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New Teeth: Stories
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Humor (2021)Laugh till you cry in this new collection of stories from the award-winning “Serena Williams of humor writing” ( New York Times Book Review ) about raising babies and trying not to be one.
Called a “comedic Godsend” by Conan O’Brien and “the Stephen King of comedy writing” by John Mulaney, Simon Rich is back with New Teeth, his funniest and most personal collection yet.
Two murderous pirates find a child stowaway on board and attempt to balance pillaging with co-parenting. A woman raised by wolves prepares for her parents’ annual Thanksgiving visit. An aging mutant superhero is forced to learn humility when the mayor kicks him upstairs to a desk job. And in the hard-boiled caper “The Big Nap,” a weary two-year-old detective struggles to make sense of “a world gone mad.”
Equal parts silly and sincere, New Teeth is an ode to growing up, growing older, and what it means to make a family.
Called a “comedic Godsend” by Conan O’Brien and “the Stephen King of comedy writing” by John Mulaney, Simon Rich is back with New Teeth, his funniest and most personal collection yet.
Two murderous pirates find a child stowaway on board and attempt to balance pillaging with co-parenting. A woman raised by wolves prepares for her parents’ annual Thanksgiving visit. An aging mutant superhero is forced to learn humility when the mayor kicks him upstairs to a desk job. And in the hard-boiled caper “The Big Nap,” a weary two-year-old detective struggles to make sense of “a world gone mad.”
Equal parts silly and sincere, New Teeth is an ode to growing up, growing older, and what it means to make a family.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published July 27, 2021
299 people are currently reading
8839 people want to read
About the author
Simon Rich
29 books1,072 followersSimon 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 588 reviews
October 25, 2021
Quirky, clever, sweet, insightful and funny- I love these stories! I am going to get my hands on any other Simon Rich book I can find.
March 8, 2024
E pensare che la cosa che mi ha attratto di questo libro è stata la copertina con un fantastico unicorno brutto ed il titolo....io adoro fare sonnellini....
Ma devo dire che l'ho trovata una divertentissima lettura.
11 racconti, 11 storie completamente pazze e divertenti, una scrittura leggera e quasi infantile per dare più carattere ai vari personaggi.
Spaziano da spietati pirati che accudiscono una bambina adorabile, una LaserDisc che lascia il posto a lettore DVD arrogante e presuntuoso che a sua volta viene rimpiazzato da Ipad, un piccolo detective duenne che aiuta una femme fatale (la sua sorellina) a ritrovare il suo unicorno....rapito probabilmente dalla mamma (quella stronza).
Potrei andare avanti ancora e ancora e ancora, ma poi che gusto ci sarebbe?
Una lettura esilarante,godibile, geniale anche nella sua prevedibilità.
Troviamo in tutte le storie un piccolo aneddoto sulla quotidianità, una perla per affrontare anche le più bizzarre vicessitudini familiari.
Una bella scoperta ed ora Arrrr vado alla ricerca dell'altro titolo tradotto dell'autore, corpo di mille balene!!!
Ma devo dire che l'ho trovata una divertentissima lettura.
11 racconti, 11 storie completamente pazze e divertenti, una scrittura leggera e quasi infantile per dare più carattere ai vari personaggi.
Spaziano da spietati pirati che accudiscono una bambina adorabile, una LaserDisc che lascia il posto a lettore DVD arrogante e presuntuoso che a sua volta viene rimpiazzato da Ipad, un piccolo detective duenne che aiuta una femme fatale (la sua sorellina) a ritrovare il suo unicorno....rapito probabilmente dalla mamma (quella stronza).
Potrei andare avanti ancora e ancora e ancora, ma poi che gusto ci sarebbe?
Una lettura esilarante,godibile, geniale anche nella sua prevedibilità.
Troviamo in tutte le storie un piccolo aneddoto sulla quotidianità, una perla per affrontare anche le più bizzarre vicessitudini familiari.
Una bella scoperta ed ora Arrrr vado alla ricerca dell'altro titolo tradotto dell'autore, corpo di mille balene!!!
October 4, 2021
Maybe like 4.5 stars. Fantastic humorous short story collection that is simultaneously touching and silly! Enjoyed all of these stories and the range of tone and camp etc
November 27, 2021
Favorites were Learning the Ropes, Revolution, and Raised by Wolves. I had never read a book of this genre, so my rating might be a tad inflated due to novelty, but there were so many lines and scenarios that made me laugh even when I read them multiple times. A quality dessert read.
February 21, 2024
Absolutely delightful
December 30, 2022
New Teeth: Stories is a cleverly silly, though-provoking, and surprisingly touching short story collection.
The stories are both silly and brilliantly crafted, hilarious and heartwarming, bizarre and relatable. I didn't know what to expect exactly, so I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I actually enjoyed this book.
To be honest, some stories are definitely better than others, but I'm nevertheless impressed by the range of voice/tone. And Fred Berman's masterful audiobook narration was a great match. Sometimes I couldn't believe the stories were read by the same person!
All in all, I was genuinely sad when the book was over.
The stories are both silly and brilliantly crafted, hilarious and heartwarming, bizarre and relatable. I didn't know what to expect exactly, so I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I actually enjoyed this book.
To be honest, some stories are definitely better than others, but I'm nevertheless impressed by the range of voice/tone. And Fred Berman's masterful audiobook narration was a great match. Sometimes I couldn't believe the stories were read by the same person!
All in all, I was genuinely sad when the book was over.
September 28, 2021
I’ve read quite a few of rich’s other books, and while no one could ever accuse him of being a purveyor of high art, he was definitely a consistent purveyor of slick silly laughs. Judging by this new one though, he may have run out of gas. Everything just felt really trite and dumb. I’m not saying don’t read him. Just don’t read this one. :-)
November 15, 2021
A collection of funny short stories that I found to be uneven and progressively disappointing because the first three stories are the best ones. Learning the Ropes and The Big Nap are great. LaserDisk is vey good. The others don’t live up to that impressive start.
December 5, 2021
had the absolute worst, shittiest fucking day (frankly week) ever so this really was just what I needed - light, fun, wacky shorts that have a touch of wholesome in them
September 21, 2022
Man, was this ever a funny collection. Varied in subject matter, Rich lands perfectly timed comedic hits and follows them up with moments of genuine heart. Thoroughly enjoyed this.
August 28, 2023
This book is so funny. I laughed a lot. The stories were often cute, but always silly.
October 5, 2022
Heartwarming short stories that will make you laugh out loud in the dining hall. You can read it in a few hours.
I recommend this to all four of my Goodreads friends. That’s right, I’m talking to you.
I recommend this to all four of my Goodreads friends. That’s right, I’m talking to you.
July 25, 2021
Reading and critiquing story collections is different from reading longer works of fiction. The reader has to decide how much to read at one sitting. If you go directly from one story to the next, are you doing the individual stories a disservice? It is a real compliment after reading a novel to say, “ I couldn’t put it down,” but maybe that is the wrong approach with a story collection.
Then there is the question of how to evaluate the whole work when you felt the quality of the individual stories was uneven. You might say, when reading a novel, “Well, it got boring in the middle but then it picked up again.” With stories, each one gets its own rating, for good or ill. Certainly the editor for a story collection requires a real talent for arranging the individual stories in the right order.
So how would I judge New Teeth? I came to this collection after reading excerpts of one story, The Big Nap, in The New Yorker. This take off on the old pulp detective stories of the 40’s starred a toddler and his baby sister.. it was pitch perfect the whole way. It should have led in the book. Unfortunately, the story placed first in the collection, Learning the Ropes, was rather tiresome and would have lost me if I hadn’t already read The Big Nap. So I pressed on.
No question, Mr. Rich writes funny stuff. Unfortunately, in this collection he seemed to be a one trick pony. The narrator, whether it be Babe Ruth or a robot, describes a situation which he totally misunderstands while the reader laughs at the stupidity or naïveté of the narrator. Any one of those stories would be a delight. The problem was reading so many variations on a theme. As one contributor in a humor collection or magazine, Simon Rich is a star, but I just don’t want to make a whole meal of his offerings. Maybe I have answered my earlier question. Read one story, put the book aside and come back weeks later.
Then there is the question of how to evaluate the whole work when you felt the quality of the individual stories was uneven. You might say, when reading a novel, “Well, it got boring in the middle but then it picked up again.” With stories, each one gets its own rating, for good or ill. Certainly the editor for a story collection requires a real talent for arranging the individual stories in the right order.
So how would I judge New Teeth? I came to this collection after reading excerpts of one story, The Big Nap, in The New Yorker. This take off on the old pulp detective stories of the 40’s starred a toddler and his baby sister.. it was pitch perfect the whole way. It should have led in the book. Unfortunately, the story placed first in the collection, Learning the Ropes, was rather tiresome and would have lost me if I hadn’t already read The Big Nap. So I pressed on.
No question, Mr. Rich writes funny stuff. Unfortunately, in this collection he seemed to be a one trick pony. The narrator, whether it be Babe Ruth or a robot, describes a situation which he totally misunderstands while the reader laughs at the stupidity or naïveté of the narrator. Any one of those stories would be a delight. The problem was reading so many variations on a theme. As one contributor in a humor collection or magazine, Simon Rich is a star, but I just don’t want to make a whole meal of his offerings. Maybe I have answered my earlier question. Read one story, put the book aside and come back weeks later.
July 31, 2021
I am aware that Simon Rich has had two daughters under the age of five sharing quarantine with him and his wife. And even if I didn't know this, after reading his latest story collection, I would certainly suspect it!
Simon Rich has always been, and will hopefully always be, hilarious. Perhaps most telling of his current circumstances is the story "Beauty and the Beast," in which a screenwriter is literally cursed by his small daughter to endlessly play Beauty and the Beast with her. I was laughing out loud in the back of an Uber.
That dad is not the only one being ordered around by tiny girl children. Opening story "Learning the Ropes" is another standout, and a must-read for National Talk Like a Pirate Day. The pacifier on the collection's cover is the first clue of one of the major themes. The closing story "Everyday Parenting Tips" is another. Despite these and others, there are actually plenty of stories dealing with the world of adults and, uh, giant anthropomorphized apes.
Rich's humor is absurdist and not even a little subtle. He makes me laugh like a loon and stands up fantastically to repeat readings. No matter what's going on in the world--and these days it's a lot--I always feel better after reading him. I want to say, "Write faster!" But there's no question that he's worth waiting for.
Simon Rich has always been, and will hopefully always be, hilarious. Perhaps most telling of his current circumstances is the story "Beauty and the Beast," in which a screenwriter is literally cursed by his small daughter to endlessly play Beauty and the Beast with her. I was laughing out loud in the back of an Uber.
That dad is not the only one being ordered around by tiny girl children. Opening story "Learning the Ropes" is another standout, and a must-read for National Talk Like a Pirate Day. The pacifier on the collection's cover is the first clue of one of the major themes. The closing story "Everyday Parenting Tips" is another. Despite these and others, there are actually plenty of stories dealing with the world of adults and, uh, giant anthropomorphized apes.
Rich's humor is absurdist and not even a little subtle. He makes me laugh like a loon and stands up fantastically to repeat readings. No matter what's going on in the world--and these days it's a lot--I always feel better after reading him. I want to say, "Write faster!" But there's no question that he's worth waiting for.
April 2, 2021
Another wonderfully weird set of comedic stories from Simon Rich.
I literally laugh out loud whenever I read his stuff and New Teeth was no exception. He has a talent for writing a story that chugs along sounding completely reasonable and normal, but then he throws in these zingers out of nowhere that make me completely lose it. The pirate casually mentioning his late-stage syphilis, for example.
From the original description and cover I assumed these stories would be all about parenthood and tiny children, but not every piece featured those subjects. That helped solidify the pacing, because with each one I had no idea what I was getting myself into but was amused the whole way through nonetheless.
This is a rare occasion where I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this to just anyone--his writing, to me anyway, is for people who “get” this type of comedy. I do not see this as a negative, however. Definitely talking this up to my fellow comedy nerds--those I know who are already familiar with his past work.
Thanks NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company!
I literally laugh out loud whenever I read his stuff and New Teeth was no exception. He has a talent for writing a story that chugs along sounding completely reasonable and normal, but then he throws in these zingers out of nowhere that make me completely lose it. The pirate casually mentioning his late-stage syphilis, for example.
From the original description and cover I assumed these stories would be all about parenthood and tiny children, but not every piece featured those subjects. That helped solidify the pacing, because with each one I had no idea what I was getting myself into but was amused the whole way through nonetheless.
This is a rare occasion where I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this to just anyone--his writing, to me anyway, is for people who “get” this type of comedy. I do not see this as a negative, however. Definitely talking this up to my fellow comedy nerds--those I know who are already familiar with his past work.
Thanks NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company!
January 4, 2024
I learned about Simon Rich from an essay he read on 'This American Life' and had to pick up his latest collection. It's truly hilarious. I think I found my new favorite humor writer. All the stories were vastly different from one another. A great collection to read a quick, light story before bed. Will definitely be checking out his back catalog.
May 6, 2022
this was pretty ok. i thought it was funny, but none of the stories or messages applied to my life. it’s more for liek parents ha. the best story was screwball. i liked this guys writing style and it was an easy read. now onto the next book!
March 15, 2023
4.5
pirate story was very good. big nap was ok. congrats dan i laughed!!
pirate story was very good. big nap was ok. congrats dan i laughed!!
August 11, 2021
A funny collection of stories here by Simon Rich. Do yourself a favor and read it.
May 12, 2024
A very fun and funny read. If I had a heart it would have been warmed.
August 29, 2021
With this collection, the author included strange stories that end up in a redemptive place, even though they start in a nightmare scenario. There's a story called Everyday Parenting Tips, which is a parenting how-to. How do you help your child if your child is afraid of monsters? Throughout this "how-to," you realize it occurs in a monster apocalypse where monsters are everywhere and after your child. So, your child has a reason to be afraid. This was an excellent metaphor for dealing with living in our society. How do you teach your kid to be resilient instead of lying and saying, Everything's okay? Sometimes the monsters are real. The threat is real. That's what the stories are about: frightened and confused children, but also scared and confused parents.
The author took Boss Baby and turned it on its head with a well-developed voice. This is the advice we need as parents. To put this in the point of view of the child was brilliant. "New Teeth "is an ode to growing up, growing older, what it means to make a family, and how we as parents need to raise our kids without being one.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/sim...
The author took Boss Baby and turned it on its head with a well-developed voice. This is the advice we need as parents. To put this in the point of view of the child was brilliant. "New Teeth "is an ode to growing up, growing older, what it means to make a family, and how we as parents need to raise our kids without being one.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/sim...
August 28, 2023
This is really really good. A kind of blackmirror type short stories, with a comedy twist.
August 9, 2021
If you loved Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory, you will love this book. These short stories are equal parts absurd, funny, and human, and I adored basically every single one of them. Simon Rich, an American humorist whose essays have been published in The New Yorker, McSweeneys, and many other publications, plus who wrote the recent film An American Pickle and TV series Miracle Workers, has a true talent for creating wacky stories out of normal situations and humanizing even the strangest of characters.
In this collection, you'll find:
• A detective noir featuring a hardened, world-weary three-year-old who has been hired by his younger sister, Baby Anna, to find her missing stuffed animal, and instead finds a conspiracy that goes all the way to the top: to daddy and mommy;
• A story from the perspective of a half-man, half-ape named Clobbo who is periodically called to the city to defeat aliens, but due to budget cuts and a lack of recent alien invasions, is transitioned into a Community Affairs management role;
• A pirate lore about a captain and his first mate who are ruthless in their piracy and quest for gold, but upon finding a young girl stowaway aboard their ship, are tasked with the impossible: parenting a toddler;
• A story about a girl named Lauren who was raised by wolves in Siberia, rescued, and now lives a normal life with her husband and daughter, working for Verizon. She no longer has contact with the wolves who raised her, oh, except when they come to Lauren's house for Thanksgiving every year;
and many more.
These stories are all a bit wacky, but at the heart of each one are relatable life lessons, lovable human traits, and a touching conclusion. The audiobook was wonderfully written with the narrator easily stepping into each different role, making it a fun way to enjoy these short pieces. Thank you to Hachette Audio and Little Brown for the audio ARC via Netgalley!
In this collection, you'll find:
• A detective noir featuring a hardened, world-weary three-year-old who has been hired by his younger sister, Baby Anna, to find her missing stuffed animal, and instead finds a conspiracy that goes all the way to the top: to daddy and mommy;
• A story from the perspective of a half-man, half-ape named Clobbo who is periodically called to the city to defeat aliens, but due to budget cuts and a lack of recent alien invasions, is transitioned into a Community Affairs management role;
• A pirate lore about a captain and his first mate who are ruthless in their piracy and quest for gold, but upon finding a young girl stowaway aboard their ship, are tasked with the impossible: parenting a toddler;
• A story about a girl named Lauren who was raised by wolves in Siberia, rescued, and now lives a normal life with her husband and daughter, working for Verizon. She no longer has contact with the wolves who raised her, oh, except when they come to Lauren's house for Thanksgiving every year;
and many more.
These stories are all a bit wacky, but at the heart of each one are relatable life lessons, lovable human traits, and a touching conclusion. The audiobook was wonderfully written with the narrator easily stepping into each different role, making it a fun way to enjoy these short pieces. Thank you to Hachette Audio and Little Brown for the audio ARC via Netgalley!
August 2, 2021
Braces yourself for a wild ride
💜 This is my first time reading - or listening to - Simon Rich and it's been transcend-dental (sorry, not sorry). As is the nature of a collection of stories, I liked some more than others, but almost all of them were one the "more" end of the scale.
❤️️ Rich overlays familiar situations or concepts - parental advice, city budget cuts - with absurd elements, such as a mutant superhero forced into management. The result is hilarious, the humour ranging from a smile-raising quip to a solid snort-aloud-on-the-train punchline. My favourite tale is the toxic workplace with the socially inept robot. Not only are the robot's futile attempts to entertain his co-workers utterly genius, but I loved the well-observed digs at workplace culture.
💛 Tooth be told (last one, I promise), I was initially sceptical. When I heard the first story I was put off by the pirate accent, but I moved on to the next one and am so glad I did.
Soundbite
🎧 I cannot believe that this entire audiobook was read by one person. Fred Berman is incredibly vocally versatile, delivering a pirate's drawl as easily as the stilted boom of a giant ape. What's more, he delivers the funny. Will keep an eye out for more books he narrates.
Shall I compare thee to:
Given Rich's SNL creds, it's unsurprising, but still delightful that this listen reminded me of a sketch show, but one with little heartwarming messages.
Massive thanks to Hachette Audio, Little, Brown & Company and of course NetGalley for the audio ARC I received in return for an honest review.
Find more bird’s eye audiobooks reviews at Audiobooks Nest.
September 30, 2021
... I was pleasantly surprised upon reading the September 12th edition of the NYT Book Review. It featured The Shortlist, a compendium of story collections; this week reviewed by Mateo Askaripour, author of the outstanding debut novel, Black Buck, "an irresistible comic novel about the tenacity of racism in corporate America."
He too found Simon Rich's latest collection of quirk and mirth to be composed of "some of the most inventive plots you'll ever read," further citing the work to be as "instructive as it is imaginative," and containing "morals that are never planted too deeply for a reader to spot."
Learning the Ropes is certainly my favorite. Imagine two pirates; one to be lactose intolerant, "so there be certain things he can't be eating," the other with a parrot on his shoulder, "which always be saying "Shiver me timbers," which be a pretty pirate thing to say."
After making the crew of a ship they hornswoggled, walk the plank, these two become unwilling surrogate parents to a 3-year old girl stowaway, who soon has the pirates wrapped around her finger.
Of course, after they decided not to throw her overboard.
The dynamics of parenting while charting a bloody course across the briny blue, searching for The Dead Man's Chest, is its own sendup.
"And when the little girl saw me, she held up her hands and said "Up?" ... and I said, real ominous-like, "Arr, I be lifting you up all right."
And she smiled because she be too young for understanding subtext."
Rich, who's written for SNL, Pixar, and The Simpsons, also scores with The Big Nap: think Chandler's The Big Sleep. Now picture Marlowe as an infant.
This is New Teeth.
... and it's a delight.
He too found Simon Rich's latest collection of quirk and mirth to be composed of "some of the most inventive plots you'll ever read," further citing the work to be as "instructive as it is imaginative," and containing "morals that are never planted too deeply for a reader to spot."
Learning the Ropes is certainly my favorite. Imagine two pirates; one to be lactose intolerant, "so there be certain things he can't be eating," the other with a parrot on his shoulder, "which always be saying "Shiver me timbers," which be a pretty pirate thing to say."
After making the crew of a ship they hornswoggled, walk the plank, these two become unwilling surrogate parents to a 3-year old girl stowaway, who soon has the pirates wrapped around her finger.
Of course, after they decided not to throw her overboard.
The dynamics of parenting while charting a bloody course across the briny blue, searching for The Dead Man's Chest, is its own sendup.
"And when the little girl saw me, she held up her hands and said "Up?" ... and I said, real ominous-like, "Arr, I be lifting you up all right."
And she smiled because she be too young for understanding subtext."
Rich, who's written for SNL, Pixar, and The Simpsons, also scores with The Big Nap: think Chandler's The Big Sleep. Now picture Marlowe as an infant.
This is New Teeth.
... and it's a delight.
September 11, 2022
New Teeth by new to me author, Simon Rich, is a wonderfully crafted collection of short stories that are equally heartwarming and riotously hilarious. Stories ranging from tips on parenting when dealing with monsters in your child’s closet, to a two-year-old private detective helping his baby sister client to solve a case, to murderous pirates finding a child stowaway on board trying to balance parenting and pirating, tagging along with Babe Ruth when he gets his big break with the Boston Red Sox and many more.
I liked some of the stories more than others, but overall, this was a fantastic read. The audio narration by Fred Berman was excellent. His voice talent is very apparent as he manages many accents and dialects in the different stories as well as his narration, infusing tone and emotion made for more enjoyment for the reader. Several of the stories had me laughing to tears while listening, with continued giggles after the story ended.
My Final Verdict: I had no idea what to expect from a Simon Rich book before I started, but I highly recommend this book to readers looking for hilarious and heartwarming stories. Simon Rich is definitely an author to keep an eye out for.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of New Teeth from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I liked some of the stories more than others, but overall, this was a fantastic read. The audio narration by Fred Berman was excellent. His voice talent is very apparent as he manages many accents and dialects in the different stories as well as his narration, infusing tone and emotion made for more enjoyment for the reader. Several of the stories had me laughing to tears while listening, with continued giggles after the story ended.
My Final Verdict: I had no idea what to expect from a Simon Rich book before I started, but I highly recommend this book to readers looking for hilarious and heartwarming stories. Simon Rich is definitely an author to keep an eye out for.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of New Teeth from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
February 7, 2022
Thank you to my brother, who gifted me this book.
A book of short stories, this was perfect for reading out loud to Lincoln while he played on his play mat. He didn't understand the stories, of course, but I did, and I like to think they entertained both of us, albeit in different ways.
Many of these short stories touch on parenthood or deal with small children in some way, which is likely because Rich wrote this book not long after becoming a father himself. As with any collection of short stories, some were big hits for me ("Laser Disc" and "The Big Nap"), some were misses ("Screwball" and "Everyday Parenting Tips") and everything else kind of fell somewhere in the middle. I did really like Rich's sense of humor - it's witty and wry - and I have to say, his stories sort of felt like they were meant to be read out loud. In fact, the few I read by myself rather than out loud to Lincoln felt like something was missing.
It's also rare that even a funny book makes me laugh out loud, and this one did multiple times, so that makes it a win. And, it even made me like a story with a noir feel, which is almost UNHEARD of (though it helped that the bedraggled detective in this case was a toddler). I enjoyed this, and will likely seek out more of Rich's work in the future.
A book of short stories, this was perfect for reading out loud to Lincoln while he played on his play mat. He didn't understand the stories, of course, but I did, and I like to think they entertained both of us, albeit in different ways.
Many of these short stories touch on parenthood or deal with small children in some way, which is likely because Rich wrote this book not long after becoming a father himself. As with any collection of short stories, some were big hits for me ("Laser Disc" and "The Big Nap"), some were misses ("Screwball" and "Everyday Parenting Tips") and everything else kind of fell somewhere in the middle. I did really like Rich's sense of humor - it's witty and wry - and I have to say, his stories sort of felt like they were meant to be read out loud. In fact, the few I read by myself rather than out loud to Lincoln felt like something was missing.
It's also rare that even a funny book makes me laugh out loud, and this one did multiple times, so that makes it a win. And, it even made me like a story with a noir feel, which is almost UNHEARD of (though it helped that the bedraggled detective in this case was a toddler). I enjoyed this, and will likely seek out more of Rich's work in the future.
September 15, 2021
I've really enjoyed Simon Rich's last few story collections and this is no exception. He comes up with fun premises and the stories are funny, yet they are also filled with humanity. Rich definitely mines parenthood in this volume, but also takes time to imagine a story about Babe Ruth first becoming known as a baseball player. Fun stories that are easy to read.
Read
November 23, 2021There’s a scene in Kenneth Branagh’s “Murder on the Orient Express” (2017) where Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) is shown reading a book in bed and laughing hysterically to himself, shaking the book in mad glee. It’s weird and inhuman and I think about it once a day. I only mention that because Simon Rich’s books are very funny and I bet Simon Rich also thinks about that scene once a day.
July 25, 2022
This is the book I didn’t know I needed! These short stories are original, clever, hilarious, heartwarming, and timely tales told from surprising perspectives. Who knew what that antiquated machine was feeling or what really goes on in the mind of a three-year-old?
This was a refreshing escape from the crazy times we’re living in, and all I can say is I want more!
This was a refreshing escape from the crazy times we’re living in, and all I can say is I want more!
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