Attempting Normal
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Editorial Reviews
Review
Praise for Attempting Normal
“I laughed so hard reading this book.”—David Sedaris
“Funny . . . surprisingly deep . . . laced with revelatory insights.”—Los Angeles Times
“Superb . . . A reason that [it] is a superior example of an overcrowded genre—the comedian memoir—is Mr. Maron’s hardheaded approach to his history, the wisdom of experience.”—The New York Times
“Marc Maron is a legend because he is both a great comic and a brilliant mind. Attempting Normal is a deep, hilarious megashot of feeling and truth as only this man can administer.”—Sam Lipsyte
Praise for Marc Maron and WTF
“The stuff of comedy legend.”—Rolling Stone
“Marc Maron is a startlingly honest, compelling, and hilarious comedian-poet. Truly one of the greatest of all time.”—Louis C.K.
“I’ve known Marc for years and I can tell you first hand that he’s passionate, fearless, honest, self-absorbed, neurotic, and screamingly funny.”—David Cross
“Revered among his peers . . . raw and unflinchingly honest.”—Entertainment Weekly
“Devastatingly funny.”—Los Angeles Times
“For a comedy nerd, this show is nirvana.”—Judd Apatow
From the Hardcover edition.
“I laughed so hard reading this book.”—David Sedaris
“Funny . . . surprisingly deep . . . laced with revelatory insights.”—Los Angeles Times
“Superb . . . A reason that [it] is a superior example of an overcrowded genre—the comedian memoir—is Mr. Maron’s hardheaded approach to his history, the wisdom of experience.”—The New York Times
“Marc Maron is a legend because he is both a great comic and a brilliant mind. Attempting Normal is a deep, hilarious megashot of feeling and truth as only this man can administer.”—Sam Lipsyte
Praise for Marc Maron and WTF
“The stuff of comedy legend.”—Rolling Stone
“Marc Maron is a startlingly honest, compelling, and hilarious comedian-poet. Truly one of the greatest of all time.”—Louis C.K.
“I’ve known Marc for years and I can tell you first hand that he’s passionate, fearless, honest, self-absorbed, neurotic, and screamingly funny.”—David Cross
“Revered among his peers . . . raw and unflinchingly honest.”—Entertainment Weekly
“Devastatingly funny.”—Los Angeles Times
“For a comedy nerd, this show is nirvana.”—Judd Apatow
From the Hardcover edition.
About the Author
Marc Maron is a stand-up comedian and host of the podcast WTF with Marc Maron. He has appeared in his own comedy specials on Comedy Central, HBO, and Netflix, and his sitcom, Maron, airs on IFC. He lives in Los Angeles.
From the Hardcover edition.
From the Hardcover edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 28 people found the following review helpful
By
Larry Mark MyJewishBooksDotCom
on May 1, 2013
Format: Hardcover
3 Comments
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Rarely is there a book that reveals such frighteningly funny and grossly abnormal honest episodes in a person's life that the reader may feel dirty after some chapters. But so what, the experience is worth it. It is laugh out loud funny (and sad), and you realize that stand-up comics (or most of them) are truly different or more scary than clowns, mimes, and street deviants. Maron tells us that many are self destructive and intense who crave acceptance, acknowledgement, and approval from others. In this book, Maron shares his experiences with us in the hope that we are all going to be okay; this sharing of experiences, and your realization that we all go through a lot of crap, can heal the world or at least you.
Maron, one of America's top insightful and thoughtful comedians, is an obsessive over-thinking ruminater (The Ruminater). He is a hoarder of items and experiences. He opens the book wondering why he hoards so many trinkets and how his mother and brother would deal with his relics should he pre-decease them (A college library is not going to crave his scribbles and framed 'Apocalypse Now' lobby card).
Maron fills the book with life events that inform us of his family and friends: his father competing for attention with his grandfather's corpse at his grandfather's NJ funeral; his interactions with other comics "doing their time;" a heroin addled comic who did his finest when high; his feral cats on the night before the 2004 GOP convention; his self-funded research project titled "Who is My Ex F*ing" after his 2nd wife left him; the "freedom" of masturbation in a hotel room; the girlfriend who was incapable of orgasm due to past issues abuse.Read more ›
Maron, one of America's top insightful and thoughtful comedians, is an obsessive over-thinking ruminater (The Ruminater). He is a hoarder of items and experiences. He opens the book wondering why he hoards so many trinkets and how his mother and brother would deal with his relics should he pre-decease them (A college library is not going to crave his scribbles and framed 'Apocalypse Now' lobby card).
Maron fills the book with life events that inform us of his family and friends: his father competing for attention with his grandfather's corpse at his grandfather's NJ funeral; his interactions with other comics "doing their time;" a heroin addled comic who did his finest when high; his feral cats on the night before the 2004 GOP convention; his self-funded research project titled "Who is My Ex F*ing" after his 2nd wife left him; the "freedom" of masturbation in a hotel room; the girlfriend who was incapable of orgasm due to past issues abuse.Read more ›
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40 of 47 people found the following review helpful
By
hackwriter
on May 2, 2013
Format: Hardcover
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I discovered Marc Maron on April 1, 2004, when the new Air America Radio morning show, "Morning Sedition" premiered. Over the next year-and-a half, Marc Maron, Mark Riley, and a brilliant team of writers created the greatest sociopolitical radio show since Jean Shepherd -- an unheralded gem that only a few rabid fans recognized. Little did we know that while we clung to comedy bits like "Presidential Palm Pilot", "Mourning Remembrance", "Marching Orders from the Streisand Compound" and "Sammy the Stem Cell" to keep us sane during the Bush years, what was keeping us from despair was nearly destroying Marc Maron from the inside out.
Maron isn't everyone's cup of tea. Perhaps you have to have lived in a head that works like this to laugh until you cry when you listen to WTF or go to a live broadcast or stand-up performance. But no one else gets to the angst of life in 21st century America the way Marc Maron does. Maron seems now to have been ahead of his time, and in these anxious times, his time has clearly arrived. "Attempting Normal" is a hilarious, bitter, bemused, brutally honest self-examination by a man who hit rock bottom and clawed his way back out in a way he never anticipated. At times this book will make you cringe with its honesty; sort of like knowing too much about the sex life of your parents. But Maron's lack of boundaries gives him an intimacy with his increasing number of fans that is all too rare. Unless you were fortunate enough to be born into The Perfect Family, you will see something of yourself in "Attempting Normal."
Perhaps Maron shares too much of himself. But there is no more generous a performer in the business. We knew about his gifts as a stand-up comic and has an interviewer. Earlier generations could make do with gentler-by-comparison humorists such as Mark Twain, Robert Benchley, and Jean Shepherd. But we live now in loud and absurd times that require a loud voice to rail against the absurdity.
Maron isn't everyone's cup of tea. Perhaps you have to have lived in a head that works like this to laugh until you cry when you listen to WTF or go to a live broadcast or stand-up performance. But no one else gets to the angst of life in 21st century America the way Marc Maron does. Maron seems now to have been ahead of his time, and in these anxious times, his time has clearly arrived. "Attempting Normal" is a hilarious, bitter, bemused, brutally honest self-examination by a man who hit rock bottom and clawed his way back out in a way he never anticipated. At times this book will make you cringe with its honesty; sort of like knowing too much about the sex life of your parents. But Maron's lack of boundaries gives him an intimacy with his increasing number of fans that is all too rare. Unless you were fortunate enough to be born into The Perfect Family, you will see something of yourself in "Attempting Normal."
Perhaps Maron shares too much of himself. But there is no more generous a performer in the business. We knew about his gifts as a stand-up comic and has an interviewer. Earlier generations could make do with gentler-by-comparison humorists such as Mark Twain, Robert Benchley, and Jean Shepherd. But we live now in loud and absurd times that require a loud voice to rail against the absurdity.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By
Laurie
on June 8, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition with Audio/Video
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Startling insights with laughs! Thank the goddess there is a Marc Maron to show us the way to enjoy our folly. If you've ever chafed at the human condition, this isn't the antidote. But Marc makes you feel better about it.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By
Andreas L Arvman
on May 25, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition
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This is great poetry, great prose and great storytelling. Whether you're a fan of Marc Maron, or of comedy, doesn't matter. If you're a fan of reading, you'll enjoy it.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By
Jason A. Stewart
on May 24, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition
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I've been a WTFer for a while now and I would love to see a book of transcripts from his favorite interviews. I like the interaction between he and his guest a bit more than these straight monologues. That being said, what's here is funny and full of insight.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By
Joel Vorpahl
on July 6, 2013
Format: Hardcover
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Love me some Maron, and this book delivers. Witty, insightful, and genuine just like the podcast and his standup. Greatly recommended for any fan or interested outsider.
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9 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By
Scott Schottler
on May 1, 2013
Format: Audible Audio Edition
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I've listened to every episode of WTF and seen Marc perform three times so some of the stories were rehashed, but there are enough new stories and new insights on old ones to make it well worth a read (or listen if you go with the audiobook like I did). Full of lyrical maron-isms, my favorite being his description of walking a prostitute upstairs to his bedroom as his "steep shame ascension." I also enjoyed his perspective on running into his first ex-wife during a particularly embarrassing low point in his life. Looking forward to the premiere of his IFC show this Friday!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By
mitchco
on June 4, 2013
Format: Hardcover
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I have been listening to Marc Maron on his "WTF" podcast for a couple of years now , and I always find something new to like about it. Mr Maron is a smart , insightful person , a wonderful interviewer , and really gets the most from his interview subjects. I have also seen him live doing his standup act , and , I think he is one of the funniest , most honest comedians working today.His book is a funny , wickedly honest version about being Marc Maron , in all it's trials , tribulations and pain that he carries around with him . It was a good read , I found myself laughing out loud a few times. although , I had previously heard some of the chapters in some of his bits , either on TV , or in person , it didn't make reading them any less funny .He is an original voice , and I hope his current success with his new IFC show , and his other ventures continues.
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