What do you think?
Rate this book
The Trials of Lenny Bruce: The Fall and Rise of an American Icon
Lenny Bruce's words had the power to provoke laughter and debate-as well as shock and outrage. It was the force of his voice that would place him on the wrong side of the law in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.
Lenny committed his life to telling the truth. But the truth he told infuriated those in power, and authorities in the largest, most progressive cities in the country worked relentlessly to put him in jail. To them, Lenny's words were filthy, depraved. But to his fans-the hip, the discontented, the fringe-his words were not only sharp and hilarious, they were a light in the dark to the repressed society of the early 1960s.
Lenny's battles were fought on stage and in the courtroom-against cops in San Francisco and L.A. who took notes at his performances, against judges in Chicago and against a prosecutor in New York with a zeal to bring the comedian down.
Lenny also fought his addiction to heroin and, at times, his own lawyers. And there were those who never stopped fighting for Lenny-people like Steve Allen, Phil Spector and William Kunstler.
To better understand the power of Lenny's performances, the authors have compiled an audio CD of the routines that got him in trouble, as well as interviews with his defenders and prosecutors, and his friends and followers, including George Carlin, Hugh Hefner and Margaret Cho.
The first carefully documented account of Lenny Bruce's career and free speech struggles, The Trials of Lenny Bruce paints a vivid, shocking, hilarious and tragic portrait of a man too honest for his time.
The Trials of Lenny Bruce includes a one-hour audio CD narrated by Nat Hentoff that features:
--Lenny Bruce performances (including ones for which he was busted)
--Notorious routines, including "Religions, Inc.," "Blah Blah Blah," "Thank You Mask Man" and "Las Vegas Tits and Ass"
--Interviews with George Carlin, Hugh Hefner, Margaret Cho and others
A Book Sense 76 Selection
"A work that puts it all together...Collins and Skover write with clarity and energy....It is entertaining, often exciting-but above all it is an immensely important record of a vital chapter in our ever-evolving democracy's eternal groping toward liberty."
-Baltimore Sun
"The CD gives the text another dimension and allows for a truly different reading experience....A fine retelling of Bruce's career as well as one of the only books in print to detail his free-speech legal troubles."
-Library Journal
Lenny committed his life to telling the truth. But the truth he told infuriated those in power, and authorities in the largest, most progressive cities in the country worked relentlessly to put him in jail. To them, Lenny's words were filthy, depraved. But to his fans-the hip, the discontented, the fringe-his words were not only sharp and hilarious, they were a light in the dark to the repressed society of the early 1960s.
Lenny's battles were fought on stage and in the courtroom-against cops in San Francisco and L.A. who took notes at his performances, against judges in Chicago and against a prosecutor in New York with a zeal to bring the comedian down.
Lenny also fought his addiction to heroin and, at times, his own lawyers. And there were those who never stopped fighting for Lenny-people like Steve Allen, Phil Spector and William Kunstler.
To better understand the power of Lenny's performances, the authors have compiled an audio CD of the routines that got him in trouble, as well as interviews with his defenders and prosecutors, and his friends and followers, including George Carlin, Hugh Hefner and Margaret Cho.
The first carefully documented account of Lenny Bruce's career and free speech struggles, The Trials of Lenny Bruce paints a vivid, shocking, hilarious and tragic portrait of a man too honest for his time.
The Trials of Lenny Bruce includes a one-hour audio CD narrated by Nat Hentoff that features:
--Lenny Bruce performances (including ones for which he was busted)
--Notorious routines, including "Religions, Inc.," "Blah Blah Blah," "Thank You Mask Man" and "Las Vegas Tits and Ass"
--Interviews with George Carlin, Hugh Hefner, Margaret Cho and others
A Book Sense 76 Selection
"A work that puts it all together...Collins and Skover write with clarity and energy....It is entertaining, often exciting-but above all it is an immensely important record of a vital chapter in our ever-evolving democracy's eternal groping toward liberty."
-Baltimore Sun
"The CD gives the text another dimension and allows for a truly different reading experience....A fine retelling of Bruce's career as well as one of the only books in print to detail his free-speech legal troubles."
-Library Journal
576 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
24 people are currently reading
568 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
February 9, 2013
I cannot remember the last time I felt so strongly about a book I had bought. I have never, ever felt this strongly about a CD! I found, by a rare bit of luck, this hardcover book in brand new condition, in a used book store. The CD inside the cover was still sealed. It is not just an actor on the CD; it is actual footage of Bruce's voice performing (along with narration by someone else). It cost me all of five bucks. Unbelievable!
If you are a champion of free speech, you have to know that this amazing (though oh yes, profane) comedian broke new ground. It could be (and has been) argued that he paid with his life, that performing in a nightclub LINED with cops all up and down ultimately broke him, but he did not go gently.
The first time I heard the material was in the movie "Lenny", starring actor Dustin Hoffman in the title role. I knew it was good, but I was also young, had very tender ears, and I think there were times when the one-two punch of some of the words that I hadn't heard much, caused me to miss some of the point. Even then, I understood that this was a powerful thing, though.
This book and ESPECIALLY the CD, which provides not only the words, but the all-important inflections (transcribed, for those who miss some of what goes by in the snappy nightclub patter, in the book), is one of the most important pieces of primary evidence I have ever been privileged to hear, see, and own. I cannot believe the clarity of the sound! For those, like me, to whom the early sixties are not within the realm of memory, the book is essential for context. There are people who were well known at the time whose names go by like gunshots in his routine; two who come to mind were a cardinal and a bishop. The context that the CD does not provide is in the book.
The text itself is 442 pp. in length; the rest is meticulous documentation. Pictures of everyone...this is a treasure!
If you are a champion of free speech, you have to know that this amazing (though oh yes, profane) comedian broke new ground. It could be (and has been) argued that he paid with his life, that performing in a nightclub LINED with cops all up and down ultimately broke him, but he did not go gently.
The first time I heard the material was in the movie "Lenny", starring actor Dustin Hoffman in the title role. I knew it was good, but I was also young, had very tender ears, and I think there were times when the one-two punch of some of the words that I hadn't heard much, caused me to miss some of the point. Even then, I understood that this was a powerful thing, though.
This book and ESPECIALLY the CD, which provides not only the words, but the all-important inflections (transcribed, for those who miss some of what goes by in the snappy nightclub patter, in the book), is one of the most important pieces of primary evidence I have ever been privileged to hear, see, and own. I cannot believe the clarity of the sound! For those, like me, to whom the early sixties are not within the realm of memory, the book is essential for context. There are people who were well known at the time whose names go by like gunshots in his routine; two who come to mind were a cardinal and a bishop. The context that the CD does not provide is in the book.
The text itself is 442 pp. in length; the rest is meticulous documentation. Pictures of everyone...this is a treasure!
October 23, 2008
This book was a bit disturbing as far as how we treat and define obscenity in this country. to me, obscenity is generally a waste of time, sort of like jaywalking tickets. who gives a fuck? there are bigger things with which to deal. i don't know if lenny bruce is funny, but the authors of this book seem to think so (and so did a lot his contemporaries). the one thing i hate about biographies is how doting they seem to be.
March 20, 2014
.....a different approach to the "dangerous Jew"...here, it is "comedy on trial", the five years during which Prosecutors sought to bust Father Bruce for "word crimes". Meticulously documents both litigants, and the literary scene of the 1960s, as taboos were broken in the struggle for Free Speech...there's a CD included with the book, of Lenny's own words.
Do you swing with the First Amendment?
5 Stars
Do you swing with the First Amendment?
5 Stars
May 15, 2008
Great book about a man whose unconventional stand-up act tested the edges of what freedom of speech really means.
July 19, 2020
"To is a preposition, come is a verb."
Lenny'ego poznałam dzięki serialowi "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel", pokochałam jego postać od drugiego wejrzenia, zresztą moja mama również, i zapragnęłam dowiedzieć się trochę więcej, chociaż czułam pewien lęk, że nie polubię aż tak bardzo jego niezłagodzonej wersji. Myliłam się.
Autorzy The Trials of Lenny Bruce przedstawiają chronologicznie historię wszystkich znaczących procesów o wolność słowa Bruce'a, uwzględniają wszystkie konteksty ważne dla przebiegu tych spraw, ukazują niejednoznaczne postacie świadków, prokuratorów, obrońców, sędziów oraz samego oskarżonego, mówią o nim w pełni, o jego zaletach, wadach, porażkach i sukcesach, o rzeczach, za które go kochamy, i tych cechach, przez które momentami mamy go dość - wszystko jest jednak jak najobszerniej i jak najobiektywniej przedstawione; Lenny NIE jest w tej książce gloryfikowany, i jestem za to bardzo wdzięczna, Lenny chyba jednak by tego nie chciał. Autorzy poświęcają również wiele uwagi konsekwencjom działań Lenny'ego, jego procesów oraz śmierci w 1966. W książce umieszczone są cytaty pochodzące z zarówno wypowiedzi i występów Bruce'a, jak i transkryptów rozpraw sądowych. Do książki załączona jest płyta, zawierająca również nagrania wspomnianych wypowiedzi, jeszcze do niej nie zajrzałam, ale to cudowna inicjatywa.
Autorzy podchodzą do tematu dość obiektywnie i zachęcają w pewien sposób do własnych refleksji.
The Trials of Lenny Bruce bardzo mnie poruszyły.
"I'm not a comedian. I'm Lenny Bruce."
Lenny'ego poznałam dzięki serialowi "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel", pokochałam jego postać od drugiego wejrzenia, zresztą moja mama również, i zapragnęłam dowiedzieć się trochę więcej, chociaż czułam pewien lęk, że nie polubię aż tak bardzo jego niezłagodzonej wersji. Myliłam się.
Autorzy The Trials of Lenny Bruce przedstawiają chronologicznie historię wszystkich znaczących procesów o wolność słowa Bruce'a, uwzględniają wszystkie konteksty ważne dla przebiegu tych spraw, ukazują niejednoznaczne postacie świadków, prokuratorów, obrońców, sędziów oraz samego oskarżonego, mówią o nim w pełni, o jego zaletach, wadach, porażkach i sukcesach, o rzeczach, za które go kochamy, i tych cechach, przez które momentami mamy go dość - wszystko jest jednak jak najobszerniej i jak najobiektywniej przedstawione; Lenny NIE jest w tej książce gloryfikowany, i jestem za to bardzo wdzięczna, Lenny chyba jednak by tego nie chciał. Autorzy poświęcają również wiele uwagi konsekwencjom działań Lenny'ego, jego procesów oraz śmierci w 1966. W książce umieszczone są cytaty pochodzące z zarówno wypowiedzi i występów Bruce'a, jak i transkryptów rozpraw sądowych. Do książki załączona jest płyta, zawierająca również nagrania wspomnianych wypowiedzi, jeszcze do niej nie zajrzałam, ale to cudowna inicjatywa.
Autorzy podchodzą do tematu dość obiektywnie i zachęcają w pewien sposób do własnych refleksji.
The Trials of Lenny Bruce bardzo mnie poruszyły.
"I'm not a comedian. I'm Lenny Bruce."
August 5, 2015
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution explicitly safeguards freedom of speech. That isn't just freedom to say what you like as long as it doesn't upset anyone - it means the right to say what you think, period. There is no qualifier.
This fact did not stop various police officers, District Attorneys, lawyers, and sundry other self-appointed guardians of public decency from trying to stop Lenny Bruce from exercising his First Amendment rights throughout the late 1950s to mid-1960s. Ostensibly, this was on grounds of the offensiveness of his language during his scathing, foul mouthed, hilariously irreverent stand-up act: where Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes had famously declared that the First Amendment did not give licence to shout "Fire" in a crowded theatre, Bruce's antagonists sought to extend this principle to saying "Motherfucker" in a crowded nightclub. They did this by attempting to make local statutes, usually designed to suppress prostitution, stand above the Constitution; they ignored the non-public nature of nightclubs; they employed entrapment; they cited inaccurate and partial transcripts of Bruce's performances as "evidence"... It seems astonishing now, when the kind of language shockingly deployed by Lenny Bruce has become the routine stuff of American TV and film dialogue, but the suspicion must remain that the real reason for all this manufactured outrage was not so much Bruce's use of language, but rather the targets of his satire - politicians, hypocritical public moralists, religion... Here, the reaction of the powers that be is all too explicable, and enduringly familiar. As a Jewish New Yorker, the religious targets of Lenny Bruce's scorn tended to be Judaism and the Roman Catholic Church, with occasional sallies at Buddhism and Hinduism. One can only imagine the kind of reaction his contemporary equivalent might attract if, as seems very likely, he were to aim his satire at Islam.
Lenny Bruce was eventually vindicated in law, when the Constitutional principles one of his co-defendants had cited in an action against them were finally asserted on appeal, and their conviction overturned. But by this stage, Lenny was already dead, a victim of his own heroin addiction, chronic poor health, and general exhaustion from the harassment and stress he had suffered. It has to be said that he did little to help himself in his final years, attempting to defend himself in court despite a lamentable lack of legal knowledge, putting himself in contempt of court not one but three times by writing personally to the judge while a case was in progress, skipping state jurisdictions, and refusing to take advice from counsel he hadn't yet sacked. But this does not diminish the enormity of the persecution he faced, which remains a blot on the history of the U.S. justice system.
This book exposes in great and compelling detail how this happened, and does not shy away from the legal arguments involved. It is a fine contribution both to legal and social history. And as a bonus, my edition included a 74 minute CD containing live recordings of some of Lenny Bruce's contemporary satirical routines, which, for all their period relevance, remain abrasively funny and superbly timed. As the founder of what, 25 years after his death, became known as 'alternative' comedy, he still stands out as a true genius and innovator. "The Trials of Lenny Bruce" is a worthy tribute.
This fact did not stop various police officers, District Attorneys, lawyers, and sundry other self-appointed guardians of public decency from trying to stop Lenny Bruce from exercising his First Amendment rights throughout the late 1950s to mid-1960s. Ostensibly, this was on grounds of the offensiveness of his language during his scathing, foul mouthed, hilariously irreverent stand-up act: where Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes had famously declared that the First Amendment did not give licence to shout "Fire" in a crowded theatre, Bruce's antagonists sought to extend this principle to saying "Motherfucker" in a crowded nightclub. They did this by attempting to make local statutes, usually designed to suppress prostitution, stand above the Constitution; they ignored the non-public nature of nightclubs; they employed entrapment; they cited inaccurate and partial transcripts of Bruce's performances as "evidence"... It seems astonishing now, when the kind of language shockingly deployed by Lenny Bruce has become the routine stuff of American TV and film dialogue, but the suspicion must remain that the real reason for all this manufactured outrage was not so much Bruce's use of language, but rather the targets of his satire - politicians, hypocritical public moralists, religion... Here, the reaction of the powers that be is all too explicable, and enduringly familiar. As a Jewish New Yorker, the religious targets of Lenny Bruce's scorn tended to be Judaism and the Roman Catholic Church, with occasional sallies at Buddhism and Hinduism. One can only imagine the kind of reaction his contemporary equivalent might attract if, as seems very likely, he were to aim his satire at Islam.
Lenny Bruce was eventually vindicated in law, when the Constitutional principles one of his co-defendants had cited in an action against them were finally asserted on appeal, and their conviction overturned. But by this stage, Lenny was already dead, a victim of his own heroin addiction, chronic poor health, and general exhaustion from the harassment and stress he had suffered. It has to be said that he did little to help himself in his final years, attempting to defend himself in court despite a lamentable lack of legal knowledge, putting himself in contempt of court not one but three times by writing personally to the judge while a case was in progress, skipping state jurisdictions, and refusing to take advice from counsel he hadn't yet sacked. But this does not diminish the enormity of the persecution he faced, which remains a blot on the history of the U.S. justice system.
This book exposes in great and compelling detail how this happened, and does not shy away from the legal arguments involved. It is a fine contribution both to legal and social history. And as a bonus, my edition included a 74 minute CD containing live recordings of some of Lenny Bruce's contemporary satirical routines, which, for all their period relevance, remain abrasively funny and superbly timed. As the founder of what, 25 years after his death, became known as 'alternative' comedy, he still stands out as a true genius and innovator. "The Trials of Lenny Bruce" is a worthy tribute.
February 24, 2017
The story of a comedian persecuted and prosecuted for his words. A Kafkaesque trawl through the courts for the right of free speech. I can't say I ever found Lenny funny, but his importance is overwhelming; his act was really quite tame by today's standards, but without it there would be no Hicks, no standard bearers for the 'Truth'. The truth is a dangerous thing for a system built on lies and self deceit - the level of hypocrisy meted out by self righteous arbiters of 'taste' like Chief Justice John Murtagh and his ilk is really quite appalling. The legalese here could crack your skull with boredom; I guess that's how it works. The law should be plain, simple, fair, and not shrouded in obscurity - just like Lenny himself. We owe him a debt, that's for sure - remember, never take the Fifth.
January 8, 2009
Dig, I read this book about Lenny Bruce, The Trials of Lenny Bruce: The Fall and Rise of an American Icon by Ronald K.L. Collins & David M. Skover.
Collins and Skover, both lawyers, do not provide a traditional biography of the infamous “sick comic,” but rather a legal lineage of his battles against misdemeanor obscenity charges brought forth as a result of his stand-up acts. The book also includes an audio CD of actual Bruce performances for which he was arrested. The supplementary interviews, commentary, and Bruce acts make for an incisive, illuminating account of this man’s life.
There’s plenty of relevant reasons to be reading about Lenny Bruce. That radical packet of papers we call a constitution just does not seem to go away. We’ve come a long way since the 60s when Bruce was prosecuted and persecuted for saying things like “dwarf motherfucker” and railing against the establishment. And if the constitution can eventually get around to protecting Bruce’s raunchy, satirical-comic descendants (George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Bill Hicks, Margaret Cho, Howard Stern, Sarah Silverman, etc, et al), then certainly it must protect those confined and flabbergasted by the legal wrangling brought on by our modern culture’s flogging of gay marriage and prisoner’s rights.
Lenny Bruce is a fascinating case study in the progression of an open society’s values, especially what a culture deems acceptable satire and criticism. Bruce’s predicament was one artists will find themselves in for generations to come, just as Joyce, Flaubert, Miller, Ginsberg, Ferlinghetti, and Burroughs all struggled for the Freedom of Expression, the value of art free from censorship, the importance of liberating language from social constraints.
“Every age needs a Lenny Bruce and every age will try to kill him.” – Peter Hall
Collins and Skover, both lawyers, do not provide a traditional biography of the infamous “sick comic,” but rather a legal lineage of his battles against misdemeanor obscenity charges brought forth as a result of his stand-up acts. The book also includes an audio CD of actual Bruce performances for which he was arrested. The supplementary interviews, commentary, and Bruce acts make for an incisive, illuminating account of this man’s life.
There’s plenty of relevant reasons to be reading about Lenny Bruce. That radical packet of papers we call a constitution just does not seem to go away. We’ve come a long way since the 60s when Bruce was prosecuted and persecuted for saying things like “dwarf motherfucker” and railing against the establishment. And if the constitution can eventually get around to protecting Bruce’s raunchy, satirical-comic descendants (George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Bill Hicks, Margaret Cho, Howard Stern, Sarah Silverman, etc, et al), then certainly it must protect those confined and flabbergasted by the legal wrangling brought on by our modern culture’s flogging of gay marriage and prisoner’s rights.
Lenny Bruce is a fascinating case study in the progression of an open society’s values, especially what a culture deems acceptable satire and criticism. Bruce’s predicament was one artists will find themselves in for generations to come, just as Joyce, Flaubert, Miller, Ginsberg, Ferlinghetti, and Burroughs all struggled for the Freedom of Expression, the value of art free from censorship, the importance of liberating language from social constraints.
“Every age needs a Lenny Bruce and every age will try to kill him.” – Peter Hall
June 13, 2013
I liked learning about Lenny Bruce and his impact on a wide range of people from Margaret Cho to Hugh Hefner.
Where I agree with Skover and Collins is in their view of the fragile balance our society has with the first amendment and how easily that social agreement can be skewed one way or the other if we as a society do not remain vigilant and open to discourse on language and what constitutes obscenity or social commentary.
I also like the inclusion of the linguistic origins of profanity; in which words like "fuck" and "shit" when examined historically are nothing more than remnants of french aristocratic dominion over anglo-saxon culture.
(Much like how white america tries to "correct" African Americans who use ebonics today because it gives them false sense of superiority in correcting the way others speak to suit their ears when the real disconnect at play is not in how a person speaks; but rather in how much is really lost from not listening to what is being said.)
I do disagree however with Skover and Collins (loosely interpreted summary on my part) pessimism about the future of free speech being equally endangered by self-censoring corporations and the historical institutions of governments and religions.
For when I look at the Lenny Bruce's, Allen Ginsburg's and Jack Kerouac's of the world, it's rather obvious that they are the artistic purists that corporations likely would have a tough time of finding a happy middle ground in which their works serve the interests of both parties.
Im not saying impossible.... just very unlikely.
So I think the people who want that artistic freedom will always find the audiences that crave it, with or without governments and corporations.... just my .02 cents.
Overall a great book about one of the most unique people to ever exist.
Where I agree with Skover and Collins is in their view of the fragile balance our society has with the first amendment and how easily that social agreement can be skewed one way or the other if we as a society do not remain vigilant and open to discourse on language and what constitutes obscenity or social commentary.
I also like the inclusion of the linguistic origins of profanity; in which words like "fuck" and "shit" when examined historically are nothing more than remnants of french aristocratic dominion over anglo-saxon culture.
(Much like how white america tries to "correct" African Americans who use ebonics today because it gives them false sense of superiority in correcting the way others speak to suit their ears when the real disconnect at play is not in how a person speaks; but rather in how much is really lost from not listening to what is being said.)
I do disagree however with Skover and Collins (loosely interpreted summary on my part) pessimism about the future of free speech being equally endangered by self-censoring corporations and the historical institutions of governments and religions.
For when I look at the Lenny Bruce's, Allen Ginsburg's and Jack Kerouac's of the world, it's rather obvious that they are the artistic purists that corporations likely would have a tough time of finding a happy middle ground in which their works serve the interests of both parties.
Im not saying impossible.... just very unlikely.
So I think the people who want that artistic freedom will always find the audiences that crave it, with or without governments and corporations.... just my .02 cents.
Overall a great book about one of the most unique people to ever exist.
September 6, 2020
I don't know why I expected a fairly straight biography of Lenny Bruce when I picked up this copy of "The Trials of Lenny Bruce" written by two lawyers, but I was foolishly surprised to find that the bulk of this book focuses on... the in-court trials Lenny Bruce was embroiled in during the latter part of his career. What was similarly surprising is just how engaging and entertaining summaries of those trials could be.
The authors paint each day in court like a boxing match, beat-by-bloody beat. The drama of the courtroom is expressed so well, one completely understands why they were such a spectacle to begin with (and why Julian Barry saw fit to dramatize them). Terrific detail is given to everyone that's NOT Lenny Bruce, focusing on all the combatants in these fights for the First Amendment which adds something that most depictions of Lenny Bruce don't: Objectivity.
The court sessions serve the by-the-book biography portions of this collection to show that, in his time, Lenny Bruce wasn't the saint or the martyr we know. It doesn't tarnish his image as a trailblazer by any stretch of the imagination, though! His contributions to the spoken word and those who wield it has left an indelible mark on society and that impact is well-document and respected. However, his fight with the courts and the snobs were not the only things driving him into bankruptcy and poverty. He was, absolutely, his own worst enemy in quite a few ways I didn't know before reading and his legacy - the one we know today - was fought and debated over and crafted to a degree.
Balanced insight, tons of new information, and an electrifying way of writing detailed accounts of ongoings in court make for a long-winded but engaging biography from a brand new angle of Lenny Bruce.
The authors paint each day in court like a boxing match, beat-by-bloody beat. The drama of the courtroom is expressed so well, one completely understands why they were such a spectacle to begin with (and why Julian Barry saw fit to dramatize them). Terrific detail is given to everyone that's NOT Lenny Bruce, focusing on all the combatants in these fights for the First Amendment which adds something that most depictions of Lenny Bruce don't: Objectivity.
The court sessions serve the by-the-book biography portions of this collection to show that, in his time, Lenny Bruce wasn't the saint or the martyr we know. It doesn't tarnish his image as a trailblazer by any stretch of the imagination, though! His contributions to the spoken word and those who wield it has left an indelible mark on society and that impact is well-document and respected. However, his fight with the courts and the snobs were not the only things driving him into bankruptcy and poverty. He was, absolutely, his own worst enemy in quite a few ways I didn't know before reading and his legacy - the one we know today - was fought and debated over and crafted to a degree.
Balanced insight, tons of new information, and an electrifying way of writing detailed accounts of ongoings in court make for a long-winded but engaging biography from a brand new angle of Lenny Bruce.
September 9, 2012
I came to an appreciation of Lenny Bruce, as I suppose most people might, during my youth, when the weight of growing up was mistaken as persecution, and Lenny could be patron saint to my perpetual sense of unique misunderstanding. Therefore, my knowledge of the man can only be seen with the patina of reverence for the rule-breaking liberality he symbolized. That is, until this book. The presentation of who Lenny Bruce was through the analysis of the many "People vs. Bruce" obscenity trials, with a dedicated commitment to a First Amendment narrative, rescues Saint Lenny from the cliched devotion I and all self-centered (and less courageous and talented than Bruce) Brucean "victims" might have, for a man caught in an unfortunate moment in history he helped change. The dedication of the authors to communicating the history and meaning of the law allow the reader to see Lenny's arrogance and recklessness and liberate his memory, so he can be a regular human being. It also provides technical ideas of free speech law with relevant historical context that are accessible and entertaining. This is a good read for people who love words and the protections we crave in saying them. It is also a great read for those of us who have minimized the human story of free expression by canonizing flawed people who make possible new cultural standards. It humbles with its insight that freedom of expression takes human courage, which can't afford the divine wisdom of martyrs. Most of all, it makes Lenny Bruce seem human. I liked that.
November 26, 2019
The legalistic court room procedural details can get a bit tedious, but overlook that and focus on the main point -- society used vague laws that discouraged obscenity to shut down, shut up, and lock up a guy pulling the prim and proper veneer off a society rotting from within -- rotting from systemic police brutality; racism; religious excess; hypocritical, prim and proper WASP norms; and inter-generational intolerance. What killed Lenny Bruce? The prosecutorial misbehavior seeking vengeance on behalf of a society offended by his substantive message (and not the "dirty language" -- the "offended" citizenry either used vulagrity themselves or needed a refresher on the First Amendment Right of free speech). Lenny Bruce did not "die of an overdose." Do not blame this victim. The societal bullsh*t of the times in which he tried to live ultimately killed him. We killed him.
October 8, 2014
A legal history of Lenny Bruce's obscenity trials. This book is far more gripping than the subject matter might indicate. The authors document the series of misdemeanor obscenity trials which Lenny Bruce had to endure and which, arguably, contributed to his untimely death.
Bruce emerges from the book as a complex iconoclast hounded mercilessly by the authorities for daring to break cultural and religious taboos. Recommended.
A CD included with the book contains recordings of Bruce's bits, interviews with other comedians, and some of Bruce's secret recordings of his own trials. Just listening to a few of his bits makes me wish I could have seen him in person -- he must have been an amazing performer.
April 5, 2010
I'd seen this title remaindered and never bought it because the book looked like a long list of court dates. I eventually picked it up last year for 50 cents, and I'm glad I did. Very well-written and insightful, tons of things I never new about Lenny, all laid out in a very clear narrative that doesn't overwhelm when it comes to legal mumbo jumbo. Totally fascinating book that shows how much Bruce was his own worst enemy. Being his lawyer would have truly sucked. Comes with a CD as well, various bits and audio narrated by the great Nat Hentoff.
September 10, 2010
We, the American people, owe much to Lenny Bruce. He tested the limits of free speech and he won (eventually). Without him, our comedy would be much more lame and PG. It's amazing to me that he could get arrested for making jokes about religion and using mild profanity. Hooray for Lenny Bruce! Also, the accompanying cds are great. Some of the jokes aren't funny, but some are absolutely hilarious. I still remember a particular one about the Pope, Jesus, and Satan. Good stuff.
June 23, 2013
Lenny Bruce is a man surrounded by myth, legend and a hell of a lot of hearsay but how much of it is true?
Here the authors create a fantastic look at one of the most infamous yet legendary stand up comedians of all time in the shape of Lenny Bruce.
Without Bruce there would be no George Carlin, no Bill Hicks and more so click to see the full review and see why.
http://curiosityofasocialmisfit.blogs...
Here the authors create a fantastic look at one of the most infamous yet legendary stand up comedians of all time in the shape of Lenny Bruce.
Without Bruce there would be no George Carlin, no Bill Hicks and more so click to see the full review and see why.
http://curiosityofasocialmisfit.blogs...
March 18, 2011
What a mess.
Want to read
January 5, 2010I bought this for my husband - it's virtually brand new with the disc inside. I can't wait to read it but it's hardback which means I don't like to lug it about with me!
January 30, 2011
Its a bit dry in places, a lot of places but for anyone interested in Lenny and his effect on 1st amendment rights its a must
December 26, 2012
The author was a rambling mess.
February 11, 2014
Lot's of great information about a character that enjoyed pushing the line of acceptance in a world so blinded by their prejudice
January 24, 2014
I've read a lot about Lenny Bruce, but this was the first book that covered it from the point of a legal analysis of his cases. Great book!
February 12, 2014
Kind of tedious, though passionate enough that I enjoyed it. And--let's say it--a lot of Bruce's stuff now just isn't funny. Compelling. But not funny.
June 2, 2014
Interesting as a case for our country's 1st amendment rights, Lenny Bruce never struck me as funny.
January 8, 2012
I had to read this for a psych class. Interesting topic, horrible organization & writing.
January 27, 2017
Discovered Lenny Bruce around 2009/10 and was fascinated by him.
I read his other book "How to talk dirty and influence people" and was hooked. A counter-culture icon, a man ahead of his time, who forged the way forward for free speech and really make us all think about the 1st Amendment and what it is to define something as Obscene. Especially how in today's world we have shock-jocks and talk shows that are just plain bonkers if you were to ever air them in the 50's or 60's.
This book enraged me at so many times and also made me feel really sad for Lenny. He just wanted to make the world laugh and point out the hypocrisies and ironies in life but was torn down by so much legal troubles his stage act became his chance to plead his innocence and point out what was considered obscene.
Fascinating book. Would recommend to anyone interested in what Free Speech means and how the Law is so important yet how incredibly dangerous it can also be.
Above all he was convicted in 1963 not until 2003 did he receive a posthumous pardon!
I read his other book "How to talk dirty and influence people" and was hooked. A counter-culture icon, a man ahead of his time, who forged the way forward for free speech and really make us all think about the 1st Amendment and what it is to define something as Obscene. Especially how in today's world we have shock-jocks and talk shows that are just plain bonkers if you were to ever air them in the 50's or 60's.
This book enraged me at so many times and also made me feel really sad for Lenny. He just wanted to make the world laugh and point out the hypocrisies and ironies in life but was torn down by so much legal troubles his stage act became his chance to plead his innocence and point out what was considered obscene.
Fascinating book. Would recommend to anyone interested in what Free Speech means and how the Law is so important yet how incredibly dangerous it can also be.
Above all he was convicted in 1963 not until 2003 did he receive a posthumous pardon!
Want to read
September 8, 2020Publisher's description: Lenny Bruce committed his life to telling the truth - as he saw it. But the things he said infuriated those in power, which is why the authorities in the largest, most progressive cities in the USA tried relentlessly to put him in jail. To them, Lenny's words were anarchic and immoral. For his fans - the hip, the discontented, the fringe - his words were not only razor sharp but a beacon in the dark, repressed society that was the early 1960s.
August 9, 2021
This is one of those books that the low review is probably my own fault; if I knew more about the legal terms and going ons in this book, I might have enjoyed it more. I forced myself to finish it, because I felt like it had relevant and interesting information, but a lot of it went over my head and I wouldn't say I enjoyed reading it. Still, there aren't a lot of books on Lenny Bruce out there and I'm grateful for any insight I got from this one.
July 25, 2021
Lenny Bruce story. Great story, but a lot of legalese from the lengthly trials Bruce faced. Not enough about his life and loves, but enough to fill out the story between arrests for vulgarity. Timely for the issues we not face with freedom of speech and the cnesorship by the Twitter and Facebook that is silencing so many. Lenny Bruce dealt with it first.
January 3, 2025
Poor Lenny, so talented and brilliant but could not get out of his own way. This book documents really well his trials and tribulations with and industry and a time that just was not quite ready for him yet; and it is such a shame. But they ruined him physically and emotionally. Still at every turn I found myself rooting for him and begrudging THE MAN!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews