Mental: Funny In The Head

by Eddie Sarfaty

Eddie Sarfaty's astute and acerbic stand-up effortlessly captures the everyday absurdities of life, blending self-deprecation and sarcasm with a razor-sharp instinct for the ridiculous. In Mental, he expands his hilarious insights into a collection of autobiographical essays that explore career lows, cheapskate exes, the wonder and hell of family, psychopathic felines, and so much more. . .

Whether recounting a family trip to Paris, where his ailing father shouts obscenities at the Mona Lisa, or discovering his mother surfing JewHunt.net in search of a mahjong à trois, Eddie excels at bitingly, but lovingly, mocking his family.

Spotlighting his own misadventures with equal relish, Eddie recounts his darkly funny experience stage managing an ill-fated Portuguese production of The Phantom of the Opera, reveals taking Ecstasy before lunch with Hillary Clinton, and recalls a one-night stand whose fondness for balloon animals would have animal activists up in arms.

Eddie Sarfaty is a natural storyteller, and his candid wit–caustic, yet surprisingly poignant–proves just as endearing and hilarious in print as it is onstage.

Genres: Memoir, Humor, Nonfiction, Comedy

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Comedian and writer Eddie Sarfaty has appeared on The Today Show, Comedy Central's Premium Blend, Logos Wisecrack, and can currently be seen in the documentary, Laughing MattersThe Men.

Eddies first book, a collection of humorous essays entitled Mental: Funny in the Head was released by Kensington Press on July 1, 2009.

Eddie is on the faculty of The Theatre Lab in Washington, DC and New York University where he teaches courses in stand-up and comedy writing"

Reviews

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

My feelings on Mental are mixed. When it’s at its best, such as when Sarfaty writes about his relationships with older relatives, it’s both funny and touching. But too much of the book doesn’t measure up to its best parts, and I found myself impatient for chapters on the comedian’s sex life to end so I could get to the good bits about his European vacation with his parents. The nice part of a book like this is that you can skip past chapters you don’t like without worrying that you won’t be able to follow what comes next. The essays aren’t presented chronologically, and when events from previous essays are mentioned, they’re explained as though the reader is encountering them for the first time. I loved roughly half of the essays, but could have done without the other half. (My favorites: “My Tale of Two Cities,” about the aforementioned European trip; “Can I Tell You Something?” detailing the comedian’s experience teaching a stand-up class for amateurs; and “The Eton Club,” a tribute to a certain kind of gay culture that died off with AIDS.)

(Excerpted from http://jewschool.com/2009/10/20/18423... )

[Boo Dick · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We constantly try to one-up each other with new and inventive ways to end it all. We believe if you're going to go to the trouble of killing yourself, do it with style. Anyone can pick up a gun and shoot himself in the backyard. Where's the fun in that? Make it special! Slap on some clown makeup and blow your head off in front of a blank canvas! It's the perfect way to leave your loved ones with a little piece of yourself. Only an unimaginative bore would jump off a ledge in board daylight. Be original! Fill your pockets with fireworks, light a match, and go out in a blaze of glory visible throughout the tri-state area! ... Our sick game aside, I'm not really one to plan a suicide. I'm far too considerate to leave my affairs in disarray. Before shuffling off this mortal coil, I'd feel obligated to settle my debts, make a will, write a note, find a home for my cat, and arrange to have the rug shampooed. The problem is that I'm too much of a procrastinator to ever get everything done; I'm here for the long haul in large part because I find the list of chores overwhelming."

[Liliana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up for 50¢ at Thrift America and thoroughly enjoyed some of the essays, my favorite being the one where he teaches stand up comedy.

[Brittany Palm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny essays. He had weird encounters which reminded me of the writer, Augustus Burroughs.

[Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

The humor didn't always work for me. Like standup in general, there are funny lines, amusing anecdotes, but many lines fall flat. Given the length of these stories, it's not surprising that the humor isn't sustainable throughout each page. I don't know what it is with comedy writing: Enjoyable and easy to read, yes, but afterwards not matter how much I laugh - even out loud - while reading it, I always feel disappointment and the humor just isn't so memorable (I recall my reaction to Confederacy of Dunces). The pieces here that seem to linger around in my memory are the tail of visiting Europe with the parents and the recount of the days tending bar at Club Eton where the patrons are older, richer and experiencing the physical and emotional impact of AIDS and the history of losses resulting from the disease. There's a poignancy to these pieces that's not overwhelmed by the sarcasm, etc. that I felt other stories recounted in the book simply didn't have.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was definitely a funny, entertaining, and easy-to-read book. Unfortunately, I also found it a little forced and inappropriate at times. There was too much sex - I suppose I sound like a prude saying that, but I don't really need to read about every time a writer has hot sex, and I didn't really feel that it was necessary to all of the stories, which is the reason I learned in writing class why you're allowed to write about sex.
I did, however, thoroughly enjoy the story "Can I Tell You Something" and I'm seriously considering lending it out to a friend just so we can have that inside joke too.

[Alejandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a delight from start to finish.

I usually don't care for collections of humorous essays because I feel like they're trying WAY TOO HARD, but Sarfaty does something really smart ... he just goes for the human truth in each of these essays and allows the humor to come in organically. There were several times I had to put my Kindle down because I was laughing so hard--and each and every time those were situations where I thought "there but for the grace of God . . ." I also appreciate the moments of poignancy--particularly when he travels to Europe with his parents and a tender tribute to the gentlemen who frequent a certain Upper East Side gay bar.

[Virginia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I didn't find it as funny as the hype suggested, this did get a chuckle out of me on more than one occasion. Sarfaty has a knack for describing people; his use of simile is impressive. He describes how the costume of a chain-smoking actress "makes her look like one of the few survivors of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire." Kudos for working history into the humor!

Didn't need all the sex references and descriptions, though. It just didn't seem like they needed to be included in every story. Certainly not a book for the socially conservative.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although it's easy to compare Eddie Sarfaty to David Sedaris, he has a voice of his own. He's frank and funny, and his recollections read like good stories you want to hear at a party. He peppers his memoir with too many one-liners from his stand-up act, and it would be nice to see him smooth those out into fuller examinations of his life. But he has a good ear for knowing when to stop the stand-up and get serious.

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting stories...but not a laugh riot like the description implies. More of a humorish memoir of a middle-aged gay comedian who freely discusses his sexual proclivities with his boyfriend(s). Not that there's anything wrong with that. Actually turns out to be more depressing than anything.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was a quick and easy read. From the first chapter, I was sucked into his funny stories and all too real characters.

Maybe I liked it so much because he's from Long Island. :)

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, intriguing, and a good read. Met Eddie a year ago and has become a friend of mine. He's a great guy and I look forward to reading more from him. If you haven't seen his live show I suggest you go! You're missing out on a fun ride.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first story was fantastic! I gave it to multiple to read because it was so moving. Witty, sometimes self-deprecating chapters that always kept me smiling and even laughing out loud. Not your traditional book of funny stories--great combo of gay/Jewish themes.

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

At its high points, this book reaches near-Sedaris levels of humor, wit and pathos. At is low points, it is crass, immature, unfunny and unenlightening. Read “My Tale of Two Cities,” “Can I Tell You Something?” and “The Eton Club,” and skip the rest.

[John Bateman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this writer's first book of comic essays. The mother, the (ex)boyfriends, the pets, the jobs, the insanity, hit close enough to home to make me laugh, but not so close to home to make me shutter my windows and cry.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review: https://hiplibrariansbookblog.com/200...

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. Several short stories as told my standup commedian Eddie Sarfaty. What makes this book differet is that it wasn't political, but autobiographical.

[Renee Rothhaas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasant read. I was disappointed with the last story, otherwise i enjoyed his humor and observations.

[McGriddle Pants · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really funny. Makes you realize nobody's life is perfect. And that its important to laugh at yourself.

[Trent · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of the essays in this book are amusing and interesting, but the necessary work to make the separate pieces adhere as a book (qua book) has not been done.

[Eliot · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some great stories in this book w/ a few gems that delightfully twist at the very end. My favorite was the first in which Sarfaty comes out to his grandmother.

[Letty · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute and funnier than expected. Only 3 instead of 4 stars because I did skip a page or a chapter here and there. But overally really good.

[Jeffrey Ballam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very humorous! An enjoyable read!

[Tracey · Rating 2 out of 5]

nonfiction; memoir shorts. First couple stories were pretty funny; the last were more serious and dark. Not as funny as David Sedaris but a talented storyteller.

[Yasmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review can be found here:

http://www.yasminnair.net/content/edd...

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laughed my ass off!! When you are in a restaurant eating lunch by yourself you do tend to get strange looks.

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

Typo, page 232: "...those duties now full under my purview."

Typo, page 230: "...life's unpleasantness, I also I have a terrible..."