Seriously, I'm Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres Published by Grand Central Publishing on October 4, 2011
Genres/Lists: Memoir, Non-Fiction
Length: 3 hours, 7 minutes
Read synopsis on Goodreads
Buy the book: Amazon/Audible (this post includes affiliate links)
I’ve always considered Ellen DeGeneres to be one of the funniest people alive. I admire her spunk and courage, not to mention was she a great Dory. Her comedic timing is fantastic, her talk show is great, and back in the day she had a sitcom in which she owned a bookstore, which makes me feel a bit of triumph on behalf of readers everywhere. So when I needed a an audiobook to pass the time while painting my new library, I figured Seriously, I’m Kidding would be a great one. I re-signed up for Audible, stuck my phone in my pocket, and got to work painting. Which is ironic, because one of her first chapters makes reference to how no one paints anymore and I verbally shouted to no one, “yes, they do!”
Unfortunately, that was one of the best parts of the book. I don’t know whether it was hearing Ellen narrate Ellen, but I didn’t find the book that funny. Sure, there were some really funny parts (like the part about manners), but for the most part it felt like she was trying too hard. I vaguely remember being unimpressed by some standup that she did a long time ago, so my guess is that I prefer her comedy when she’s interacting with others. Or in short bursts. Then again, I don’t enjoy most standup, so this likely holds true for all comedians.
Despite the fact that I didn’t love the book (I enjoyed Portia De Rossi’s book much more), I do think that fans of standup and/or Ellen will love it. It’s classic Ellen, but listening to it reminded me that I prefer my classic Ellen in doses.
