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Class Clown–77 years of humor
Class Clown
by Dave Barry
Subtitled—The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass: How I Went 77 Years without Growing Up
Over the years, I have enjoyed reading Dave Barry’s humor columns occasionally and some of his books. Class Clown takes the reader through Barry’s childhood and professional life. He has had a lot of detours—rock band, “precision parade maneuvers with lawnmowers and brooms,” and communication instructor for business people. He was even a traditional journalist for a while, but his trademark was doing anything outside the norm, the quirkier the better!
I enjoyed most of Class Clown. Some of it was “laugh out loud” funny. When I got to Barry’s section on politics, however, I was disappointed. He claimed that people in his parents’ generation were able to argue politics and leave as friends. Unfortunately, this is not a skill that Barry picked up from them. In one chapter of this book, which reflects his views on politics, he did not roast both sides equally. The reader is left with no doubt as to which “side” is right and which “side” is wrong. There is no humor in that.
So…funny, yes, in part. Divisive, yes, in part. Barry has retired from his work as a humor columnist. He has given a lot of people chuckles over the years, and I hope he enjoys his retirement.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Memoir, Humor
Publication: May 13, 2025—Simon & Schuster
Memorable Lines:
It wasn’t that our parents didn’t care about us: I think it was mainly that they didn’t view the world as a fundamentally dangerous place. They grew up in the Depression and had recently been through a world war. To them, the 1950s weren’t so scary.
At the end of the night everybody hugged everybody, because they were friends, and they understood that they could disagree about politics without believing the other side was evil. Mistaken, maybe. Evil, no.
One time he was upset about two things: (1) He couldn’t find his pipe, and (2) his car wasn’t running right. After listening to Bob complain about these things for several days, his wife, Beth—a saintly woman—had an idea, and was able to locate Bob’s missing pipe. It was under the accelerator pedal.
Superman and the Miserable, Rotten, No Fun, Really Bad Day
Superman and the Miserable, Rotten, No Fun, Really Bad Day
by Dave Croatto
As you were growing up, did your storytime include Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst? Or maybe you read it to your kids. As a teacher, I saved it for a really bad day for the initial read in my classroom. It’s one of those special books that puts problems in perspective and a smile on your face.
With those memories in mind, pick up Superman and the Miserable, Rotten, No Fun, Really Bad Day. MAD promotes it as 100% parody, and I think you will get a kick out of the story and illustrations. Poor Superman is just having one of those days. He wakes up to broken glasses and cell phone. Kids on the bus and the other superheroes don’t give him the respect he deserves. He gets a lousy assignment at work. You just need to read it yourself to learn of all the “miserable, rotten, no fun, really bad” things that happen to the Man of Steel. Maybe your problems won’t seem so bad!
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to DC Entertainment/MAD for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Comics, General Fiction
Notes: Parody
Publication: October 17, 2017— DC Entertainment/MAD
If You Give a Man a Cookie–spousal humor in parody format
If You Give a Man a Cookie
Written by Laura Joffe Numeroff
Illustrated by Brian Ajhar
For as long as I can remember, our family byword for “one thing leading to another” has been “if you give a mouse…” We don’t even have to finish the title; we all know what it means. I’m sure a lot of my readers can identify with that as you grew up with If You Give a Mouse a Cookie as a storytime favorite. Or maybe you were one of the many adults who shared this book with children.
Laura Joffe Numeroff has since produced many variations on this children’s book, but now she has written one for adults: If You Give a Man a Cookie. In this humorous parody, a woman offers up a cookie to her husband and, to nobody’s surprise who has read the original, he asks for milk to go with it. The book progresses in this delightful fashion with lots of helpless husband scenarios that may seem familiar to patient spouses.
Whereas Felicia Bond is responsible for the sweet, funny, and appealing artwork in Numeroff’s children’s books, the illustrator of If You Give a Man a Cookie is Brian Ajhar. His style is very different with sharper lines in a more comic book manner, with more appeal to its adult target audience. Be sure to note the dog who appears on almost every page adding to both the story and the humor.
This book would make a fun, less serious gift for the woman who has it all, including a man with 24/7 needs. I think most men would even find the humor in it. Also, consider it for those contemplating marriage; they might have second thoughts!
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Andrews McMeel Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Entertainment, Humor
Publication: October 10, 2017—Andrews McMeel Publishing
