The World of Simon Rich

by Simon Rich

Simon Rich's BBC Radio 4 series of the same name will be broadcast in JuneThe world is a bewildering place and we're ill-equipped to deal with it. From the horrors of childhood to the vagaries of old age, from confused people to humiliated animals, we're all just trying - and often failing - to keep it together. How carefully should you answer when asked what you'd take to a desert island? What do you do if your parents are reading your diary? How useful is a Swiss Army Knife? And what's A Brief History of Time really about?Armed with a sharp eye for the absurd and an overwhelming sense of doom, Simon Rich explores the ridiculousness of our everyday lives, from the most minute of anxieties to one of life's biggest Does God really have a plan for us? Yes, it turns out. Now if only He could remember what it was ...'Simon Rich is very much laugh-out-loud funny. He can conjure authentic, from-the-abdomen laughter on almost every page. He stacks surrealism on top of slick satire on top of pure childish silliness in such a brilliant and condensed way, there are sometimes three laugh-out-loud moments within the same paragraph ... He is exactly the right kind of writer for the funny, high-concept, accessible, short, sharable, a James Thurber for the Twitter age' Matt Haig

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Comedy, Humor

176 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

Simon Rich (born 1984) is an American humorist whose first book, Ant Farm and Other Desperate Situations, was published by Random House in April 2007.

Rich is an alumnus of The Dalton School and a former president of The Harvard Lampoon, and the son of The New York Times editorialist Frank Rich. He received a two book contract from Random House prior to his graduation from Harvard University in 2007.

His first book, Ant Farm and Other Desperate Situations, has been described as a collection of "giddy what-if scenarios". Excerpts of the book were printed in The New Yorker's "Shouts and Murmurs" column. His second book, Free Range Chickens, was published in 2008. His first novel, Elliot Allagash was released in May of 2010, followed by What in God’s Name and most recently, The Last Girlfriend on Earth, a collection of short stories about love.

He is currently a writer for Saturday Night Live.

Reviews

[Michael Lent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dangerously close to stalker status when it comes to reading all things Simon Rich, I enjoy his breezy dialogue-driven style, hilarious angst and wonderfully idiosyncratic world view. Parts of this book appear in other works or are fodder for a subsequent book but I don't care. Give me more.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's made of snippets and musings, most of which were rather funny, and also made it very easy to keep reading - just one more, ok one more... and before you know you've had a rather good chuckle and finished the book!

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny

[Jodie Ponto · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have the biggest crush on Simon Rich's brain. This is a surreal, satirical, and silly book full of 200+ bite-sized bits that I wish I wrote. Would make a great bedside or bathroom reader. I don't know if that is even a compliment, but either way there were many, many pieces that made me chuckle. Pieces imagining the only scenarios where high school math would come in handy, what a Brief History Of Time is really about, why the Titanic band played while the ship was going down, and so much more. Growing up, going to work, relationships, god, it's got it all!

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely hilarious...

There were so many well written ones, that I can't possibly list them. I think my 2 faves were the one about April Fools Day and all of the God ones... Damn it. That's more than 2. You get the idea. Very funny. Bought all of his other books before I had finished this one.

[Merissa K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cleverly written, very light book and we made me laugh out loud plenty of times. Written with the signature style of Simon Rich, it didnt disappoint. His style is very similar to Ben Elton and made me chuckle throughout the book!

[Hayley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited to read this but a lot of it I'd already read in previous collections and the stuff I hadn't just wasn't that good.

[RND · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, funny, bite-sized chunks.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

The World of Simon Rich is a series of short stories, thoughts, vignettes and short plays that look at modern life shot through with sarcasm, a mordant wit, and surrealism.
More than one hundred short pieces make up the book, split into sections about Growing Up, Animals, Going to Work, Relationships, Daily Life, and God. Characters range from school children thinking about what is going on at the adult table, to young boys imagining what the bad guys they imagine living in the cupboard are talking about, there are also sections where animals are given human thoughts. We find animal X files, or Ants on and Ant Farm, digging tunnels as their seventh escape plan.
We also look afresh at visits from the tooth fairy, a Lost Puppy who is a Lovecraft nightmare, rather than a beloved family pet, and soldiers in computer games fighting the same enemies, day in and day out, we see guest questionnaires for haunted houses or the difficult conversation between Abraham and Isaac on the ride back to Beersheba.
The use of popular culture sets the book in a certain time, with many of the references already seeming dated, but that is always a problem with books that are determined to surf any wave on the zeitgeist. Although the book is not one for fans of great literature, it is well written, humorous in places, and thought-provoking in others, and if you are looking for a quick and light read on the train, then this book could be worth some of your time.

[Filip Olšovský · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, not even half of the stories are brilliant. And some are even boring and predictable. But those 4-5 gems are among the funniest short stories out there and these single-handedly make it a 5-star experience.

[Veena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humorous witty short thoughts penned directly from the core of the mind.

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will you marry me

[Jonny Brick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A neat compilation for UK audiences (coinciding with a Radio 4 series) where God features heavily and smartly.

[Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

very witty and funny

[Charly Wölk · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ngl the jokes were all the same and you could predict them all from the fist line. The only one i actually liked was the „made for eachother“ one. Thought that was quite philosophical.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read a few of the stories before, but overall a good read.

[Kt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick very funny read

[Sam Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

At this point Simon Rich has become my go-to comfort read when I’m getting overwhelmed with school. So soothing, and he’s so good and makes it seem so easy.