I'm Dreaming of a Black Christmas [Hardcover]

Lewis Black (Author)

Book Description

Release date: November 2, 2010

From Lewis Black, the uproarious and perpetually apoplectic New York Times-bestselling author and Daily Show regular, comes a ferociously funny book about his least favorite holiday, Christmas.

Christmas is supposed to be a time of peace on earth and goodwill toward all. But not for Lewis Black.

He says humbug to the Christmas tradtitions and trappings that make the holiday memorable. In I'm Dreaming of a Black Christmas, his hilarious and sharply observed book about the holiday, Lewis lets loose on all things Yule. It's a very personal look at what's wrong with Christmas, seen through the eyes of "the most engagingly pissed-off comedian ever."*

From his own Christmas rituals—which have absolutely nothing to do with presents or the Christmas tree or Rudolph—to his own eccentric experiences with the holiday (from a USO Christmas tour to playing Santa Claus in full regalia), I'm Dreaming of a Black Christmas is classic Lewis Black: funny, razor-sharp, insightful, and honest.

You'll never think of Christmas in the same way.

*Stephen King

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Vituperative standup comedian Black (Me of Little Faith) delivers a caustic Christmas diatribe. Warning readers to ignore the book if they have a deep attachment to Christmastime, he notes, "This book contains, like the celebration of Christmas, only 2 percent religion. Think of it as the yuletide equivalent of low-fat milk." After recalling how he argued with the editor who urged him to write a Christmas book, Black delivers a full-scale Scrooge-styled screed. With chapters such as "Meditations of a Jewish Santa," "The Hooker at Rockefeller Center," and "The Carol from Hell," he rips into such seasonal traditions as Christmas cards, dinners, toys, advertising ("a primal scream of sales"), shopping ("Why don't you folks wait until the 26th of December when things are the cheapest?"), trees ("something magical about a Christmas tree all dazzled up in lights... almost as breathtaking as a hooker gone wild in spangles"), carols ("A shower is a place for singing, and on Christmas, it's where you should be caroling"), and gifts: "At Chanukah we get nothing. We don't even get stockings." With digressions on the human comedy and his personal life, Black spews forth much invective, but successfully exposes societal truths with riotous ripostes. (Nov.) (c)
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Review

"[With] plenty of Black's trademark rants."
—New York magazine

"[A] sweet and surprising take on the yuletide season."
—USA Today

"Riotous."
—Publishers Weekly

"That's some endearing sh*t there."
—Punchline Magazine

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover; First Printing edition (November 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594487758
• ISBN-13: 978-1594487750
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #484,933 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lewis Black is a New York Times-bestselling author, stand-up comedian, actor, and playwright. Besides appearing regularly on The Daily Show (in his own segment, "Back in Black"), he has written and starred in a string of successful HBO and Comedy Central specials and one-man Broadway shows. He has won a Grammy, an Emmy, the American Comedy Award for Funniest Male Stand-up Comedian, and is a favorite guest of everyone from Larry King to Craig Ferguson to Conan O'Brien to the women of The View. He lives in New York City.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Ho-Ho-Ho Lewis November 15, 2010

By L. Charles Wimer III

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

If are a fan a Lewis Black, you will thoroughly enjoy this book. Unlike his classic "Me Of Little Faith" (which ranks in my top 5 of all-time) -- Black Christmas offers a very personal side to Lewis with of course a mix of his impression on the yuletide season. It's a fast read, it is extremely funny in spots but most of all -- the reader gets a glimpse of the real Lewis Black.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Lewis Black's Christmas December 9, 2012

By JMack VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

For those expecting Lewis Black's take on the Christmas holiday filled with the rage that usually billows from this mouth, you may be disappointed. More than anything, this is a travelogue of Christmas Day for Black. There is nothing wrong with this presentation as it is wildly entertaining. On the other hand, it is not a "Black Christmas" so much as "Black's Christmas".

From the opening pages, readers will follow the author as he is convinced to write this book. Because the author is Jewish, the perspective is unique. Appropriately, the story begins with Black's apathy for Thanksgiving and continues the momentum until he reaches Christmas day. Wonderful meals fill the void in the life of a man without children of his own. Any why buy presents? This makes more sense than anything the author says in the book, which is not to say everything else is nonsense. Non-traditional families are documented as celebrating the holiday as well as any Christmas card picture.

The final pages follow Black's moving experience as he visits the troops in Iraq during the holiday season. First, it proves that you need not support the war to support the troops. Second, it seems it is in these pages that Black accidently catches a bit of the Christmas spirit.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book if you like his kind of humor March 2, 2011

By Lisa Braun

Format:Hardcover

I really enjoyed Lewis Black's last book so I had to read this one. In the beginning of the book he makes sure you understand that there is a good chance you might be offended by his views on Christmas and the holiday season, so he knows it is only for a certain group of people. It is a funny read and his style of comedy/speaking and sarcasm come across in writing well like his other book. Some parts were more of just him telling stories and not really trying to make you laugh. My favorite part by far was the last section in which talked about his work with the USO and doing shows at various bases in the Gulf. Even though this part took place during December, Christmas wasn't as much of the focus as in the rest of the book. I would love to read more about his time spent over there. You can feel about much he admires and supports our troops by the way he words his stories and refers to people as gentlemen or goes on about how gracious and friendly they are even though he made it clear he is not happy about the war.