Customer Reviews

Napalm & Silly Putty

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(35)
3 star:		(22)
2 star:		(21)
1 star:		(21)

 

 

During George Carlin's four decades long comedy career he has been hailed as a comedic genius who has constantly pushed the envelope...and he is at his outrageous BEST in Napalm & Silly Putty.

If you are a Carlin fan, you will LOVE this 269-page book, take it with you and re-read it often. If you don't know who he is and want to find out what all fuss is about after reading
books on comedy, this will give you a good idea of who he is. You don't get his hilarious facial expressions here, or his act-enhancing body language, but you'll clearly see why he
has been hailed as the true successor to Lenny Bruce....except for the fact that Carlin is more often than not hilarious. If you're upset by x-rated language, this book isn't for you.

Napalm & Silly Putty is actually divided into three sections throughout. His various routines on various subjects such as driving, cats, dogs and Jesus, his Short Takes, and his
bits on the news. One of my favorites routines is his bit on the fear of germs, where he notes that "in prisons before they give you a lethal injection they swab your arm with alcohol...And you can see their point: wouldn't want some guy to go to hell AND be
sick..."

Then there are many riffs on the news. and his Short Takes. Short Takes are in the form of hilarious one liners, short jokes and blunt-but-true observations ("Joan Rivers has turned
into one of the people she used to make fun of.")

This book is GREAT for a)anyone who loves to laugh, b)fans and collectors of comedy books, c)Carlin's fans, d)anyone interested in comedy writing or comedy. I always highlight comedy and joke books, then re-read the ones I like -- and when I re-read
Napalm & Silly Putty I laugh out loud, all over again. Carlin is a treasure...and so is this book.

Those people who are offended by the humor in this book: do you even know who the hell George Carlin is? Why on earth would you buy his book, and then complain about angry, profanity-laced, pro-drug, anti-religion humor? It's like buying a gallon of milk when you know you're lactose intolerant. That's who George Carlin is! Why are you surprised?

For those sane people who expect George Carlin humor when buying a George Carlin book, you will find an awful lot to laugh about in Napalm & Silly Putty. Sure, he's got a few old routines in here (not nearly as many as others have suggested), but if, like me, you haven't heard them in 20 years, you'll find them funny all over again. The sections on sports and death are particularly hilarious, and the Short Takes have many gems ("The reason I talk to myself is that I'm the only one whose answers I accept;" "When Ronald Reagan got Alzheimer's Disease, how could they tell?").

It may not be as good as Brain Droppings, but this is still a very funny book by one of the most creative comic minds of the past century. Read it and laugh.

George Carlin is without a doubt one of the best comedians of all time. If you enjoy hearing his comic mayhem on CDs or seeing him live, you'll fall in love with "Napalm & Silly Putty".

Filled with humor, both new and old, this book has just about everything from airplane announcements to expressions that make no sense; from life to death; from organ doners and random thoughts; and a whole lot more! Also, this book contains short takes just like from "Brain Droppings". This book will have you laughing out loud and begging for more.

This book will offend people who dispise others for thinking on their own and voicing their openions, hypochondriacs, and people with no sense of humor. As for the rest of you, buy this book!! It's a must have for any Carlin fan.

This was the first George Carlin book I have ever read, and I was completely astounded. The comedy in this book simply kept me in stitches, and from time to time I will open to a random page, begin to read, and fall down laughing. My particular favorites were his sections on praying to Joe Pesci, sports, and an interview with Jesus. I plan to read Brain Droppings and to buy his other albums as well.

The great thing about George Carlin, is that no matter how old he gets (and he would like that I call him old, as he says in the book "simple language"), he never loses that edge.

Carlin is not for everyone. Many people might be offended by his ideas..., but then they aren't meant to buy this book.

What I love about him is how believes there are no sacred cows. He makes you shift in your seat as you realize how idiotic somethings you do are--and cry with laughter when you relize how brillant he can be. Perhaps the funniest parts are the one liners. Although his musings on abortion, religion, and "simple language" are grand. Some of this stuff will make you cringe--but he NEVER compromises. That is what makes him so amazing.

This book makes you re-examine this american life and see it as nothing more than absurd. This guy gets it right.

George Carlin is one of the few things my dad and I have in common (which gets him bonus points because my dad and I are as similar as night and day). Napalm and SIlly Putty essentially covers all areas of his ranting - religion, airline safety, the government, and others - with nothing really *new*. However, the rants themselves have been updated and redone to cover new areas of complaint.

This probably isn't the best work he's done, but I think it's awesome nonetheless. I highly recommend it for any Carlin fan. However, if you have "Your Are All Diseased" on CD, it's nothing new, but it includes more things that aren't on the CD. Buy it to complete or start a collection and I think you'll be amused.

There are three books out that I know of, by George Carlin; "Brain Droppings," This one, called "Napalm And Silly Putty," and the newest, "Will Jesus Please Pass The Pork Chops?" I have the first two, and I learned my lesson with "Droppings." Read it a little at a time, digest it slowly, and it's easier to take. The bulk of material in these books has been used in his live monologues, especially this one. The harshest critics say it's just old live stuff, rehashed; OK, I'll give you that, but I see it as a document to his work. Expect that, and it's not disappointing.

His live shows are about an hour or so each, but to sit through one of these books in one sitting, will take up more than that, and then you start to lose sight of how good his material is. The vulgarity is way over the top, and when you understand that his social commentary is a reflection of what's out there, put through the wringer as Carlin does, anyone can see it's not always pleasant; in fact, it's crude, nasty, and in spectacularly bad taste.

I saw him in person about a year and a half ago, and some of what I read in my two books was used in the show, as well as a good bit of his "Grievances And Complaints" program from HBO. He does some familiar material in the small venues, while honing the new material for the HBO shows, to be taped at the bigger places.

Personally, I much prefer the style he used in the 1970's on his records before the HBO days. I loved his appearances on the "Tonight Show," when he substituted for Johnny Carson, the monologues were par excellence, and even when the material wasn't funny, per se, this was intentional. His style has evolved over the years, it's gotten a lot more harsh, and even the sound of his voice has gotten harder. He comes off as a bitter old man, but he's been around the block many, many times, and has earned his right to cuss out the rest of us, I get what he does, he throws the junk at the world that it throws first, and I don't think other reviewers got it when they say he decries capitalism, then sells rehashed material, talks about death with a cavalier attitude, and then says he wants to be kept on life-support, at all cost. He's a comedian, a commentator on the human condition, and even though he says he wants no part of it, he IS part of it. I share his disappointment with our failed species, and I think we all, at some level, root for the things he seemingly cheers for.

As you read any of the books he's written, just know that here's a guy who has a lot of righteous contempt for the failings of humanity, and has the nerve to push that envelope, to its extreme.

Nobody else can say, "Simon says, go F**k yourself," and get an honest laugh from an adult audience.

First of all, I want to say that when I first came across this book, I had very little idea of who George Carlin was. My brother bought it, and I happened to pick it up one day and read "A Day In The Life Of Henry VIII," and was absolutely floored. After finishing the book, I was floored again. Here is a pithy, cynical man who has no regard to political correctness, one who constantly questions everything in today's society. I love it!!! Although the book does bounce haphazardly from topic to topic, most of Carlin's observations are dead on. Like Airline Announcements, Sanctity Of Life, The Royal Family, and Don't Blame The Leaders. Pure genious. Now I can understand why old Carlin fans would be disappointed, but as a newbie the material was completely fresh to me. But this book isn't for everybody, as the reviews indicate. Don't buy this book if you are into political correctness, take life too seriously, or are detached from reality. Problem is, when reading this book people tend to forget that it is intended as humor. Well if you don't think its funny because the topic is "how America is one big bullsh*t story", you either need to move on with your life or get an enema. Because if George tells us that the founding fathers were full of sh*t because they said "All men are created equal" (except Indians, Blacks, and Women), it's not being said because it's shocking. Or for humor's sake. It's being said because it's true. Like it or not, people, it's just a book. Don't take it so seriously.

Recommended rants: all on Sports, Children, Seven Death Wishes, Euphemisms, Capital Punishment

Napalm & Silly Putty made me laugh. A bunch. A whole bunch. Carlin's cerebral, feisty, crude humor is sometimes just what the doctor ordered in this "hypocritically correct" society. No matter how great his jokes might be his irreverent but intelligent observations are what makes him the best in his field.

Some of Napalm & Silly Putty's yard-jewels of wit and wisdom include:

"So far this is the oldest I've ever been."

"You know a business that doesn't lend itself too easily to the Internet? Pay toilets."

"Next time they give you all that civic BS about voting, keep in mind that Hitler was elected in a full, free democratic election."

"You know something you rarely hear about? A bunch of Jews killed in a tornado."

And finally:

"America has too many fake Irish pubs. Giving your bar an Irish name doesn't make it a pub. The word pub is earned the hard way: tons and tons of puke and thousands of shattered cheekbones."

Ah, so true...

But you know what's really strange about this 2001 book? How many tragic and once funny but now cringe-inducing things Carlin jokingly wrote about have since actually happened. I won't make a list here but anyone who has read this book in the last year or two knows what I mean, right? (Okay, I will mention a couple. Buildings blowing up, buses exploding, etc etc etc...) Maybe Carlin's precognitive in a darkly comedic sort of way, huh? All I know is this is a great book!

I've been a fan of Carlin since the mid 70's. While this is your average GC stuff (i.e. excellent), at least 1/3 or more of this book is simply a transcription of his earlier live work. I think I even saw something in here that also appeared in Braindroppings. This is a must have for any GC fan, but be prepared to skip pages that seem awfully familiar. (Oh look, he did substitute "Geraldo" with "Survivor" though...nice touch). Excellent but I give it three stars for the redundancy.