If you are looking for an audio book to make you laugh, this is not it. In fact, many times I thought to myself how not funny Steve Martin’s early jokes were. If you want to laugh, you’re better off with an actual performance recording.
However, one of the things that makes this book interesting is that Steve Martin is very open and honest and doesn’t try to be funny. He is very clear about what is a performance and what is real life; he knows what it’s like when someone doesn’t “get” you. In my mind, that is one of the things that makes Martin’s career so long lasting. He’s not afraid of making fun of himself, and understands that simple and uncomplicated goes a long way. It helps that he is a low key enough celebrity that all the dirt wasn’t ruined beforehand. And I admit to being a touch ignorant myself as I wasn’t yet born during his early career.
I loved Martin’s narration of the evolution of his career, including details of what worked, what didn’t, and how many frogs he kissed before he found a prince that launched him into fame. And then he is candid about the negative things that came from his sudden fame and what it did to his creativity for a number of years.
Not overly long or dramatic, this short glimpse into show business is both refreshing and intriguing.
