Publishers Weekly - Audio
For anyone curious about the life and times of film director and über-geek Kevin Smith—who in his early 20s made a debut splash with the independent film Clerks—this audio version of his memoir breaks down 41 years of rule-breaking and chronicles Smith’s work as filmmaker, comic book store owner, and podcaster. Offering up an amazingly fun and loose performance that often boasts the spontaneity of a podcast, Smith takes listeners through his life story with good-natured—if occasionally brutal—honesty. In his narration, Smith occasionally strays from the text, starting during the introduction when he apologizes for background noise and confesses that he is under the influence: “If you gotta read your own book: be stoned.” Smith’s genuine enthusiasm lends his narration an intimacy that would be difficult for another performer, no matter how talented, to achieve. Listeners are likely to feel that instead of listening to an audiobook, they’re engaged in a conversation—albeit one-sided—with Kevin Smith. A Gotham hardcover. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
"Kevin Smith is nicer than he lets on, thinner than he thinks, and smarter than almost anyone in the room. He has today’s world - and tomorrow’s – running for cover." — Mitch Albom
“I suspect @ThatKevinSmith is what all gods and demons aspire to be.” — Neil Gaiman via Twitter
“Kevin Smith is a force of nature: He makes movies, he writes books and stuff, he talks and then he talks some more. Maybe he’s less of a force of nature and more of a spreading cloud of secondhand weed smoke that is slowly infiltrating every medium available to us. Kevin Smith is the haze that binds us all.” — Marc Maron
“I certainly would never read anything written by Kevin Smith.” — Tim Burton
Neil Gaiman via Twitter
“I suspect @ThatKevinSmith is what all gods and demons aspire to be.
Tim Burton
I certainly would never read anything written by Kevin Smith.
Marc Maron
Kevin Smith is a force of nature: He makes movies, he writes books and stuff, he talks and then he talks some more. Maybe he’s less of a force of nature and more of a spreading cloud of secondhand weed smoke that is slowly infiltrating every medium available to us. Kevin Smith is the haze that binds us all.
Neil Gaiman
I suspect @ThatKevinSmith is what all gods and demons aspire to be.
Mitch Albom
"Kevin Smith is nicer than he lets on, thinner than he thinks, and smarter than almost anyone in the room. He has today’s world - and tomorrow’s – running for cover."
Library Journal - Audio
Director Smith himself is as much of an allure as any of his films; his “Evening with” Q&As have filled Carnegie Hall. Smith here recounts his life and career, from the amateurish Clerks to the superb Red State and his early days at Miramax. The audiobook is equal parts biography and personal philosophy, with loads of laughs. Smith is a funny, cordial, and embarrassingly honest host—he’ll tell you anything about himself—but be warned, much of the dialog is R-rated. Smith’s narration makes the program all the funnier and more personable. For his legions of devoted fans, this audiobook is Kevin heaven. (LJ 4/15/12)
(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
DECEMBER 2012 - AudioFile
No one other than Smith could deliver this audiobook and do it justice. It’s one of the funniest, and most poignant, books of the year, despite Smith’s misgivings. He’s a hilarious speaker, assuming the listener is not offended by his frank language. His voice is commanding yet pleasing, like that of your best dutch uncle, and his intelligence shines through the occasional vulgarity. Smith may be one of the most engaging speakers of his generation—it’s impossible to turn this off. His brutally frank stories about his filmmaking career, his battles with actor Bruce Willis on the set of COP OUT, his love life, and that infamous “too fat to fly” incident are wonderful. This is an audiobook you'll listen to more than once. M.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
The slacker raconteur (slackonteur?) chronicles his offbeat career while seeking to inspire the next generation of creative thinkers. Since bursting onto the indie scene with Clerks in 1994, Smith (My Boring Ass Life: The Uncomfortably Candid Diary of Kevin Smith, 2007, etc.) has carved out a unique niche, writing and directing a string of movies both critically praised (generally for the sharp writing) and panned (often for the lackluster directing), while also developing a cult following as a pop culture lecturer extraordinaire. Drawing on experiences from his eclectic career, he presents a mixed bag of self-deprecating humor, self-satisfied mooning, gossipy snark and a few truly golden nuggets of wisdom. Among the narrative's high (or low) points are Smith's contention that directing Bruce Willis was the equivalent of being held hostage by Hans Gruber; the tale of how mentor Harvey Weinstein, whom Smith has loyally defended for years, stiffed him at the opening of Smith's Red State (the two haven't spoken since); an in-depth account of Smith's well-publicized eviction from a Southwest Airlines flight for being overweight; and a graphic description of a bout of self-gratification, which transpired as he stood behind his grudgingly tolerant, naked wife as she readied herself for an evening out. Though his never-ending cavalcade of bodily fluid–filled jokes wears thin, there's a fascinating revelation within these pages: Despite having produced beloved and influential indie movies and critically acclaimed comics, Smith's most innovative creation might just be Kevin Smith--a foul-mouthed, blarney-tongued pop culture savant who has built a touring and podcasting empire by mixing piquant loquacity with a heavy dose of Jersey earthiness. Filthier than it needs to be, more self-aggrandizing than it should be, but more inspiring than you'd think it could be.
