Customer Reviews

Chili Dawgs Always Bark at Night

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

 

 

The first several collections of Lewis Grizzard were culled from articles unapologetically written with a distinct Southern Flavor, which perhaps limited his audience. This collection, just as insightful as those previous, comes at a time when Lewis seems more at ease with his place and age and has little to offend anyone while offering his usual portion of fun.

Lewis Grizzard was, like his friend Weyman C. Wannamaker, a Great American. His writing celebrated his Southern Heritage and is full of stories about faithful dogs, good country music and women who looked so good they'd make a preacher break out in a sweat. Lewis loved his momma, his country and his culture, and he wrote about the things he loved in a way that if you didn't love them too, at least you could understand why he did. He is missed.

I began reading Grizzard at a young age, and recently got the chance to buy many of his books used. What I discovered is that Grizzard's political leanings were more centered, with a few left tendencies, early on. He wrote about how he hated golf, the beach, and both our political parties, but as he aged, all that changed. He became a fan of golf and republicans. Now, in the South, this is not uncommon, but Grizzard became a totally different person. While he was always funny, he lost something as he neared his own demise. I began Chili Dogs Always Bark at Night with high expectations, and it even influenced me to start eating Varsity chili-dogs and making my own. However, in the middle of the book, Lewis made a terrible, offensive remark about homosexuals. It was in totally poor taste, and I am not easily offended. I put the book down immediately, and have taken some time away from one of my favorite authors. I still love him for his satire of popular and Southern culture, which is still very valid today, but his political and social, right-wing tendencies get on my nerves quickly. I am neither Republican, Democrat, or even "moderate."

Ahh...who couldn't like Grizzard? Except if you're a Yankee ;P Wish he was still around to write more. It's the only book of his I read (and won't be the last, I assure you) and I already miss him.

I read this book almost a million times and I always find something different to laugh at. It should become a classic someday in the world of comedy books.

Never get tired of this book. Funny, enlightening and very eye opening at times...

Grizzard is a little bit of a throwback-- his writing here has the nostalgic ring of a "Truly Tasteless Jokes" compilation, or a bout of joke-telling amongst beer-swilling buddies.

Which is to say that most of the humor is very broad, and very stale. Other reviewers have commented on his insight, but I didn't really get that.

Many of the jokes are straight-up stolen from other sources, or paraphrase jokes that have been making the rounds for decades.

Of course, there will always be a market, a very large market, for lowest-common-denominator schtick that is bland enough to prevent the raising of hackles. That is the very premise that allows many columnists (and columnists-turned-book-writers) to earn a living.

As Jeff Foxworthy might say-- "If a book by Lewis Grizzard makes you laugh from the first page to the last, you might just be a redneck!"