The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee [Hardcover]

Sarah Silverman (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 20, 2010

Warning from publisher to reader:

At HarperCollins, we are committed to customer satisfaction. Before proceeding with your purchase, please take the following questionnaire to determine your likelihood of enjoying this book:

1. Which of the following do you appreciate?

(a) Women with somewhat horse-ish facial features.
(b) Women who, while not super Jew-y, are more identifiably Jewish than, say, Natalie Portman.
(c) Frequent discussion of unwanted body hair.

2. Are you offended by the following behavior?

(a) Instructing one's grandmother to place baked goods in her rectal cavity.
(b) Stripping naked in public—eleven times in a row.
(c) Stabbing one's boss in the head with a writing implement.

3. The best way to treat an emotionally fragile young girl is:

(a) Murder the main course of her Thanksgiving dinner before her very eyes.
(b) Tell her that her older sister is prettier than she, and then immediately die.
(c) Prevent her suicide by recommending she stay away from open windows.

If you read the above questions without getting nauseous or forming a hate Web site, you are ready to buy this book! Please proceed to the cashier.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Amazon Exclusive: A Letter from Sarah Silverman

Dear Reader:

My name is Sarah Silverman. I was once primarily known for saying the word "poop" and getting paid above market rates for it. But those days are over, because I am now going to be known for having written a book. Why did I write a book, you might wonder? Because it just seemed like the right time to be getting into the publishing industry.

I'm kidding. Publishing is rotting like an abandoned possum carcass on the shoulder of I-95. I know that for a fact, because shortly after my book deal was announced, I kept hearing people lament the imminent demise of literature. These days there is only one reason to write a book: to be taken seriously. And that is exactly what is about to happen to me. I'm an author now! Like Ernest Hemingway and Fyodor Dostoevsky!

When I was asked to provide text for an author page, I decided to approach it in a scholarly manner, because that's what authors do. I looked to other author pages for inspiration, and I learned so much. For example, while Hemingway and Dostoevsky do not have their own author pages on Amazon.com, Paris Hilton does. And so does former teenage porn star and multi-tasking fellatrix, Traci Lords. Hemingway and Dostoevsky might be wondering, quite literally, "Whom do I have to blow to get my own author page?" If someone had a cruel sense of humor, they might respond to Hemingway, "How about your head off? Oh wait – you already DID that!" But such a remark would be in bad taste, and as a serious author, I'm above all that.

I also learned that Paris' dog, Tinkerbell Hilton, has her own book too. I read a few pages and found the prose to be overwrought, but you can imagine that, being a dog, she'd be coming from a place of needing to prove something. By the way, here's a quote from a review of Paris' book that I found on her Amazon.com author page:

"Heiress, socialite, model, actress, singer and media darling Hilton loves her life, knows how to get what she wants and matter-of-factly explains how anyone can be a glamorous, fun-loving, tiara-wearing heiress just like her… [Paris’] advice to 'channel your own inner heiress, create your own image, and project an extreme sense of confidence' is an empowering message for young women."

This was profoundly inspiring to me. It made me realize: if young women can read Hilton's book and become heiresses, they can likewise read my book and become anxiety-ridden bedwetters. And amidst this generation of disposability that favors the digital over the physical, shopping online rather than in stores (oops, this is awkward!), and reading from LCD screens rather than from print on paper, it's nice to know that I will have left a permanent stain by which future generations shall know of my existence. So read The Bedwetter, if not for me, then for the children.

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Demonstrating that her penchant for swearing began at an early age, comedian Silverman begins her hilarious memoir by describing how, at age three, she gleefully responded to her grandmother's offer of brownies with shove 'em up your ass. Growing up in New Hampshire (where cows are well done and Jews are rare), Silverman naturally gravitated toward performing and moved to New York, where she attended and eventually dropped out of New York University to pursue a standup comedy career. Mixing show business moments (she wrote for Saturday Night Live for one season, but none of her sketches made it past dress rehearsal) with stories of her childhood and adolescence (punctuated by a persistent bedwetting problem), Silverman never shies away from poking fun at her own expense. Though she's best known for sexually explicit jokes, Silverman is able to address more serious subjects in the book without losing her edge, particularly her teenage struggle with depression and that her often abrasive public persona allowed her to say what I didn't mean, even preach the opposite of what I believed.... It was a funny way of being sincere. 8-page color insert. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Harper; First Edition edition (April 20, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061856436
• ISBN-13: 978-0061856433
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (246 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #161,433 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

SARAH SILVERMAN is the co-creator and star of The Sarah Silverman Program. She starred in the feature-length film version of her one-woman show Jesus Is Magic. She won an Emmy in 2008 for her video I'm F***ing Matt Damon, and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role on The Sarah Silverman Program. Silverman grew up in New Hampshire and now lives in Los Angeles (by way of her beloved New York City) with her dog, Duck, presuming he does not die prior to publication, which is moderately to extremely likely.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

110 of 123 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Book April 22, 2010

By Gwen R. Cooper

Format:Hardcover

I expected this book to be hilarious, and it is. (I'm not even going to qualify that by adding "...if you're a fan of Sarah's comedy." It's just funny. Period.) What I didn't expect were the sensitivity and sincerity that Sarah has brought to both the writing of the book and to its glimpses behind the scenes into her personal life and the thoughtfulness behind the humor.

The section in which Sarah's editor earnestly tries to explain to Sarah, a professional comedian, what's "really" funny (and why) is worth the price of admission all on its own.

I think there are some things that many people believe deep down they could also do just as well as the professionals, if only they had the time, the inclination, etc. I suspect that professional comedy is one of those things. So what I really appreciated about this book is the way Sarah explores comedy as a craft that is diligently developed and honed over time. You might not like her jokes, but you have to respect her commitment to the work that goes into them.

As a person who appreciates both Sarah's humor and the dedication of craftsmen in all walks of life, this book just worked for me on every level. I highly recommend it.

48 of 55 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Sarah Silverman's Bedwetting Memoir April 21, 2010

By Max J. Pell

Format:Hardcover

Sarah Silverman's approach to comedy is not like the approach of many comedians working today. Sarah approaches all taboo topics with the same enthusiasm, whether it be the usage of racist lingo, sex, or the Holocaust. This "nothing is sacred" approach to comedy defines Silverman's attitudes and, philosophically speaking, puts these taboo topics into perspective. In Silverman's memoir, we discover where she acquired these traits. In talking about her parents, it's very obvious that her adoration for her father is without doubt and that much of her humor comes from him. In a sub-chapter titled "The Only Reason I'm Not Completely Retarded," Silverman discusses her admiration for her mother. The book follows Silverman through her childhood, adolescence, and career, with much emphasis on family. Throughout, Silverman subjects the reader to relentless comedy that some would consider vulgar, racy, and inappropriate. But, that's just Silverman's charm - genius. Including a Foreward written by herself an an Afterword written by God, I wholeheartedly believe that this book is the comedic masterpiece of the literary world of 2010.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this audiobook! May 19, 2010

By Kristina Garcia

Format:Audio CD

I am lazy, so this audiobook was perfect for me. I love everything Sarah Silverman does, but I hate reading. She is so brilliant that I probably would have read an actual book if this audiobook didn't exist. I was also glad that it was read by her because half of the fun is her delivery.