Started: March 31
Finished: April 9
Notes: Between my Bible readings of late, I've been reading biographies, so I decided to grab another one from my to-be-read shelves. This one is an autobiography by the late, great comedian Lenny Bruce. I've long had an armchair interest in the artform of comedy, and I'm interested in Lenny Bruce, so hopefully I'll learn a few things here.
Mini review: I've oft heard something along these said by one person or another: Madness and genius go hand in hand, or are closely related. Something like that. And I believe it's the case for Lenny Bruce. He was obviously a man, a comedian, ahead of his time, though perhaps he was just right for his time. He was smart in many ways, but he allowed his own pain and inner demons to warp him, leading to his drug use and eventual early death. Of course, this book being an autobiography, it doesn't end with Bruce's death, but this book is made up of several lengthy articles published in Playboy magazine not long before Bruce died. There is humor to be found here, but there's also a fair amount of sadness knowing what is to come, not that Bruce's writing in this book is maudlin. No, Lenny Bruce writes like he speaks in his comedy routines, quick and snappy and to the point, usually with the point or three being made while also being funny. However, much of the writing and comedy here is quite dated, so a modern audience might not find it as appropriate or as funny. That being said, I think a lot of what Bruce said and wrote and joked about is still relevant to our world today.
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