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The Bedwetter: Stories Of Courage, Redemption, And Pee (2010)

by Sarah Silverman(Favorite Author)

3.5 of 5 Votes: 5

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Harper Collins

review 1: This is an entertaining collection of short autobiographical stories (of courage, redemption, and pee, of course) that give some insight into the life of a comic that I enjoy, Sarah Silverman. Her over-the-top humor makes me giggle, though I must say that I haven't had a chance to watch too much of her material. Reading this book makes me want to go back and see more, though.Peppered throughout the vignettes are a couple of e-mail chains that give a glimpse into the work behind the book and how ridiculous show business can be. For instance, she included a little of a conversation she had with her agent regarding the subtitle of the book where he's trying really hard to convince her to change 'pee' to 'pee-pee,' positing that it's more playful. Sarah stands firm, though, ar... moreguing that 'pee-pee' is creepy baby-talk and will never be included on the cover of her book as long as she has any say in the matter. I must say that I side with her in this debate, so I'm glad they let her have the reins on that issue. Also, the publishers tried to talk her out of writing her own forward, but she forged ahead anyway, a true trailblazer.As with most comedians, Sarah Silverman's life definitely has its darkness and moments of tragedy. One example of her struggles involves (as the title would suggest) the fact that she was a bedwetter into her teens. This caused a lot of stress for her when it came to sleepovers, camp, and overnight class trips. After a class hiking trip that she didn't want to go on, though she successfully hid her problems, she describes getting back and meeting her mother, who kept taking pictures of her instead of talking to her. At that moment, there was a wave of depression that crashed over her, altering her life forever. I thought it was a particularly vivid image, and it's really interesting to me that she is able to pinpoint the start of her depression with such accuracy. The later portion of the book also dealt with some controversies she encountered once she'd gained some fame as a comedian. Anyone who is familiar with her knows that she is a bit extreme sometimes, someone who likes to push on the boundaries of people's comfort zones by discussing gross topics or playing it up as an ignorant and offensive character. She came under fire for the latter, when she used a racial slur in a joke on TV. Later, she got flak for making fun of Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. The backlash for the latter two seemed disproportionally high to me, but oh well. I can understand why some may have gotten upset about a joke with a racial slur, but at the same time I think they might not have understood the purpose of the joke.Side note: She talks about how ugly she is pretty frequently, but I've always thought that she's beautiful.I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about Sarah Silverman, or who is looking for a funny book that still deals with some serious issues. It is in turns self-deprecating and self-aggrandizing, and overall an amusing read.
review 2: The best, funniest, most insightful book I've read in years. Don't let the funny tagline fool you into thinking this is easy fare (though Silverman's prose is so ingestible and so engrossing)--it's called 'The Bedwetter' so that you know straight up everything is laid out on the table, no stone is left unturned, all secrets will out. I can rave about this book for ages, but you seriously have to read it. Why are you even reading this now? Go read this book. Now. less

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