Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan

I'm not a HUGE stand up fan. Yes, I enjoy it. Yes, we frequent our local comedy club (shout out to Comedy Works). And yes, since the launch of 103.1 every trip we take in my husband's car is to the soundtrack of stand up. So when I say I'm not a HUGE fan I mean that for reasons that escape me I don't generally pick up comedians' book releases when they hit shelves. And yet, once upon a time I did read Tim Allen and Paul Reiser as well as a few others (yes, that shows how long it's been!). Plus,  Tina Fey's Bossypants! Even I'm not immune to that.

In a roundabout way, this is my intro to my review of Jim Gaffigan's Dad is Fat and to explain why, even though it might seem an odd choice for me, I chose it as my latest Blogging for Books selection. I've seen Gaffigan's stand up specials and he's really hilarious. I also saw him on The Daily Show when he was original promoting this book, so it's been on my radar for some time.

I didn't quite realize that the whole book was about parenting - this was totally my own fault considering the book is called Dad is Fat and I did watch the above linked interview but apparently didn't pay attention that much. But hey, Jim Gaffigan is known for self-depracating humor in general so I just figured it was a quip about funny (and mean) things kids say amongst other life things. Nope, it's all parenting. And it's all hilarious even for a thirty-something with no kids. Why? Because I think all of us at my age - even the ones with no kids - have some exposure to kids and parents.

Gaffigan's humor is, as mentioned, quite self deprecating. A lot of the jokes in the book are still at his own expense even when it's simple commentary about kids' behavior, watching his wife give birth, or things observed in other parents. If you've ever seen or heard Gaffigan's stand up (and like it, obviously) then you'll not want to miss Dad is Fat. And if you haven't seen/heard Gaffigan, look him up. I recommend this particular Hot Pocket clip (referenced in the intro to the book). And if you do happen to be one of the gazillions of people out there with kids, then you'll probably appreciate this book even more than I did.

Rating: 4/5

Per Blogging for Books requirements: I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.