Is this Anything? by Jerry Seinfeld
My Rating of “Is this Anything?” by Jerry Seinfeld: 6 / 10
I love Jerry Seinfeld. I’m a big fan of the TV series Seinfeld. I’ve read Seinfeldia which is all things about the show. Plus I’ve been fortunate enough to see Jerry Seinfeld perform live in Indianaplis. Yes I’m a fan.
Is This Anything is Jerry Seinfeld’s latest piece of work which culminates all of his stand-up comedy work which has spanned multiple decades. It combines some stories of his life and career along with plenty of stand-up material (6ish hours worth).
I chose the audiobook format as Jerry is the narrater. Whilst I chuckled at many things, I consume comedy best with others. Therefore I had a lot of smiles and chuckles while listening. However I didn’t have the big laughs one would expect if in a theatre listening to him live. Think about it this way, you are listening to an experienced comedian, without the visuals, the vibe of a room and without an audience.
This book is also something you can and should consume in small bites. After a while of listening I would tend to tune out. The book did get better as I progressed through the book. The jokes were funnier and Jerry’s narration style was more animated. For those that know Jerry, he is at his best when he uses his full vocal range.
It’s hard to recommend this book unless you love consuming comedy from a book or audio device. If you like Jerry Seinfeld, it might tip you over the edge for a read and/or listen.
Three key takeaways from the book:
- Is this anything: it is is what comedians ask each other all the time when it comes to their material.
- Comedians work very hard when it comes to developing new material. Writing every day is something Seinfeld has always advocated. It is something I try and do more and more in order to build this muscle.
- Seinfeld has more respect for stand-up comedians that writers. It is a nice distinction between writing and delivery. Getting out there and doing both is critical in getting better at both skills sets. Never really looked at it this way.
