29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A bible for all things "Curb", November 21, 2006
Every so often, a television program weaves its way into the cultural fabric of its time. Comedian/writer Larry David has been behind two of those shows. David, co-creator of "Seinfeld" and creator of "Curb Your Enthusiasm," continues the trend of celebrating life's little eccentricities. Along with television shows and movies like "The Office" and Meet the Parents, "Curb" keenly observes human foibles to an exaggerated degree, creating its own "theater of the uncomfortable," which episodes like "The Pants Tent" and "Affirmative Action" aptly demonstrate.
Originally an HBO special, David broadened his cringe-worthy antics into a highly successful weekly show. Unlike other situation comedies, "Curb" is entirely improvised. Each season, David creates outlines for 10 shows that cover the season's arc. He writes them out longhand because he doesn't know how to use a computer. His outlines are passed to his assistant who types them up. He then clues in his fellow cast members --- or not. Most of the actors are briefly told what the scene is just minutes before they start shooting. David believes that the best comedy comes out of the more naturalistic improv process: "When I was doing "Seinfeld," sometimes I'd get to a scene and I'd go, 'Boy, this scene doesn't need me to write it...The situation is all there. You can just bring in the actors and they can do it."
But despite the kamikaze nature of the filming process, actors refer to "Curb" as "hands-down the most fun I've ever had on a set." Each actor brings his or her own experience to his or her role, but perhaps no one had a more difficult task than Cheryl Hines, the actress who plays David's wife. She had to imagine how anybody "could live with someone like Larry day in and day out. I think the only way Cheryl can have a good life is not to be bothered by most of it."
CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM: THE BOOK looks at this popular show from all angles, featuring interviews with David, his co-stars, the directors, his real-life manager and his real-life wife, all of whom claim that, yes, he really is that neurotic. But in the words of guest star Mel Brooks, "there's something about this middle-aged bald guy that is thrilling!" Also included are detailed episode guides and outlines for each show of the last five seasons, along with fascinating tidbits of information such as rejected names for the series ("Life be not Proud" and "No Life to Live"); his various quirks, including his dental hygiene compulsion (he flosses about three times a day); details about his days on "Seinfeld" and his altar-ego, George Costanza; and his time as a struggling comic in New York City.
This delightfully informative compendium is the perfect companion to the quirky and revolutionary show, and a bible for all things "Curb."
--- Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller
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19 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Info on the book, October 19, 2006
From the HBO page:
With unprecedented access to the set, "Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Book" provides a compelling picture of how things go from bad to worse in Larry David's Los Angeles. His character defies all reasonable expectations, especially when he tries to do exactly what's expected. Nothing is simple; not getting his wife's car washed or exiting a parking lot; not waiting in a doctor's office, or even wrapping, giving, or receiving a gift. In the course of the series' four ground-breaking seasons (the fifth season just began in September, 2005), each of these simple acts is a catalyst for an unthinkable sequence of blunders, inappropriate gestures, and far-fetched coincidences that culminate in the shocking yet expected humiliation of Larry David himself. As fans of the show will testify, the worse things get for Larry, the harder you laugh.
The book opens with an in-depth profile of Larry David, and the structure that follows is based around in-depth coverage of each of the 50 episodes, including:
Anecdotal, behind-the-scene stories from people who were there, including interviews with such stars as Cheryl Hines, Jeff Garlin, Jason Alexander, Mel Brooks, Ted Danson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Kathy Griffin, Paul Reiser, Richard Lewis, Mary Steenburgen, Ben Stiller, and many others.
150 photographs, including behind-the-scene photos that fans will devour.
First mentions of now legendary phrases.
Reproductions of Larry David's original scene outlines (no dialogue) so readers can trace the actual evolution of classic scenes from "real life" to the cutting room.
Outtakes, such as show titles and scenes that didn't make the cut and storylines that were too outrageous to use.
Answers to nagging questions not revealed on the show.
For anyone interested in David's childhood, his roots as a stand-up comic, his various writing jobs before the breakthrough of "Seinfeld," and how the ideas that had been formulating in his mind for decades finally found its perfect expression in his show, "Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Book" is the perfect tribute.
Features
Author: Written by Deirdre Dolan
ISBN: 1-592-40230-5
Pages: 208
Illustrations: 150 color and black & white photos
Book dimensions: 7 1/2 in x 10 in
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