mike Birbiglia is a funny guy. I've heard him on "This American Life" a couple of times, and he's a great comedian. He manages to make me laugh without resorting to racism, misogyny, or a surfiet of swear words, unlike many comedians. So when my friend lent me her book club's selection for last month, "Sleepwalk with Me: and Other Painfully True Stories" I was surprised to hear that the book club didn't like it.
So I went into this book with guarded expectations. After all, I'd already heard the...more
So I went into this book with guarded expectations. After all, I'd already heard the...more
Sleepwalk with Me, Mike Birbiglia's purposeless and unfunny memoir, castrates his stand-up routine by putting it into the delivery-less medium of book form. Stand-up benefits by giving the impression of effortlessness; that is not so much the case here.
Most of Sleepwalk with Me deals less with 'painfully true' and more with painfully ordinary: distant dads, being picked on at school, discovering masturbation, that lousy summer job, realizing that Catholic belief is kind of silly, and let's not f...more
Most of Sleepwalk with Me deals less with 'painfully true' and more with painfully ordinary: distant dads, being picked on at school, discovering masturbation, that lousy summer job, realizing that Catholic belief is kind of silly, and let's not f...more
Eh. This book has that same fault as all other books by comedians (Samantha Bee's book is another such disappointment)---it's just a series of routines strung together in book form. There's almost no point to actually reading something like that; it would at least make sense to get the audiobook. I did chuckle out loud a few times, which is a compliment. But I felt that this book wasn't sure what it wanted to be--a memoir of his childhood? A memoir of his medical issue (based on the title, the o...more
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Birbiglia is a fantastic storyteller, and it's amazing to see how far he's come since trying to be a more normal comedian. He was funny then, but he's hilarious now that he's moved into the more personal storytelling.
If you read this book as your introduction to him, however, you may find yourself a little cooler on him than I do. A significant portion of the comedy comes from his delivery. This would be an ideal thing to be an audiobook. Luckily, I've heard versions of many of these pieces on T...more
If you read this book as your introduction to him, however, you may find yourself a little cooler on him than I do. A significant portion of the comedy comes from his delivery. This would be an ideal thing to be an audiobook. Luckily, I've heard versions of many of these pieces on T...more
1 like · like · see review
I became a fan of Mike Birbiglia after hearing a handful of his stories on This American Life and The Moth. But before I could get around to checking out one of his albums or seeing one of his performances, Sleepwalk With Me was published, so I picked it up expecting great things. And in some ways, it is great. Just not quite as great as I expected.
In the AV Club interview that persuaded me to buy the book, I took notice when Birbiglia explained that his writing’s guiding principle is that it no...more
In the AV Club interview that persuaded me to buy the book, I took notice when Birbiglia explained that his writing’s guiding principle is that it no...more
Sometimes it's good to laugh at yourself, and that's exactly what Mike Birbiglia does in this memoir. Mike created a perfect balance between personal, funny and serious - meaning almost all of his stories are very personal, laugh at loud funny and rarely heavy enough that it'll bring down your mood. If you're a fan of his stand-up you'll find a lot of overlap, but in a good way. Things like Birbiglia's Like Fun jokes develop into something more. It's more like he has decided to acknowledge his s...more
Loaned to me by my boyfriend after he first lent it to my mother (who bough it for him for Christmas) I was told it was funny and a quick read. And you know what? It was funny and quick read. The "quick read" comment can be taken several ways, but in this case, it's a complement, noting that the stories flowed, the writing was easy and I could just enjoy the book.
Birbiglia made me laugh out loud at several points. Which is good. He is a comedian after all. But while his stories were witty, there...more
Birbiglia made me laugh out loud at several points. Which is good. He is a comedian after all. But while his stories were witty, there...more
If you're not familiar with Mike Birbiglia's comedy, here's a clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYl9BS...
Another clip of him talking about his sleepwalking incidents:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MU2KRB...
I'm one of those people who follow stand-up comics and knew of Louis CK and Sarah Silverman before they got tv shows. Therefore I knew of Mike Birbiglia before his success with one man shows and his award winning movie Sleepwalk with Me (it won an award at Sundance). I like his style of come...more
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYl9BS...
Another clip of him talking about his sleepwalking incidents:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MU2KRB...
I'm one of those people who follow stand-up comics and knew of Louis CK and Sarah Silverman before they got tv shows. Therefore I knew of Mike Birbiglia before his success with one man shows and his award winning movie Sleepwalk with Me (it won an award at Sundance). I like his style of come...more
Sleepwalk with Me is quite the collection of humorous stories from comedian Mike Birbiglia's life. From his tumor removal to high school stories. Every page of this book will leave you laughing outloud to yourself hoping no one around you is judging the fact that you are laughing randomly. Some of the stories in this book are featured on Mike Birbiglia's stand-up comedy special also called Sleepwalk with Me. Many of the stories he describes about high school and growing up are easily relatable w...more
If you like a quick read, a quirky read, a humorous read, I would recommend this memoir. I first heard of Mike Birbiglia via This American Life and The Moth podcasts. If you have heard him there and like his storytelling style, I can absolutely recommend this book. Several of his radio pieces were taken from (or were inspiration for) this book, so you might find some of the chapters familiar. He talks mainly about his family, his early experiences with girls, his efforts to start his comedic car...more
I was very excited to read this book. I’d heard Mike on The Bob & Tom Show for several years and love his Secret Public Journal readings. He’s not a loud, in-your-face comedian. He’s overall a really nice guy, amiable and also observant. He LOVES pizza, doesn’t have an iPhone (LOVE THAT), is overall uncomplicated and comfortable in his own skin, and had that normal awkward upbringing that is relatable to so many of us.
That being said, the book was a bit of a letdown. I’ve heard many of thes...more
That being said, the book was a bit of a letdown. I’ve heard many of thes...more
I thought this book might be a little repetitive -- I've heard several stories on This American Life I knew would be in the book -- but that wasn't the case.
Part of the appeal of the book is in the delivery, which makes sense for a writer who's primarily a stand-up comic, so the authorial voice is crystal clear. I could clearly imagine him saying every line. But I'm afraid that might be off-putting for anyone who hasn't heard two or three stories on NPR. They might not be able to judge just whe...more
Part of the appeal of the book is in the delivery, which makes sense for a writer who's primarily a stand-up comic, so the authorial voice is crystal clear. I could clearly imagine him saying every line. But I'm afraid that might be off-putting for anyone who hasn't heard two or three stories on NPR. They might not be able to judge just whe...more
I would give this a 4.5 because of how subtle the writing and humor are. If you like lattes and Yo La Tengo, you probably already know the author from his stints on THE MOTH and THIS AMERICAN LIFE. (I just described myself.) Through thick and thin, failure and mild success, the author shares his painfully honest stories in large part bc of his father's constant warnings throughout his life never to tell anyone. While Birbiglia loves and admires his father, it's clear not telling anyone made his...more
I wouldn't go so far as to say this book was hilarious. It was comedic in style, definitely. But I didn't laugh, not even close. I just recognized that he was trying to be funny. I knew when the funny started and when it ended. I acknowledged the funny. That's as close to "enjoyable" as this book came for me.
Part of the lack of hilarity stems from the fact that he focused SO MUCH of the book on his awkward childhood. Don't think you cornered the market on awkward childhoods, Mr. Birbiglia. I ca...more
Part of the lack of hilarity stems from the fact that he focused SO MUCH of the book on his awkward childhood. Don't think you cornered the market on awkward childhoods, Mr. Birbiglia. I ca...more
I typically don't like stand up comedy. Most of it is a bit crude or cynical for my taste. After hearing Birbiglia on This American Life, I realized that I can't dismiss it all as easily.
In this book, he does a pretty good job of weaving stories from his comedy acts into a cohesive book, especially his trademark sleepwalking adventures. At first I thought I'd be skipping chapters that recounted stories I'd heard in other formats, but found myself reading every line because there were new details...more
In this book, he does a pretty good job of weaving stories from his comedy acts into a cohesive book, especially his trademark sleepwalking adventures. At first I thought I'd be skipping chapters that recounted stories I'd heard in other formats, but found myself reading every line because there were new details...more
Sleepwalk With Me, by comedian Mike Birbiglia, is a comedic memoir and a collection of personal, embarrassing, self-deprecating stories. He covers numerous aspects of life from the peer pressure and awkwardness of early childhood and teenage life, to a life-altering relationship clash, to a horrifying sleepwalk disorder. On the surface, it might seem like Birbiglia is merely trying to elicit laughter, because he is a comedian. Although the laughs are frequent and plentiful, his primary objective...more
I know Mike Birbiglia through his many appearances on This American Life, and I've always loved his stories on that show. If you're a fan of Birbiglia's TAL work, this book will not disappoint. It's hilariously funny, and also often touching and sweet. But Birbiglia's sweetness is always his own, always weird and unapologetically nerdy. This collection of short autobiographical stories made me laugh out loud many times, and I enjoyed hearing about Birbiglia's family, his youth in the Boston area...more
A pretty fun collection of anecdotes by a comedian, it's an easy read and perfect for commuting.
This may be a little off topic, but comedians must be the most self-critical people on the planet. If I didn't know who Tina Fey was, after reading Bossypants, I'd just assume that she looks like some ugly monster with big hairy forearms and not a ridiculously beautiful person. And all comedians who write books like this seem to have really socially awkward childhoods, but they all gloss over that pa...more
This may be a little off topic, but comedians must be the most self-critical people on the planet. If I didn't know who Tina Fey was, after reading Bossypants, I'd just assume that she looks like some ugly monster with big hairy forearms and not a ridiculously beautiful person. And all comedians who write books like this seem to have really socially awkward childhoods, but they all gloss over that pa...more
Read this for book club and it was alright. I'm not familiar with Mike Birbiglia as a comedian ... maybe if I was it would have worked more for me? There were parts that had me laughing ... and I could tell through a lot of it that it would probably be really funny if someone were telling me those stories. The tone of the book was very conversational, and I liked that in theory. But I found myself just acknowledging that the stories were funny ... not really laughing at them sincerely. I think t...more
I didn't care for this book. A lot of the reason I suppose goes down to personal taste. The book is much the rambling accounts/thoughts of M.B. a comic.
There are some things in the book that are somewhat sad, or at least serious. I find that some of his attitudes are based on what seems to me some profound misunderstandings, though not having lived his life I can't speak to why he has come to these, hypotheses.
Of the humor in the book, I didn't find most of it funny. It struck me as sort of fou...more
There are some things in the book that are somewhat sad, or at least serious. I find that some of his attitudes are based on what seems to me some profound misunderstandings, though not having lived his life I can't speak to why he has come to these, hypotheses.
Of the humor in the book, I didn't find most of it funny. It struck me as sort of fou...more
I've liked Mike Birbiglia for awhile, I'm pretty familiar with his appearances on This American Life/The Moth/Comedy Central - and I really enjoy his standup, so I thought this would be a good, quick read. Unfortunately, if you're familiar with Mike's act, you've more or less already read most of the book. His writing style is also distracting to me - a stream of consciousness with tangents everywhere, like he were delivering one long standup act then had someone transcribe it. It works for stan...more
This was another book I received as a present a couple of years ago. I knew it was a comic memoir of sorts, but other than that I had no preconceived notions. While I was reading it I started to notice the title popping up on the internet and I realized that a movie version, starring the writer, is about to be released. And I must say, I don't see why. I read that this originally started out as a one-man play and I guess I can understand why that might have translated better. As it is it feels l...more
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Dec 30, 2010 01:44pm
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