Customer Reviews

God Said Ha

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
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The sensitivity and poise of Julia Sweeny and the elements of suprise and predictability in the pathos of her tale of her experience, awareness and development combine to make this an eloquent and exquisite testimony.

The CD is a recording of one of her deliveries of a stand-up monologue in which she relates events in the year leading up to and following the death from cancer of her beloved brother, including her own bout with cancer. She also describes her history with her parents and her siblings, her work life and important aspects of her private life, and relates her development in these areas. She tells it in anecdotal form with humor, wit and good sense and good taste.

Her portrayal is a magnificent and convincing narrative of human courage and frailty, development and education.

this is highly unusual for a comedy album- the material, the subject matter, and the tone. it's a deeply funny look into death, suffering and family. some of the tracks on here are not meant to be funny at all, while other tracks are simultaneously funny and serious at once. i suppose that even in the worst of times, there is a place for humor, a very real place. Julia proves this brilliantly on this album. buy it and enjoy it.

A terrific and powerful album that takes you places you've been before, but probably didn't realize how special they were. Funny and sad, full of irony and most of all, how our families come together when we need them the most..although we may not admit it at the time. I developed a new respect and appreciation for Ms. Sweeney.

Julia Sweeney has a gift for making you laugh at one line and weep at the next. Normally I can't stand that type of emotional manipulation, which is usually what the artist is trying to do, but with Ms. Sweeney it comes so naturally and is so unforced. "God said HA" is brilliant and Julia deserves a spot in the monologist/storytelling hall of fame!

I loved it so much that I got the book too! It's one of my favorite CD's which I never get tired of listening to. It's funny, sad, and heartwarming all rolled into one!

I can not say enough good things about this performance. It worth your time, and I loved it even more then the movie. But both are so moving. Give it a try!

A friend lent me his CDs once and he sang praises of how funny this thing was and how it would make a great companion in a long commute -like mine for a while, between San Diego and Torrance-, especially because my sense of humor reminded him of Julia Sweeney, so I took them and being such a big blockhead, I played them complaining and whining, and oh, it was awful.

Anyway, so I listened to them, and I thought to myself, I still have a long way to go to be as funny as her... Short after that, I bought my own CDs, plus the movie on VHS, and I just can't seem to stop talking to friends about it. Of course, you know I am exagerating a little, hehe, I do stop to sleep.

It is simply the funniest thing I have listened to in my entire life! (I am 35, so trust me, I have lived for a while.) She is one cool and funny and witty and brave lady. Just like orange sherbet.

Hey, just one more thing: Julia, I am eagerly waiting for your next project!

(ps) You know where to send the check!

I listened to the CD version of the author performing this routine. The routine is based on ridiculing her family and portraying the author as a martyr. Basically, the situation is
(1) The comedian's brother is diagnosed with terminal cancer
(2) Her brother moves in with her in her new, small house
(3) Then her parents & other brother move in
(4) During the course of a year, the family endures the cancer
treatment for a loved family member, and try to live together.

This could have been funny. But the author excludes herself from the ridicule. She parades her parents and everyone else whos come
in contact with her as bumbling idiots. The extent of her scorn make it 's impossible to tell whether she's discussing her parents or some distant aunt and uncle who she's spent little time with. What makes it worse is that the author rarely makes fun of herself. And when she does, she excuses herself by communicating her intentions at the time.
It's a very one-sided portrayal, with lots of negative depictions
of her family members. She's sarcastic, self-centered and portrays only herself with compassion; the others are ridiculed.
When Holden Caufield ridiculed, he included himself.
When Sweeney ridicules, she excludes herself.
In the beginning of the book, she talks about her plans to buy a house, and live alone, forever, with her books and Tchaikovsky symphonies. I wonder why such a quiet introvert would want to be a solo, confessional performer.