Dad Is Fat
Books | Biography & Autobiography / Entertainment & Performing Arts
3.9
(1.3K)
Jim Gaffigan
Jim Gaffigan never imagined he would have his own kids. Though he grew up in a large Irish-Catholic family, Jim was satisfied with the nomadic, nocturnal life of a standup comedian, and was content to be "that weird uncle who lives in an apartment by himself in New York that everyone in the family speculates about." But all that changed when he married and found out his wife, Jeannie "is someone who gets pregnant looking at babies." Five kids later, the comedian whose riffs on everything from Hot Pockets to Jesus have scored millions of hits on YouTube, started to tweet about the mistakes and victories of his life as a dad. Those tweets struck such a chord that he soon passed the million followers mark. But it turns out 140 characters are not enough to express all the joys and horrors of life with five kids, so hes' now sharing it all in Dad Is Fat. From new parents to empty nesters to Jim's twenty-something fans, everyone will recognize their own families in these hilarious takes on everything from cousins ("celebrities for little kids") to growing up in a big family ("I always assumed my father had six children so he could have a sufficient lawn crew") to changing diapers in the middle of the night ("like The Hurt Locker but much more dangerous") to bedtime (aka "Negotiating with Terrorists"). Dad is Fat is sharply observed, explosively funny, and a cry for help from a man who has realized he and his wife are outnumbered in their own home.
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Author
Jim Gaffigan
Pages
336
Publisher
Crown Publishing Group
Published Date
2017
ISBN
152476325X 9781524763251
Community ReviewsSee all
"I thoroughly enjoyed myself reading this stand-up comedy routine of a book. More of a bathroom reader or series of vignettes, Gaffigan walks the line of irreverence with describing his zany but living family life. Five kids is a lot - and it’s ESPECIALLY a lot crammed into a two bedroom New York City apartment. At first I was uncertain about the Little Free Library find, but the more I read, the more I realized that Gaffigan isn’t actually ragging on family life; he actually deeply loves it and his wife and kids, and greatly enjoys being a dad. But he manages to draw out the crazy, exhausting, frustrating, bizarre things about being a parent that most people can relate to, even if they don’t experience parenthood the same way he does. I laughed out loud, I was touched, and I read so many passages aloud to my husband. As a Catholic, I also really appreciated that he didn’t shy away from mentioning his faith, though it wasn’t a primary thread. It felt relatable. Somehow this book even made me think a bit. The main reason this book isn’t five stars is I would have liked a stronger narrative arc, and I think something was a bit lost with the choppy standalone chapters. This book reads like a long-form version of one of his stand-up shows - enjoyable, but a bit like a ping pong ball of ideas!"
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Teresa Prokopanko
"I am a huge Jim Gaffigan fan, but I didn't laugh out loud as much as I thought I would. I would give 3.5 stars and try the audiobook next. He really doesn't drift at all from the fatherhood theme--wasn't expecting that. Also, it included a bunch of written excerpts from his stand up acts."
"Yes!"
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Judy Daugherity
"Looking back, I am most impressed by its lack of typos or misused punctuation. Oh yeah, and it was funny! Most books by comedians seem to be mostly filler, a way of making more money based on having a recognizable name. This one actually had content!<br/><br/>Reviews of life-changing vintage fiction you've never even heard of: www.Anotherlookbook.com"
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Bree Sarlati