Customer Reviews

How to Talk Dirty and Influence People

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

An excellent, if a little short, account of the life and times of the stand-up comic that helped changed the face of comedy forever.

Most of the book which starts with his childhood is presented in a stand-up format which makes for an entertaining read as you can almost imagine Lenny on stage orating this material.

In contrast, the two trial transcripts (thankfully truncated) are quite laborious to read, although that may well be the point. There is a nice piece following the section covering his second trial which describes the downfall of the arresting officer and the doctor who diagnosed him as a narcotics addict, despite significant evidence to the contrary. It gave this reader a suitably smug feeling, particularly considering the circumstances of this arrest and trial.

He is also refreshingly honest in the book, with frank descriptions of the scams that he participated in, whether it was posing as a priest to solicit money for a leper colony (from which he deducted 'operating expenses') or procuring guests for a popular TV show of the time. He also tells of some occasions where he was the victim of a scam, usually writing material for someone and not being paid for it, although he didn't name any names.

I have a fairly recent edition of this book and I'm only surprised that it hasn't had an 'executive editor' appointed to add italicised paragraphs here and there to complete his story along with a final chapter detailing the nature of his death and a suitable epitaph.

Anyone who likes honest stand-up comedy should read this book.

Lenny Bruce may have been the greatest poet of mid-Twentieth Century America, 'though he never wrote a poem, because he did what poets ought to do--make you see, make you feel, make you realize that "the great" did things that they didn't want you to know about. He alienated President Kennedy so much that J. Edgar Hoover was unleashed to pressure local police to bird dog Bruce's nightclub act. The cops would lurk in the back, wait till Bruce said something vulgar, then bust him for obscenity. In court, the fuzz would do Bruce's act so badly that Bruce was convicted for their lack. He beat the rap, at the U. S. Supreme Court, but it took a lot out of his native optimism. He shot up on heroin till he overdosed--assuming it WAS suicide. Remember Marilyn Monroe? What's easier than knocking off a junkie with an overdose? With Oscar Levant and Alexander King, Bruce is one of the three great wits of America at mid-century. Worth your time, because he repays you with insight wrapped in laughter.

I first read this book at the tender age of fourteen, and even then it had an impact on my perceptions. Now, over thirty years later, it has remained one of the strongest influences of my life! I would not be the wise and compassionate Spiritual teacher that I am without having read about Lenny's life of pushing the boundaries and comedic concepts far ahead of his time. He was and still is the most profound comic Spiritual visionary America has ever seen...and most likely will ever see. Long live Saint Lenny!

Lenny Bruce was pretty rare in that he always called it how he saw it. No, I don't agree with absolutely everything he says. (After all, no two people can concur on every possible subject) But, he always told the truth as he believed it to be without fear of repurcussion. Bruce did more for the first ammendment than anyone else in the 20th century and strongly influenced later comics such as Richard Pryror, George Carlin, and Bill Hicks.

How To Talk Dirty and Influence People is his autobiography. It reveals how ahead of his time, moral, courageous, humanly flawed, smart, and most of all how funny Lenny Bruce was. The majority of his assaults on how farcial organized religion and American justice can be still hit the mark even after more than forty years of elapsed time. This is counterbalenced by moving stories of his youth, time in the Navy during World War II, his ultimately failed marriage, and other aspects of his personal life. I won't go into too much detail as to ruin the book for others.

Bruce writes in a very concise manner, but not in a way that leaves the material short on content. You can probably finish this book in a day or two, but there's enough food for thought in How To Talk Dirty And Influence People to last for ages.

Lenny Bruce was the pioneer of American comedy, as well as the First Ammendment's most humorous martyr. Read his evolution from one-lining Catskill comedian to town crier of truth and injustice. If you like George Carlin, Dennis Miller, or Bill Hicks, read the book by the man who influenced them all.

I enjoyed this book for its humor, adding context to Lenny Bruce's life, and philosophical critiques of censorship. I wasn't crazy about Bruce's decision to write as though he was telling stand-up, by breaking from narration to do third-person character voices, endless tangents, and other little quips that sort of distract from whatever story he's telling. Also, much of his language is slang half a century old, which is both amusing and confusing. If you want to know more about Lenny Bruce, this is your book. If you want something guaranteed to make you laugh, this may or may not be right for you.

Lenny Bruce, though a profligate by some standards, comes across as a persevering and sincere man in his own way. His agenda is to break the convention and to push the envelope of the society through humor, to uncover the hypocrisy and to bring out the truth from beneath the sheets. Still, relative to the title, and contrary to Bruce's reputation, I found the book's humor less than satisfying.

I would recommend this book. The content of this book appeals to many people. Anyone interested in comedic history, a satire perspective, social empowerment and "toilet jokes", would get a kick out of this personal peek into secrets behind Lenny Bruce. I enjoyed this book for its humor and social analysis, as well as for the other interests listed previously.
This book is a lesson behind the acceptance and progression of comedic subject matter and language. The language used in this book could be described as crude or obscene, but I would describe as uncensored. Lenny reflects on culture and uses comedy as his outlet. Lenny wrote how he spoke. The text is a hilarious ramble of important events in his life. His commentary is as true and relevant now as it was forty years ago. It provides an education on the journey to become a stand-up comedian, promoting social empowerment and the struggle of being an individual at all costs. Lenny revolutionized stand up comedy, opening door for others in the comedic field. He wasn't afraid to talk about what no one else would, race, sexuality, religion, etc. Lenny didn't allow anybody else's standards determine the content of his performances.
How to Talk Dirty ... is a window into the past and the social standards of the time. When this book isn't making you think it will make you laugh. It contains bits that Lenny developed, some of his crazy scams, excerpts from his performances, as well as a transcript from a court trail against his use of obscenities, Lenny adds his humorous opinions in the text.

I became a Lenny Bruce fan when I was 19 years old, and I still love him. His autobiography gets funnier every time I read it. Some of the scenarios in this book are so wild that I question their validity, but who cares? The man was a comic genius, and you'd be crazy to pass this one up.

I'm in high school, and Lenny Bruce embodies everything I can say. He's smart, funny, and ULTRA observant, not to mention that he's blanket-anti. I found myself agreeing with him more and more, as the book went on. The chapters are quick, dirty, honest, and jagged- in other words, exactly what I expected. He just did things which I wish I could have done, said things I wish I could have said, etc. Of course, because of Lenny, I can do and say those things. Oh, just buy the book already.