I'm Dreaming of a Black Christmas
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4.0 • 118 Ratings
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
From Lewis Black, the uproarious and perpetually apoplectic New York Times-bestselling author and Daily Show regular, comes a ferociously funny book about his least favorite holiday, Christmas.
Christmas is supposed to be a time of peace on earth and goodwill toward all. But not for Lewis Black.
He says humbug to the Christmas tradtitions and trappings that make the holiday memorable. In I'm Dreaming of a Black Christmas, his hilarious and sharply observed book about the holiday, Lewis lets loose on all things Yule. It's a very personal look at what's wrong with Christmas, seen through the eyes of "the most engagingly pissed-off comedian ever."*
From his own Christmas rituals—which have absolutely nothing to do with presents or the Christmas tree or Rudolph—to his own eccentric experiences with the holiday (from a USO Christmas tour to playing Santa Claus in full regalia), I'm Dreaming of a Black Christmas is classic Lewis Black: funny, razor-sharp, insightful, and honest.
You'll never think of Christmas in the same way.
*Stephen King
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Vituperative standup comedian Black (Me of Little Faith) delivers a caustic Christmas diatribe. Warning readers to ignore the book if they have a deep attachment to Christmastime, he notes, "This book contains, like the celebration of Christmas, only 2 percent religion. Think of it as the yuletide equivalent of low-fat milk." After recalling how he argued with the editor who urged him to write a Christmas book, Black delivers a full-scale Scrooge-styled screed. With chapters such as "Meditations of a Jewish Santa," "The Hooker at Rockefeller Center," and "The Carol from Hell," he rips into such seasonal traditions as Christmas cards, dinners, toys, advertising ("a primal scream of sales"), shopping ("Why don't you folks wait until the 26th of December when things are the cheapest?"), trees ("something magical about a Christmas tree all dazzled up in lights... almost as breathtaking as a hooker gone wild in spangles"), carols ("A shower is a place for singing, and on Christmas, it's where you should be caroling"), and gifts: "At Chanukah we get nothing. We don't even get stockings." With digressions on the human comedy and his personal life, Black spews forth much invective, but successfully exposes societal truths with riotous ripostes.
Customer Reviews
So-so
Some parts of the book, be it a mere paragraph, or in some cases, an entire chapter, really fell flat. In those instances, it seemed like Black mailed it in, hoping to get the book over with as fast as the holidays themselves. Other parts were laugh-out-loud funny, and there was definitely a more human side to Black than I've ever seen in his stand-up, which I love. I think maybe I hold him to a higher standard based on his excellent comic routines, so overall, it's a decent read. If nothing else, it's fast.
Very solid
Funny book. Short, sweet, to the point.
Elegant and Fulfilling
I absolutely love the witty, sarcastic ways to describe ones feelings and emotions. The story line was worded well and the ranting tangents that define Lewis Black are found inside this novel. It was a great read, and had me laughing by the end of nearly every page.