Customer Reviews

Out, Loud, & Laughing: A Collection of Gay & Lesbian Humor

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I just finished reading this collection of humorous writings. While some of the pieces were written to be read, the vignettes from stand-up comedy do not always work as well as one imagines that they might in a club. Some of the pieces already feel a bit dated (the compilation is just from 1995). However, David Sedaris' writing is great fun. Of course, the format allows the reader to pick up and put down the book between very short "chapters"; a benefit for such light comedy. Overall, a quick read, not too heady, a bit silly, albeit a bit dry.

I agree with the editorial reviewer who said this compilation is uneven. Some of these pieces are just plain *not funny* -- bland humor, worn jokes. But some of the pieces ARE funny -- with some gay-specific humor (which isn't to say only gay people get it, just that it's topical) and some more general humorous looks at life. On balance I'd say it's about 50-50 funny and not. It's something you can skim through and get a few laughs out of in the course of a day. The flat-out essays work best; the scripts of stand-up shticks and performance art don't translate well to the page.