Because I have been reading twenty pound Ken Follet novels and some pretty grim biographies lately, I was searching for a lighter book that would make me laugh. When I say I want a book that makes me laugh, I don't really mean I plan to laugh out loud. In fact, I find it rather annoying when you are sitting by someone who is reading and they actually laugh out loud. It is almost like not being in on a private joke. I can honestly say that, other than a text from a witty friend, I have never laughed out loud in public while reading! Until now.
I uploaded the book This Is A Book By Demetri Martin. I was planning for a long appointment at the hair salon the next day and couldn't bear the thought of looking at hairstyle books or People magazines for three hours. I was looking forward to a good distraction from the sights, sounds and smells of the salon. I don't care to chit chat with strangers on why they would like to go lighter, curlier, shorter, longer or get a divorce. While I have always considered myself a "people person", I guess I am not a "salon people person". I am not offended that you don't care that I need more texture on the top so that my hair doesn't go flat in the afternoon. I just don't want to act interested in why your last extensions didn't last as long as promised either!
Anyway, once I was ready for the "sit here for twenty minutes. can i get you a magazine" phase, I pulled out my Nook and opened to the title page. The title page of the book says "This is A Book By Demetri Martin... This Is A Book By Demetri Martin." This is also a clue as to what is to come. If the title page of the book (By Demetri Martin) doesn't make you laugh, put it back on the shelf and walk away. However, I was personally glad that I hadn't taken a drink of my complimentary bottled water as I read that or I would have done a very "un-salon-ish" spit take! I did kind of do a short cackle and then quickly covered it with a cough. I was hooked.
If you are not familiar with the comedy of Demetri Martin, I am not sure I could explain his sort of humor, but it must be mine. It is certainly not for everyone. It is almost like trying to describe the flavor of chicken flavored ice cream. I have never personally had, nor have I heard of chicken flavored ice cream. I am sure it would probably be awful, but IF I had tasted chicken flavored ice cream, I would imagine that it would be hard to describe. "It is cold, but chicken-ish, kind of like... no not like soup because that is hot, kind of like...no not like raspberry sorbet, because that isn't like chicken.." See my point? Probably not, but I will continue.
Demetri Martin is a bit like Mitch Hedberg, with word play and puns at the front. However, where Mitch's work was based on quick one liners that required a second of thought to "get", Demetri is perfectly comfortable couching a whole bushel of these thoughts into a running commentary---or not. His stage show includes a big drawing pad where he is happy to draw his one liners rather than speak them. Throw in a guitar and sing them or simply accompany his one liners with some background music. Demetri is a comedy stew. But he is a thinking man's comedy stew. Don't judge me, I TOLD you he was hard to describe!
I wondered if his humor could translate into book form. There are many stand-up comedians whose material would flop in print. It is not a given that because a guy is funny on stage, he will be funny in a book. First, part of most comedians' "funny factor" is in the delivery. This is a given. Ever had a friend who could simply NOT TELL A JOKE! Facial expression, timing and overall presentation of a joke is so important! Second, many comedians have a political slant and choose to use their only chance to write a book as their political forum. Third, some material is not funny in print no matter what! So I knew I was taking a chance buying Mr. Martin's book. I couldn't have been more pleasantly surprised. (Like the pleasant feeling I would have if I actually LIKED chicken flavored ice cream when I tried it!)
I will go so far as to say that Martin's humor is almost more effective in book form because you can stop laughing at one part before going on to the next. The book is a mixture of daily observations and "what if" scenarios. I am convinced that Demetri Martin's mind works on a higher level than most human beings. It seems a shame to "waste" his great intellect on humor when he probably should be curing some disease or attending a World Peace summit. For example; who in the world would be reading A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, and come up with a fourth ghost that visits Ebenezer Scrooge? You already have the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come. In Mr. Martin's mind, he conjures up the Ghost of Christmas Future Perfect. This is the ghost that visits and promises to tell Ebenezer "what shall have happened to you on a Christmas that will have passed at some point in the future". Hysterical bit but whose mind works that way??
He has a chapter on fortune cookie fortunes - " If you were tiny, this could be a banner". He has a couple of chapters of simple musings - "The boomerang is Australia's chief export (then import)" He has an essay on an attack by a bee from the perspective of the bee, the person, the chair they were sitting on, and the magazine used to swat the bee. He also includes many of his drawings, which are beyond clever.
Wow, this is sounding like a book review. It was not meant to be a book review, but rather a story about the day I laughed out loud at a salon. I guess the book review is better reading!
While this is not a book review, I do recommend This is A Book by Demetri Martin. But do me a favor. Read the darned thing in the privacy of your own home. And do your family members a favor. Don't constantly say "Oh oh oh, let me read you this ONE MORE THING..." They laugh at first but then, for some reason, they just get irritated. Just loan them your book when you finish and when they try to read you something, just look at them like "Duh! I READ the book myself ALREADY!" And when they sit in the living room and start laughing out loud, go make them a bowl of ice cream, you pick the flavor!
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