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7 Dirty Words: The Life And Crimes Of George Carlin (2010)

by James Sullivan(Favorite Author)

3.99 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0306818299 (ISBN13: 9780306818295)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Da Capo Press

review 1: This boring book has many of the basic facts of Carlin's life (in a dull city-by-city, appearance-by-appearance manner) but is nothing more than an elongated Wikipedia entry with no context and material pulled completely from magazine or TV interviews. The writing style is like reading a term paper and the author has an annoying way of stopping the narrative when he gets to a new Carlin experience to explain the person or show Carlin works with. For example, the writer can't just say Carlin was on the Mike Douglas Show or Merv Griffin Show, he has to give a history of each of the shows' hosts before getting back to Carlin!There are many problems with this book but the main one is that the author appears to be championing Carlin when an objective writer would provide perspe... morective. I'm glad I read it only because I now understand a little of what made the comedian tick--he was a rebellious Irish Catholic whose dad abandoned the family and died when George was only 8. He had no male authority at home and quickly became a trouble-making brat who skipped through numerous schools, got kicked out of camp, never graduated high school, got in trouble with the law, and got addicted to drugs. Namely, he was screwed up since childhood and that came out in his comedy routines.If you're looking for behind-the-scenes details on things like how he worked with Marlo Thomas or Doris Day while performing a raunchy comedy act you'll not find it here. Neither as famous or brilliant as this writer claims, Carlin remains a bit of a mystery after reading this. The basic facts are here without depth but when they're told in boring book-report style you end up not feeling you really know the person.
review 2: I was thrilled to find out more of the back story of my favorite comedian. I listened to his albums over and over and stole his jokes to make friends.. well my ONE friend, laugh -- back before I turned eighteen.I found it interesting how much of a 'straight' career George Carlin had, before he became his hippy dippy weatherman character. You could summarize his career as writer, comedian, comedian, passive political activist. He came along between two major influences in comedy, Lenny Bruce and the slew of comedians who got sitcoms after being discovered in comedy clubs, starting with Chico and the Man. He transformed from a black suit, skinny tie comedian into a tie dyed, sandal social commentator. I knew he'd started out straight, but I had no idea how much of a career he had straight. His transformation was risky, but the biographer showed very clearly how it was necessary. Then, when twenty something comics were getting sitcoms, the way talk shows were being handed out in the 90's, Carlin was doing the first HBO comedy specials and playing to arenas. So, while he became more accessible in his material, he became less a part of the comedian's culture of the era. He broke new ground and bridged the two major eras in comedy. If you've laughed at George Carlin and wished you were as funny as he was, and maybe tried to be funny, you'll find this biography required reading. less

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