Customer Reviews

Big Kiss: One Actor's Desperate Attempt to Claw His Way to the Middle

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Big Kiss *sounds* funny. It really does. You thumb through the pages and see glimpses of humorous-sounding anecdotes. A musical adaptation of Noah's Ark. Bringing your mother to improv camp. Donning tights and playing Oberon in London. Alford obviously has a wealth of experiences to choose from, and there are several laughs and chuckles lurking in the pages of his memoir. He's obviously an extremely intelligent and observant person, and has the vocabulary and eye for detail to prove it. But it's the decidedly un-funny tone - and perhaps Alford's own disillusionment - that ruined the book for me. Maybe that's just because I'm a struggling actress as well and was hoping for a little note of hope to balance out his cynical, dry observations. Reading this book was like reading a dry shell - it's got the talk, but it failed to produce the walk.

When I pulled Big Kiss of my bookshelf the other day, I could not for the life of me remember what exactly had inspired me to buy it. Whatever the reason was, I am extremely glad that I did, and I would encourage others to do so without hesitation. Big Kiss is an absolutely hysterically funny, well-written, fascinating, perceptive account of Henry Alford's career switch from journalist to actor/performer/celebrity.

The book opens with Henry's attempt to skip the performer stage and jump straight to celebrity status, and almost immediately I found myself literally laughing aloud - on the subway, no less. In order to facilitate his career change, he enrolls in a variety of acting classes that he describes with comedic brilliance, none more so than his stint at the Royal Academy in London. The book details his search for work and success along with the effects on friends, family - mainly his mother, who accompanies him to an improv workshop with yet again hilarious results - and his significant other.

What makes Big Kiss so good is Henry's ability to convey the humor in a situation so well, which isn't alway easy, and the voice he uses throughout, which becomes very clearly and uniquely his own. Although many of the situations in which he finds himself are fraught with humor on their own, he manages to dig deeper and find a whole other level while also tossing off some pretty astute perceptions about celebrity, life, etc. I must say, I went within a very few pages of this book from wondering why I bought the hard cover to encouraging everyone I know to getit, even reading some passages aloud - particularly some laugh-out-loud funny scenes involving a performance at Elaine's - for encouragement. If you are looking for a truly entertaining, intelligent read, Big Kiss is for you. Henry Alford deserves any success he can find, and I certainly hope that I encounter more of his excellent and hilarious work.

Like his earlier book, Municipal Bondage--very possibly the hardest I have ever laughed was when, during his attempt to pass the dog grooming certification test in that book, he put lipstick on his Cocker SPaniel and told the judge, "I like a dog with a face"--this new book has a lot of brilliant moments. Admittedly, the topic--the acting profession--seems like shooting fish in a barrel. But, oh, what a fabulous barrel.

An excellent worm's-eye-view of the acting trade. Not as laugh-out-loud funny as his earlier book, Municipal Bondage, which was a collection. But this has a throughline, and more emotionality. If you are forced to choose between the two, I'd buy Municipal Bondage. But this one ain't bad.

One of the funniest books I have ever read. I love everything Henry Alford has written. If you like humorists such as David Sedaris and David Rakoff, or you were a fan of Spy magazine, you will enjoy this book.

i'm not interested in acting. but i picked up this book at my bookstore, and read it in two sittings. really funny, especially the part where he took his mother to a theater camp.

This is a beautiful and funny work. I'm not that interested in acting or show business, and yet was held tight in this book's clutches.

I knew that I'd laugh uproariously at this book, as I have been following this guy since he wrote for Spy magazine. But I guess I didn't expect to be moved, too. It's like David Letterman meets a.. . Nic Hornby.

Acting has always been a profession of chaos, but in Henry Alford's book we see how the chaos is creatively used. Turning the most mundane of tasks into acting "gigs" Henry gives us a bird's eye view of the hunger to act. Of course he lacks in the desperation having a profitable and flexible day job, but we can overlook that from the numerous humorous annecdotes that fill his biography. Being an actress myself, I see how I try and fill each moment creating a character and working retail for people who just don't care. I highly recommend this for anyone in the "business" or just curious enough to see how difficult the "business" is.

Actors typically love chaos and this novel proves this edict true. Not only do we love chaos we help produce it in all aspects of our lives and then use it in our work as an excuse. Henry Alford does all this and more in his bicoastal biopic where all he wants to do is act, in any way, shape or form. I can relate as I'm on my way to day job #1 selling perfume at Bath and Body Works. Some day I hope to write a novel just as hilarious as this one on my selling my way to the top.