Brain Droppings

George Carlin | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Workman Pub Co
• ASIN: 1565113713
• Also Available in: Paperback  |  Hardcover  |  Paperback  |  Audible Audio Edition  |  Mass Market Paperback  |  Audio Cassette  |  Leather Bound  |  Calendar  |  Unknown Binding
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (165 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #92,500 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Title Says It All, August 1, 2001

By 

Jason N. Mical (Bellevue, WA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Brain Droppings (Paperback)

Regardless of which Carlin camp you happen to fall into - the love it, hate it, or ambivalent to it camps - there's a little something for everyone in his first book of comedy, Brain Droppings. Those familiar with George's stand-up material probably won't be surprised by what lies between these pages, but for the rest of the world, a little explanation might be necessary.

Carlin is, first and foremost, a linguist, like many comedians (Steve Martin being another notable example). Delightful comedy springs from mastering language, and Carlin wields his Promethean tongue like a nuclear bomb, sparing absolutely nothing. Is he coarse, hateful, and full of venom? Yes. By using words not like swords but an executioner's axe, Carlin dismembers ideas and meanings about politics, religion, history, pop culture, sports, and English itself. His reasoning, it seems, is to throw the reader or listener so far from common meaning that the person is forced to invent - or at least reconsider - beliefs.

Brain Droppings contains many such aphoristic nukes. Some are a few words long, others continue for a few pages. There are some classics from his stand-up in here, notably "Football and Baseball" and "A Place for my Stuff." Unfortunately, this book really does seem like a collection of brain droppings - things that just kind of fell out of Carlin's mind. Good or bad, there they are. If this book has a weak point, it's that it wasn't edited very well, and some of the things in here are just plain silly and dumb. From a man who is so obviously intelligent and humorous, I expected more at times.

Overall, though, does it work? The nuke-'em-silly technique is certainly open to debate. Will people get it? Sometimes. Remember, for every person that got Archie Bunker's satirical character, there were two that thought he represented a true American, and five that couldn't stomach listening to him at all. People will find the same thing in these pages. It's certainly worth a read; if you don't like it, one of your friends definitely will.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Had me Laughing out loud!, April 23, 2000

By 

Joe (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brain Droppings (Paperback)

When I started reading it at a bookstore I was laughing so much a woman came up to me and asked what was I reading. Great way to break the ice. After I finished the last page I wondered if George ever read "Fragments" by sociologist/philosopher Jean Baudrillard who also offers a caustic but thought provoking observations about the human race. The only difference is George gives it a funny twist while Baudrillard takes more of a stoical point of view in pointing out our own stupidity. But both are equally keen observers that I sometimes wonder if George and Jean influenced each other as crazy as that might sound. The best books I love are the ones that change the way I see myself and the world and for anyone who enjoyed this book I recommend "Fragments" by Jean Baudrillard as a wonderful supplement to Brain Droppings. However, "Fragments" will take a little longer to absorb than the instant slapstick punchlines in Brain Droppings but its worth it! Read these two books and you'll see everything in the world as a divine comedy.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, August 10, 2001

By 

Marceau Ratard (Metairie, LA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Brain Droppings (Paperback)

This book, like Naplam and Silly Putty, is a collection of some of the funniest stuff I've ever read. I've read both books and I prefer this one. There was less of his stand-up and more original material (at least it was new to me). You just can't say enough about Carlin, this is probabally the funniest book I've ever read. If your going to read it in public, be prepared to be asked to leave the room or told to stop laughing. Something in the book will make you mad, but it you will laugh at the same time. Buy the book, in fact buy 10 copies and maybe Carlin will write another one.