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Where I've Been, Where I'm Going, and Where the Hell Are My Keys? Still Foolin' 'Em (Paperback) - Common
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Humor (2013)Hilarious and heartfelt observations on aging from one of America’s favorite comedians now that he’s 65, and a look back at a remarkable career
Billy Crystal is 65, and he’s not happy about it. With his trademark wit and heart, he outlines the absurdities and challenges that come with growing old, from insomnia to memory loss to leaving dinners with half your meal on your shirt. In humorous chapters like “Buying the Plot” and “Nodding Off,” Crystal not only catalogues his physical gripes, but offers a road map to his 77 million fellow baby boomers who are arriving at this milestone age with him. He also looks back at the most powerful and memorable moments of his long and storied life, from entertaining his relatives as a kid in Long Beach, Long Island, his years doing stand-up in the Village, up through his legendary stint at Saturday Night Live, When Harry Met Sally, and his long run as host of the Academy Awards. Readers get a front-row seat to his one-day career with the New York Yankees (he was the first player to ever “test positive for Maalox”), his love affair with Sophia Loren, and his enduring friendships with several of his idols, including Mickey Mantle and Muhammad Ali. He lends a light touch to more serious topics like religion (“the aging friends I know have turned to the Holy Advil, bourbon, and Prozac”), grandparenting, and, of course, dentistry. As wise and poignant as they are funny, Crystal’s reflections are an unforgettable look at an extraordinary life well lived.
Includes a portion recorded in front of a live studio audience
Billy Crystal is 65, and he’s not happy about it. With his trademark wit and heart, he outlines the absurdities and challenges that come with growing old, from insomnia to memory loss to leaving dinners with half your meal on your shirt. In humorous chapters like “Buying the Plot” and “Nodding Off,” Crystal not only catalogues his physical gripes, but offers a road map to his 77 million fellow baby boomers who are arriving at this milestone age with him. He also looks back at the most powerful and memorable moments of his long and storied life, from entertaining his relatives as a kid in Long Beach, Long Island, his years doing stand-up in the Village, up through his legendary stint at Saturday Night Live, When Harry Met Sally, and his long run as host of the Academy Awards. Readers get a front-row seat to his one-day career with the New York Yankees (he was the first player to ever “test positive for Maalox”), his love affair with Sophia Loren, and his enduring friendships with several of his idols, including Mickey Mantle and Muhammad Ali. He lends a light touch to more serious topics like religion (“the aging friends I know have turned to the Holy Advil, bourbon, and Prozac”), grandparenting, and, of course, dentistry. As wise and poignant as they are funny, Crystal’s reflections are an unforgettable look at an extraordinary life well lived.
Includes a portion recorded in front of a live studio audience
Unknown Binding
First published March 12, 2013
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About the author
Billy Crystal
25 books181 followersWilliam Jacob Crystal is a Golden Globe Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning American actor, writer, producer, comedian, and film director. He gained prominence in the 1970s for playing Richard Mulligan's & Cathryn Damon's TV son, Jodie Dallas, on the ABC comedy-drama, Soap, and became a Hollywood film star during the late 1980s and 1990s, appearing in the box office successes When Harry Met Sally... and City Slickers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,479 reviews
July 27, 2014
Your reaction to this memoir will depend on how much you like Billy Crystal's comedy style. I'm meh about him, so I'm meh about this book. Other reviewers who adore him liked this book a lot more than I did.
Billy is now 65, which he will tell you over and over again, and several chapters are devoted to his shtick about getting old. There's nothing new here, except discovering that Billy has become a cranky old man, cursing about social media and teenagers and politics. Speaking of cursing, it was a bit shocking to hear Billy drop so many F-bombs. For decades now Billy has nurtured the persona of the sweet, goofy, schmaltzy, aw-shucks guy, and I was surprised to hear him swear so much.
Despite the F-bombs, Billy's comedy style remains firmly stuck in the 80s and 90s. Some of his jokes have punchlines that date back to then, and I rolled my eyes at the preciousness of it. He also relies heavily on Jewish humor -- numerous tired quips are about how much Jews love food, and he ends several chapters with an exaggerated Oy! -- plus there's a lot of baseball jokes. (Billy is a Yankees fan, which he will never let you forget.)
But I'm focusing too much on the negative. The parts I liked were the stories of how he got started in comedy and the behind-the-scenes anecdotes of his movies and TV shows. He talks about making "When Harry Met Sally," "City Slickers," "The Princess Bride," about hosting the Oscars and about visiting Russia for the comedy special "Midnight Train to Moscow." He also had good stories of his famous friends, such as Mickey Mantle, Sammy Davis Jr. and Muhammad Ali. One of Billy's early famous bits was his impression of Ali, and the two men became close, with Ali calling Billy "Little Brother" whenever they'd meet.
Billy also shared some nice family moments, such as the day his first daughter got married, and how much he likes being a grandfather. There were some emotional chapters, like when his dad died when Billy was 15, and how he later wrote those childhood memories into the Broadway show "700 Sundays."
I listened to this book on audio CD, and parts of it were performed in front of a live studio audience. Again, your reaction to this will depend on how much you like listening to Billy. He reprises all of his famous impressions, including Ali, Mantle, Sammy, Howard Cosell, "You look MAH-valous!" and the voice of Miracle Max. While I enjoyed most of the performance, at times I found it tedious and wished he would wrap it up already. Oy.
Rating: 2.5 stars rounded up to 3
Billy is now 65, which he will tell you over and over again, and several chapters are devoted to his shtick about getting old. There's nothing new here, except discovering that Billy has become a cranky old man, cursing about social media and teenagers and politics. Speaking of cursing, it was a bit shocking to hear Billy drop so many F-bombs. For decades now Billy has nurtured the persona of the sweet, goofy, schmaltzy, aw-shucks guy, and I was surprised to hear him swear so much.
Despite the F-bombs, Billy's comedy style remains firmly stuck in the 80s and 90s. Some of his jokes have punchlines that date back to then, and I rolled my eyes at the preciousness of it. He also relies heavily on Jewish humor -- numerous tired quips are about how much Jews love food, and he ends several chapters with an exaggerated Oy! -- plus there's a lot of baseball jokes. (Billy is a Yankees fan, which he will never let you forget.)
But I'm focusing too much on the negative. The parts I liked were the stories of how he got started in comedy and the behind-the-scenes anecdotes of his movies and TV shows. He talks about making "When Harry Met Sally," "City Slickers," "The Princess Bride," about hosting the Oscars and about visiting Russia for the comedy special "Midnight Train to Moscow." He also had good stories of his famous friends, such as Mickey Mantle, Sammy Davis Jr. and Muhammad Ali. One of Billy's early famous bits was his impression of Ali, and the two men became close, with Ali calling Billy "Little Brother" whenever they'd meet.
Billy also shared some nice family moments, such as the day his first daughter got married, and how much he likes being a grandfather. There were some emotional chapters, like when his dad died when Billy was 15, and how he later wrote those childhood memories into the Broadway show "700 Sundays."
I listened to this book on audio CD, and parts of it were performed in front of a live studio audience. Again, your reaction to this will depend on how much you like listening to Billy. He reprises all of his famous impressions, including Ali, Mantle, Sammy, Howard Cosell, "You look MAH-valous!" and the voice of Miracle Max. While I enjoyed most of the performance, at times I found it tedious and wished he would wrap it up already. Oy.
Rating: 2.5 stars rounded up to 3
August 28, 2021
An excellent autobiography by a great comedian. Listening is best for his spot-on impersonations and comedic timing. 10 of 10 stars
October 5, 2013
Though I don't listen to audio books often, this was a hit as it is narrated by Mr. Crystal in all his splendor...imitations and all! Covering his life thus far, from birth to the big 65, this is a delightful view into the life of one of the top entertainers who has somehow remained humble and seemingly normal! I laughed out loud and choked back tears as I traveled along with this talented, fortunate and grateful man. One who values family and friendships above all else.
The way he talks of the dreams he had as a child and young man and then seeing them come true is inspiring. If you didn't like him before, you will after reading this! Full of life, witty and heartwarming. (and very age appropriate for many of us "older folks")
The way he talks of the dreams he had as a child and young man and then seeing them come true is inspiring. If you didn't like him before, you will after reading this! Full of life, witty and heartwarming. (and very age appropriate for many of us "older folks")
August 13, 2014
Bullet Review:
Better than Whoopi Goldberg and Ellen Degeneres, nowhere near as good as Tina Fey. Some funny parts, some interesting parts, but overall, Billy grates on you. He seems to have this obnoxious personality, and I don't always find him all that funny. Sometimes, he's an outright arrogant @$$. His "Conservative" chapter in particular made me want to punch a wall - smarted of Old White Man whining about getting Old. WAH.
I think you're opinion of this will depend on 1) how much of Billy Crystal's career you've followed, 2) whether you LIKE Billy Crystal to begin with, and 3) whether you like Billy Crystal's style of humor.
My answers where 1) almost none, 2) a little, 3) eh?
Full Review:
This book will make the fourth autobiographical book about a comedian I've read, the third in audiobook format. And since I LOVE LISTS, the ranking would be as follows:
Seriously...I'm Kidding!
Is It Just Me?
This Book
Bossypants
Seriously...I'm not kidding. Is it just me or "Bossypants" is the absolute best, most interesting, most FUNNY autobiographical book from a comedian?! Or am I still fooling 'em?
*ducks tomatoes*
All right, I'm no comedian myself, so I guess I shouldn't be one to judge. I'm also hard to make laugh, or I laugh at incredibly stupid things, so maybe I shouldn't be judging comedy. It's all up to interpretation.
This is one of those books that I never would have picked up in a million years had it not been for my book club. My knowledge of Billy Crystal and his career begins with "Princess Bride" and ends with "Monsters University". I know he did "When Harry Met Sally", but have never seen it. I know he has done Grammy Awards and SNL and a bunch of other things, but have never seen any of them. He's funny and all, but I've really never felt that drive to see every last thing he's been in.
The enjoyment of this book depends on how you fall in the Billy Crystal Recognition Spectrum: do you follow his every movie and TV appearance? Or can you barely pick him out in a lineup?
Oh, and do you like Billy Crystal's humor, which can tend to rely on the crowd-favorite penis jokes and Old White Man Complaining about How Awful His Privileged Life Is?
When Billy Crystal is focused on HIS LIFE and making some jokes that aren't just body humor, we get a killer combination of funny and interesting. I did like learning about his life, though his life is nothing like many stars - in and out of rehab, married and divorced multiple times, illegitimate children, etc. Actually, Billy seems a rather stable guy, and good for him!
But listening to Billy is like being in a 4 hour lecture with the tenured professor who wrote the book for your class - there is only so much bullsh!t you can deal with before you want to either club the teacher or fall asleep. Sometimes, he really isn't that funny. Sometimes, he's an arrogant @$$. And sometimes, his stories really aren't that interesting - his life isn't that much different than many of our lives, except he's been on TV more.
That said, it really depends on where you fall on the Billy Crystal Recognition Spectrum - I come from the far right, "Who is Billy Crystal again?" So yeah, it wasn't necessarily my thing from the beginning - but I *DID* learn quite a bit that I never knew.
Better than Whoopi Goldberg and Ellen Degeneres, nowhere near as good as Tina Fey. Some funny parts, some interesting parts, but overall, Billy grates on you. He seems to have this obnoxious personality, and I don't always find him all that funny. Sometimes, he's an outright arrogant @$$. His "Conservative" chapter in particular made me want to punch a wall - smarted of Old White Man whining about getting Old. WAH.
I think you're opinion of this will depend on 1) how much of Billy Crystal's career you've followed, 2) whether you LIKE Billy Crystal to begin with, and 3) whether you like Billy Crystal's style of humor.
My answers where 1) almost none, 2) a little, 3) eh?
Full Review:
This book will make the fourth autobiographical book about a comedian I've read, the third in audiobook format. And since I LOVE LISTS, the ranking would be as follows:
Seriously...I'm Kidding!
Is It Just Me?
This Book
Bossypants
Seriously...I'm not kidding. Is it just me or "Bossypants" is the absolute best, most interesting, most FUNNY autobiographical book from a comedian?! Or am I still fooling 'em?
*ducks tomatoes*
All right, I'm no comedian myself, so I guess I shouldn't be one to judge. I'm also hard to make laugh, or I laugh at incredibly stupid things, so maybe I shouldn't be judging comedy. It's all up to interpretation.
This is one of those books that I never would have picked up in a million years had it not been for my book club. My knowledge of Billy Crystal and his career begins with "Princess Bride" and ends with "Monsters University". I know he did "When Harry Met Sally", but have never seen it. I know he has done Grammy Awards and SNL and a bunch of other things, but have never seen any of them. He's funny and all, but I've really never felt that drive to see every last thing he's been in.
The enjoyment of this book depends on how you fall in the Billy Crystal Recognition Spectrum: do you follow his every movie and TV appearance? Or can you barely pick him out in a lineup?
Oh, and do you like Billy Crystal's humor, which can tend to rely on the crowd-favorite penis jokes and Old White Man Complaining about How Awful His Privileged Life Is?
When Billy Crystal is focused on HIS LIFE and making some jokes that aren't just body humor, we get a killer combination of funny and interesting. I did like learning about his life, though his life is nothing like many stars - in and out of rehab, married and divorced multiple times, illegitimate children, etc. Actually, Billy seems a rather stable guy, and good for him!
But listening to Billy is like being in a 4 hour lecture with the tenured professor who wrote the book for your class - there is only so much bullsh!t you can deal with before you want to either club the teacher or fall asleep. Sometimes, he really isn't that funny. Sometimes, he's an arrogant @$$. And sometimes, his stories really aren't that interesting - his life isn't that much different than many of our lives, except he's been on TV more.
That said, it really depends on where you fall on the Billy Crystal Recognition Spectrum - I come from the far right, "Who is Billy Crystal again?" So yeah, it wasn't necessarily my thing from the beginning - but I *DID* learn quite a bit that I never knew.
December 15, 2014
Listened to my very first audio book today and DID I LOVE IT!!!
Billy Crystal does a wonderful job of narrating some special moments of his life in Still Foolin' 'Em: Where I've Been, Where I'm Going, and Where the Hell Are My Keys. If you are an older adult, (or not) like baseball, the great movie "When Harry Met Sally" (who can ever forget the infamous orgasm scene) enjoy the Oscars, and want to know about Billy's "affair" with Sophia Loren, you are in for a treat. The texting acronyms for "older adults", absurdities of doctor and dentist visits at age 65, and challenges of grand-parenting are a crack-up!
Although not a Yankee fan myself, I am a huge baseball fan and love, love, loved hearing about Billy's close relationships with Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio and even Derek Jeter. His experience of actually starting as lead-off man for the Yankees in a preseason game (uniform and all) is downright hilarious. I laughed more often than not and decided to take a bit of advice from our narrator too.....to do something special on each and every birthday that I have left.
Eight hours of decorating, cleaning and wrapping gifts today just flew by, and when the book came to an end, I had a big smile on my face and felt pretty good too. Listening to Billy Crystal's memoir was a positive experience for me. Highly recommend!
November 27, 2022
OMG! Hilarious! Highly recommend!
Billy Crystal hits it out of the park with this book! At age sixty-five, he reflects on his life with humor, self-awareness, humility, and poignancy. He describes aging as peeing in Morse code, dropping food on your chin, shirt and pants, and walking like a whoopee cushion after a colonoscopy.
He weaves a colorful tapestry of his personal and professional life that made me laugh and cry at the same time. He shares his wonderful experiences walking his daughters down the aisle at their weddings as well as his role as a grandfather. He provides insights into movie stars and athletic celebrities that are a peek at their true character.
Highly, highly recommend!
Billy Crystal hits it out of the park with this book! At age sixty-five, he reflects on his life with humor, self-awareness, humility, and poignancy. He describes aging as peeing in Morse code, dropping food on your chin, shirt and pants, and walking like a whoopee cushion after a colonoscopy.
He weaves a colorful tapestry of his personal and professional life that made me laugh and cry at the same time. He shares his wonderful experiences walking his daughters down the aisle at their weddings as well as his role as a grandfather. He provides insights into movie stars and athletic celebrities that are a peek at their true character.
Highly, highly recommend!
December 26, 2023
I loved reflecting on Billy Crystal’s life and his hilarious stories.
November 26, 2013
Just like any book, this book isn't for everyone. If you don't love Billy Crystal, then don't bother. If you don't love learning about the amusing and most likely embellished reflections of an aging comedian, then don't bother. If you don't enjoy a good guy talking about his positive relationships with his family, friends and other celebrities, then don't bother.
If you do enjoy Billy Crystal's work, then spend time with this book, which is even better on the audio version because Crystal narrates it and his impersonations and voices only enhance the experience.
Crystal's reflections of his 65 years are both touching (I cried at times) and hysterical (a big belly laugh at the gym had people looking at me). As he describes his relationships, he is respectful of most everyone, and you can tell how important his family and friends are to him.
His life, for the rest of us, is fairly surreal. Who gets to throw themselves massive birthday parties that involve celebrities, playing for your favorite baseball team, etc.? The answer is: almost no one. But Crystal can, and has, and his stories of them are enjoyable and heart-felt.
I look forward to his next book.
If you do enjoy Billy Crystal's work, then spend time with this book, which is even better on the audio version because Crystal narrates it and his impersonations and voices only enhance the experience.
Crystal's reflections of his 65 years are both touching (I cried at times) and hysterical (a big belly laugh at the gym had people looking at me). As he describes his relationships, he is respectful of most everyone, and you can tell how important his family and friends are to him.
His life, for the rest of us, is fairly surreal. Who gets to throw themselves massive birthday parties that involve celebrities, playing for your favorite baseball team, etc.? The answer is: almost no one. But Crystal can, and has, and his stories of them are enjoyable and heart-felt.
I look forward to his next book.
November 25, 2019
So fun and made a long car trip fly by.
November 3, 2015
What an excellent audio book!
In his mid sixties now, Billy Crystal recounts his life by decade, (my twenties, my thirties, etc...), interspersed with portions set in the present which were performed in front of a live audience. What an interesting man!
Starting with his early home life, the death of his father and his first career milestones, Billy tells his story with warmth, humility, humor and poignancy. Recounting his relationships with Muhammad Ali and Howard Cosell, Johnny Carson and Mickey Mantle, this is a behind the scenes look into building a successful career and family life.
The live audience portions of this performance were all about the aging process- they were very funny and all true. Towards the end of this autobiography he addresses the big issues-the loss of extended family members and facing one's own death. There is a real focus here on family and I enjoyed that. It also lent a sense of poignancy when he discussed the losses his family has experienced.
Funny and genuinely interesting, I enjoyed the hell out of this audio book. I laughed out loud, I teared up and I learned a lot. What more could a reader ask for?
Highly recommended!
In his mid sixties now, Billy Crystal recounts his life by decade, (my twenties, my thirties, etc...), interspersed with portions set in the present which were performed in front of a live audience. What an interesting man!
Starting with his early home life, the death of his father and his first career milestones, Billy tells his story with warmth, humility, humor and poignancy. Recounting his relationships with Muhammad Ali and Howard Cosell, Johnny Carson and Mickey Mantle, this is a behind the scenes look into building a successful career and family life.
The live audience portions of this performance were all about the aging process- they were very funny and all true. Towards the end of this autobiography he addresses the big issues-the loss of extended family members and facing one's own death. There is a real focus here on family and I enjoyed that. It also lent a sense of poignancy when he discussed the losses his family has experienced.
Funny and genuinely interesting, I enjoyed the hell out of this audio book. I laughed out loud, I teared up and I learned a lot. What more could a reader ask for?
Highly recommended!
November 10, 2013
I think Billy could read me the phone book and I would sit in my chair and be totally enthralled.
I loved his story and the way he told it. He made me laugh and cry and made me feel honored to be able to listen to him tell his story about his family and friends.
Billy, I hope you go on living, laughing and loving for a long, long time to come.
I loved his story and the way he told it. He made me laugh and cry and made me feel honored to be able to listen to him tell his story about his family and friends.
Billy, I hope you go on living, laughing and loving for a long, long time to come.
August 3, 2016
Listened to the audiobook read by Billy Crystal himself. This book is touching at times as he shares personal stories of friends, family, and his career. Being a comedian though, he also does some standup comedy, impressions, and pokes fun at aging. I enjoyed listening to the audiobook. I don’t think I would have enjoyed the book as much. What impressed me most of all was Billy’s love for his family. It really comes through in the book.
Favorite quote: ”…Do something special on your birthday. Whatever you do, celebrate the fact that you’re here and people love you and you love them. We only do this once.”
Favorite quote: ”…Do something special on your birthday. Whatever you do, celebrate the fact that you’re here and people love you and you love them. We only do this once.”
August 17, 2021
Halfway through, he launches into a diatribe of hate speech. He should know better.
December 8, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed this.
This audiobook was waiting in my Overdrive wishlist for aaaaages. Every time I scrolled through to see what I wanted to listen to next, I wondered if I even liked Billy Crystal enough to bother. In fact, I almost deleted it. I mean, sure -- I've seen Princess Bride, City Slickers and Throw Mama From the Train, but did I really want to listen to 8 hours of Billy Crystal? As it turns out, yes.
I enjoy biographies, autobiographies and memoirs. This one is now, by far, my favourite. I laughed (a lot), I cried (a bit), I wanted to do something special on my birthday, I reflected on my own life; I was inspired to be more fun as a parent and just a better person all around.
I can understand that not everyone might like this. There were a few jokes that didn't do much for me, but they were few. He uses the "f" word, but I happen to be fond of that word. He talks about the body and how it changes; I thought it was hilarious -- I've heard jokes on that plenty of times, yet I never laughed as much (or at all). He is a huge baseball fan and I don't care for any sports, yet the baseball talk didn't bother me in the slightest. I actually think I might kind of like it now. Well... okay, maybe not. But, still! His love for it was so pure and so sweet.
{His 'Conservative' chapter was pure gold.}
I'm SO glad I listened to this, and I HIGHLY recommend it -- although there's no way the book could compare to the audiobook. Audiobook all the way!
This audiobook was waiting in my Overdrive wishlist for aaaaages. Every time I scrolled through to see what I wanted to listen to next, I wondered if I even liked Billy Crystal enough to bother. In fact, I almost deleted it. I mean, sure -- I've seen Princess Bride, City Slickers and Throw Mama From the Train, but did I really want to listen to 8 hours of Billy Crystal? As it turns out, yes.
I enjoy biographies, autobiographies and memoirs. This one is now, by far, my favourite. I laughed (a lot), I cried (a bit), I wanted to do something special on my birthday, I reflected on my own life; I was inspired to be more fun as a parent and just a better person all around.
I can understand that not everyone might like this. There were a few jokes that didn't do much for me, but they were few. He uses the "f" word, but I happen to be fond of that word. He talks about the body and how it changes; I thought it was hilarious -- I've heard jokes on that plenty of times, yet I never laughed as much (or at all). He is a huge baseball fan and I don't care for any sports, yet the baseball talk didn't bother me in the slightest. I actually think I might kind of like it now. Well... okay, maybe not. But, still! His love for it was so pure and so sweet.
{His 'Conservative' chapter was pure gold.}
I'm SO glad I listened to this, and I HIGHLY recommend it -- although there's no way the book could compare to the audiobook. Audiobook all the way!
September 14, 2013
Just started and have already fallen into a couple of fits of hysterical laughter. So crass but so funny.
September 11, 2021
If you're going to invest the time in this one, listen on audiobook as it's narrated by the author and often made me laugh out loud! The final chapter is totally hilarious and a great ending to wrap up the story of his life. 6 out of 10.
July 7, 2014
This dull "memoir" is a poorly-done Cliff Notes version of the star's life and movies which tells the reader very little. Crystal brags a lot, makes a lot of outlandish false statements (which makes the whole book seem fake), tells little-to-nothing about the behind-the-scenes of his movies, and talks way too much about Mickey Mantle and the Yankees. It's a major flop.
The book opens with him spewing four-letter words and talking about sex. It makes no sense. Some chapters are just unreadable. His chapter called "Conservative" is where he spews his liberal political views without any substance. He claims he is "drifting to the right" because he believes mass murderers should maybe be killed. Otherwise, his beliefs are solidly liberal and shallow. He comes across as a bit brainless.
He tries to be humorous but much falls flat. Because he mixes exaggerations with his facts it's hard to know whether what he tells is the truth. Overall it's not very funny.
There are a few good stories and a he does a great job slamming Lorne Michaels (who appears to hate Crystal), criticizes a few other "friends" like Rob Reiner & Jack Palance, and takes credit for the success of When Harry Met Sally & the 1998 Oscars (which he claims was the "highest rated Oscar show of all time"--a complete falsehood that's easy to look up).
I came away thinking less of Crystal after reading this book. He's glib, smug, distant, and full of himself. A guy who thinks his childhood love of the Yankees needs to constantly be part of any conversation. And he's not that funny. So he is still foolin' people with this book.
The book opens with him spewing four-letter words and talking about sex. It makes no sense. Some chapters are just unreadable. His chapter called "Conservative" is where he spews his liberal political views without any substance. He claims he is "drifting to the right" because he believes mass murderers should maybe be killed. Otherwise, his beliefs are solidly liberal and shallow. He comes across as a bit brainless.
He tries to be humorous but much falls flat. Because he mixes exaggerations with his facts it's hard to know whether what he tells is the truth. Overall it's not very funny.
There are a few good stories and a he does a great job slamming Lorne Michaels (who appears to hate Crystal), criticizes a few other "friends" like Rob Reiner & Jack Palance, and takes credit for the success of When Harry Met Sally & the 1998 Oscars (which he claims was the "highest rated Oscar show of all time"--a complete falsehood that's easy to look up).
I came away thinking less of Crystal after reading this book. He's glib, smug, distant, and full of himself. A guy who thinks his childhood love of the Yankees needs to constantly be part of any conversation. And he's not that funny. So he is still foolin' people with this book.
November 5, 2018
One of the best, one of the funniest, one of my favorites.
September 8, 2020
I am not a huge Billy Crystal fan but I liked most of the movies with him. I like biographies and love humor so this seemed like a good book to read for me.
His life isn't like most celebrity lives I read about. Keith Richard's for example had lots of drugs and drama. Billy Crystal on the other hand had a very smooth and "normal" (as normal as a life of a movie star who is friends with other celebrities can be). He got married when he was 21, is still married to that woman. Had kids. Started his career in his early 20's and kept on moving up. But a "boring" life can be a good thing. It does seem to be a happy life.
And one can see that he is a good writer and comedian because he still managed to present it all in a pretty entertaining way. I don't like baseball but I still liked the passages where he talks about it. It isn't an outrageously funny book. He concentrates a lot on getting old in the chapters between the ones where he describes his work and life in one of the decades of his life. So it is a mixture of humor and sentimentality. In my opinion it was pretty well balanced and I did enjoy it.
His life isn't like most celebrity lives I read about. Keith Richard's for example had lots of drugs and drama. Billy Crystal on the other hand had a very smooth and "normal" (as normal as a life of a movie star who is friends with other celebrities can be). He got married when he was 21, is still married to that woman. Had kids. Started his career in his early 20's and kept on moving up. But a "boring" life can be a good thing. It does seem to be a happy life.
And one can see that he is a good writer and comedian because he still managed to present it all in a pretty entertaining way. I don't like baseball but I still liked the passages where he talks about it. It isn't an outrageously funny book. He concentrates a lot on getting old in the chapters between the ones where he describes his work and life in one of the decades of his life. So it is a mixture of humor and sentimentality. In my opinion it was pretty well balanced and I did enjoy it.
October 9, 2013
Billy Crystal is a man I'd like to have as a friend. Unless he's really fooling lots of people, he's a real mensch. There's nothing to date in all that I know of him to give any other indication. Caring, funny, married to the same woman since he was 23, devoted to his friends and family, and able to make the world laugh.
A few things that stood out for me in this book: the people he calls close friends, who inhabit every walk of life, his love of baseball, his athleticism. There were some stories I'd heard before, others that were totally new to me. Some particularly resonated (his bar mitzvah, the passing of his mother, his interactions with Mohammed Ali, the show in Russia.
Good book. If I ever get to have that fantasy dinner, I hope I remember to invite Billy Crystal.
A few things that stood out for me in this book: the people he calls close friends, who inhabit every walk of life, his love of baseball, his athleticism. There were some stories I'd heard before, others that were totally new to me. Some particularly resonated (his bar mitzvah, the passing of his mother, his interactions with Mohammed Ali, the show in Russia.
Good book. If I ever get to have that fantasy dinner, I hope I remember to invite Billy Crystal.
November 25, 2015
What made the experience of listening to Still Foolin' 'Em the most enjoyable?
The fact it's narrated by Crystal himself. If you're a fan of his stand-up or movies, you will love this book.
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I laughed and cried in almost equal measure. This is a deeply personal piece for Crystal and you can feel the emotion and meaning in every line. You can't fail to be moved and you'll be laughing out loud despite yourself. I wouldn't suggest reading it in a public place!
Any additional comments?
Man, does this guy love baseball!
Taken from my original review on Audible.co.uk
Buddy read with Sunshine Seaspray
The fact it's narrated by Crystal himself. If you're a fan of his stand-up or movies, you will love this book.
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I laughed and cried in almost equal measure. This is a deeply personal piece for Crystal and you can feel the emotion and meaning in every line. You can't fail to be moved and you'll be laughing out loud despite yourself. I wouldn't suggest reading it in a public place!
Any additional comments?
Man, does this guy love baseball!
Taken from my original review on Audible.co.uk
Buddy read with Sunshine Seaspray
October 10, 2023
I was a big fan of Billy Crystal for his portrayal of "Jody," the first openly gay character on network tv, from one of my favorite comedies Soap. Later I fell in love with him as a comedian when he hit SNL in the mid-80s along with Martin Short and Christopher Guest. His rendering of Muhammad Ali and Howard Cosell, sometimes at the same time, were the cherry on top. So for me, Still Foolin' 'Em, a retrospective of Crystal's life and career, provided a highly enjoyable walk down memory lane.
December 17, 2023
When I first started this book, I wasn’t sure if I’d like it because it seemed like Billy was trying to just make it like a stand-up routine. But once he got to “When Harry Met Sally,” he really got into more of a story-telling mode while still being funny.
September 21, 2013
My reading tends to get too heavy. Books on politics, presidential biographies, history, Game of Thrones ... the weight of the words can be too much at times.
So it was refreshing to read Billy Crystal's memoir, which I flew through in just a couple of days. It was just what my literary mind needed: something lighter, but with substance.
I don't consider myself a die-hard Crystal fan, per se. He just has a knack for showing up in projects I have enjoyed over the years, like Running Scared, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally ..., Monster's Inc., 61*, and Analyze This. His delivery reminds me of Jackie Mason, if slightly edgier. His book is written in much the same way. I could hear Crystal's voice in my head as I read.
Either by coincidence or by design, Crystal's narrative seems to mature as he ages in the narrative. The dirty jokes and knowing winks give way to genuine introspection and occasional melancholia. But he finds a way to make it all funny in the right places. I don't like to use the phrase LOL, but I found that I did quite a bit of that as I read.
While not a tell-all in the truest sense of the word, Crystal does spin more than a few interesting yarns about the famous people he has encountered. Good story or bad, one thing is certain: Billy Crystal has led a remarkable life.
Take a little time and check it out. You won't regret it.
So it was refreshing to read Billy Crystal's memoir, which I flew through in just a couple of days. It was just what my literary mind needed: something lighter, but with substance.
I don't consider myself a die-hard Crystal fan, per se. He just has a knack for showing up in projects I have enjoyed over the years, like Running Scared, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally ..., Monster's Inc., 61*, and Analyze This. His delivery reminds me of Jackie Mason, if slightly edgier. His book is written in much the same way. I could hear Crystal's voice in my head as I read.
Either by coincidence or by design, Crystal's narrative seems to mature as he ages in the narrative. The dirty jokes and knowing winks give way to genuine introspection and occasional melancholia. But he finds a way to make it all funny in the right places. I don't like to use the phrase LOL, but I found that I did quite a bit of that as I read.
While not a tell-all in the truest sense of the word, Crystal does spin more than a few interesting yarns about the famous people he has encountered. Good story or bad, one thing is certain: Billy Crystal has led a remarkable life.
Take a little time and check it out. You won't regret it.
March 24, 2017
I’ll go on record that I love Billy Crystal, When Harry Met Sally is still one of my favorite romantic comedies and the nine years he hosted the Oscars made for great television, in my humble opinion, still the best. That said, I’m not big on memoirs unless they’re a little bit offbeat and when this one began it was more old comedian playing the Berkshire circuit, especially since I was listening to it. I persevered and about a quarter of the way in he settles into the pattern of the book, chapters relate each decade of his life in linear fashion, he marvels at and is grateful for the life he’s led and it comes through in the writing. The memoir portions are interspersed with essays and I enjoyed these little breaks in the narrative of a life. Overall, an enjoyable listening experience, trademark Billy, if maybe a little crankier at the indignities of aging, but with a sentimentality I hadn’t heard from him before. If you’re a fan, you’ll like it. If not, I might skip it.
February 27, 2019
Interesting book, one that I found in terms fascinating and redundant. I listened to this on audio, with Crystal doing the narrating. In the case of this book, I should call it performing, though. The book begins with Crystal recorded performing in front of a live audience, and he’s not telling stories of his life, he’s doing standup about being old. And to my taste, not very good standup – I didn’t get any chuckles out of his live performances. But the book takes a turn toward the more interesting as Crystal changes to telling the story of his life and his career. That part was good, interesting anecdotes and funny bits. He ends the book with more kvetching about aging which I could have done without. The anecdote I find most memorable (and I find this very strange on reflection) is his story about coming up with a one-liner while hosting the Oscars and cutting off Hollywood old-timer Hal Roach who was speaking from his seat so no one heard him clearly “Well, it’s only fitting. He got his start in silent films.” Crystal does his impersonations along the way, and you hear his Ali and Mickey Mantle a lot. The Mickey stories are truly poignant. The saving grace is that Crystal seems shocked that he was as lucky in life as he’s been, and he sounds so appreciative throughout. I found this one hard to rank -- one star for the bad standup combined with four stars for the life story, but I’ll round up to 3 because his stories are so memorable.
October 23, 2019
Billy Crystal is great. This is the second book I have read from him , and he has led a very interesting life. This book will make you re-evaluate what is important in your life, and appreciate family more. There are many great stories in this book, some about his movies, some about his stand-up comedy, and several about real life.
August 1, 2017
I liked Billy Crystal. Then I listened to this audiobook. Now I don't like Billy Crystal.
Wow, this is the epitome of what I don't like about "celebrity" memoirs. Self-indulgent, smug and dull. He's friends with Muhammad Ali. He loves the Yankees. He's friends with Mickey Mantle. In case you forget ... he reminds you that he's friends with Muhammad Ali continually throughout the book. Seriously. All the damn time. Did I mention that he's friends with Muhammad Ali?
I don't want to hear about his penis, his balls or his "chubby" over Sophia Loren. I don't want to hear his impressions - honestly, you can just say what these people said without having to do their voices. I don't want to hear about the Yankees and I seriously don't want to hear any more about Muhammad Ali. He came across as so unbelievably full of himself. The book was one giant self-pat-on-the-back. I have a great marriage! I have raised wonderful children! I'm friends with Muhammad Ali! I am amazing! And then he gives advice on how to be a grandparent. Just no!
His serious sour grapes over Joe DiMaggio not signing something for his wife (although DiMaggio did give his reasons why, plus gave him something else signed) was the final nail in the coffin for me. He came off sounding like an absolute spoilt brat. "Well I think -insert other baseball player I have no idea about- is the greatest living player." Really? You're 65. Grow the fuck up.
And if it wasn't dull enough with all of the name-dropping and self-congratulation, he spent 5-10 minutes talking about something he didn't do. For reals.
Nope.
Wow, this is the epitome of what I don't like about "celebrity" memoirs. Self-indulgent, smug and dull. He's friends with Muhammad Ali. He loves the Yankees. He's friends with Mickey Mantle. In case you forget ... he reminds you that he's friends with Muhammad Ali continually throughout the book. Seriously. All the damn time. Did I mention that he's friends with Muhammad Ali?
I don't want to hear about his penis, his balls or his "chubby" over Sophia Loren. I don't want to hear his impressions - honestly, you can just say what these people said without having to do their voices. I don't want to hear about the Yankees and I seriously don't want to hear any more about Muhammad Ali. He came across as so unbelievably full of himself. The book was one giant self-pat-on-the-back. I have a great marriage! I have raised wonderful children! I'm friends with Muhammad Ali! I am amazing! And then he gives advice on how to be a grandparent. Just no!
His serious sour grapes over Joe DiMaggio not signing something for his wife (although DiMaggio did give his reasons why, plus gave him something else signed) was the final nail in the coffin for me. He came off sounding like an absolute spoilt brat. "Well I think -insert other baseball player I have no idea about- is the greatest living player." Really? You're 65. Grow the fuck up.
And if it wasn't dull enough with all of the name-dropping and self-congratulation, he spent 5-10 minutes talking about something he didn't do. For reals.
Nope.
September 17, 2013
A warm, insightful, crudely hilarious, and poignant memoir of sorts that reads like a collection of essays or comedy bits, mixed in with a loose autobiography. Do yourself a favour and pick up the audiobook - Crystal reads some sections in front of a live audience, where he is clearly most at home. It's a beautiful read of personal material, as funny as it is moving.
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