Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsAn adorable and funny, yet punchable face. 4.5 stars
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2021
'If there’s one trait that makes someone well suited to comedy, it’s being able to take a punch—metaphorically and, occasionally, physically.
From growing up in a family of firefighters on Staten Island to commuting three hours a day to high school and “seeing the sights” (like watching a Russian woman throw a stroller off the back of a ferry), to attending Harvard while Facebook was created, Jost shares how he has navigated the world like a slightly smarter Forrest Gump.
You’ll also discover things about Jost that will surprise and confuse you, like how Jimmy Buffett saved his life, how Czech teenagers attacked him with potato salad, how an insect laid eggs inside his legs, and how he competed in a twenty-five-man match at WrestleMania (and almost won). You’ll go behind the scenes at SNL and Weekend Update (where he’s written some of the most memorable sketches and jokes of the past fifteen years). And you’ll experience the life of a touring stand-up comedian—from performing in rural college cafeterias at noon to opening for Dave Chappelle at Radio City Music Hall.
For every accomplishment (hosting the Emmys), there is a setback (hosting the Emmys). And for every absurd moment (watching paramedics give CPR to a raccoon), there is an honest, emotional one (recounting his mother’s experience on the scene of the Twin Towers’ collapse on 9/11). Told with a healthy dose of self-deprecation, A Very Punchable Face reveals the brilliant mind behind some of the dumbest sketches on television, and lays bare the heart and humor of a hardworking guy—with a face you can’t help but want to punch.'
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4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars.
A Very Punchable Face is comedian and actor, Colin Jost's debut book and is a comedic autobiography.
The only type of memiors/autobiographies I read are by comedians or comedic actors because (for the most part) I know that an entire book dedicated to the life and ponderings of just one individual will not be interesting enough to me to stick with unless it's funny.
I really enjoy Colin and Michael Che on Weekend Update on SNL, I think they're so funny together and play off of each other very well. So when I saw that Colin had written his own book, I made sure to order a copy when it first came out...but then it took me several months before it climbed to the top of my TBR list. But I have finally read it!
I wasn't sure about the book going into it because not everyone can pull off being funny in print without falling flat. But he IS a comedy writer professionally, so looking back my worry was quite unnecessary. He is a really talented comdic writer and so A Very Punchable Face has been one of my favorite books from this genre that I have read, he has the perfect blend of confinence and self-deprication that I love and that I find really amusing.
He shares some fairly embarassing stories with us, which I adored. I don't need to read a bunch of punched up stories to make them sound perfect and unrelatable. But with a title like A Very Punchable Face it was guaranteed that he wouldn't be afraid to take some shots at himself. Jost also included a very sweet and harrowing chapter about his mother and her experiences from 9/11 when, as chief medical examiner for the NYC Fire Department, she responded to the call to action when the first plane struck. And you guys, he majored in Russian Lit! As someone who majored in Classical Languages, I have a serious soft spot for dummies like me that made such a nerdy and reckless choice for their future.
I didn't really know anything about him to start, except for what I have seen on SNL. But I now know that he is just such a nerd with a tendency toward social awkwardness and the heart, it flutters. I don't know if he is planning to write any further books, but if he does, I'll be reading them.
