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Random House Books for Young Readers

Based on a True Story: Not a Memoir

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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Driving, wild and hilarious” (The Washington Post), here is the incredible “memoir” of the legendary actor, gambler, raconteur, and Saturday Night Live veteran. When Norm Macdonald, one of the greatest stand-up comics of all time, was approached to write a celebrity memoir, he flatly refused, calling the genre “one step below instruction manuals.” Norm then promptly took a two-year hiatus from stand-up comedy to live on a farm in northern Canada. When he emerged he had under his arm a manuscript, a genre-smashing book about comedy, tragedy, love, loss, war, and redemption. When asked if this was the celebrity memoir, Norm replied, “Call it anything you damn like.” Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House; Reprint edition (June 13, 2017)


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Paperback ‏ : ‎ 272 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0812983866


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 69


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.2 ounces


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.15 x 0.6 x 7.95 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #9,127 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #22 in Humor Essays (Books) #93 in Actor & Entertainer Biographies #309 in Memoirs (Books)


#22 in Humor Essays (Books):


#93 in Actor & Entertainer Biographies:


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Painfully funny, poignantly touching, thoroughly Norm.
I cannot recommend this highly enough - for fans of Norm and otherwise. It is just so expertly written in every way. Not a wasted stroke of the pen. RIP Norm.
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2024 by Sean
    • FUNNY!
If you like Norm MacDonald's humor, it is a must read!
Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2024 by Warren Peace
    • Beyond The Norm...
To be truthful, I don't buy a lot of digital books. Usually, any book that doesn't help me reach a high shelf, or can't be used to swat a fly on the wall, isn't multi-purpose enough for my medieval mindset. But Norm MacDonald is Norm MacDonald is Norm MacDonald, and I wanted a copy at 12:01a.m. of its release date. I also wanted to save the tree that would've been used to print this book so that the tree could be used for its most natural purpose: Baseball bats. Or exacerbating forest fires. (Take that, Smokey, you overgrown, smarmy, preachy Ursus Americanus!) As one of Norm's slavish Twitter followers, I tweeted that I would be counting my audible laughs, divide them by the purchase price, and determine whether I got good value from my purchase. While I haven't finished counting the marks on my wall, and add the fact that I was forced to stop marking the wall by a wife who under-appreciates Jail Cell-style decor, I can only give you a rough range on this. I surmise that each laugh cost slightly under two cents. Even if you count belly laughs as worth a dime, and short,snorting laughs as being worth a penny, I got good value from this tome. And whether my purchase amount helps him recover from his last gambling flame-out, or helps fund his next downward spiral, I figure I contributed to a Good Cause. But, I didn't buy this book just for laughs, or to take credit for fueling the MacDonald Publishing Empire. I wanted to get a glimpse into one of the most original, brilliant comedic minds of our time. In that capacity, Norm opened a small window into his soul... then slammed it closed on my fingers. First, my view of Norm: Most comedians come from ethnic groups that are held down artificially, or had harrowing childhoods, or are introspective to the point of self-flagellation. Norm, by contrast, seems to be a cheery, boyishly handsome, middle-class Caucasian with an impish quality to him. And Canadian, to boot. From where comes the compulsion to make us laugh? On top of that, he has a strong anti-establishment streak, and a refusal to be controlled. "Big deal," you say, "So do I!" Norm differs in that his unwillingness to be controlled includes the people that sign his checks, or that could lift him onto the next step of the success ladder. And for some reason, Bosses tend not to hire unpredictable Free Spirits that may defy direct orders on a whim - even if they're excellent at what they due. Check Signers like predictability, period. So, when you continue to make witheringly effective O.J. jokes while working under one of O.J.'s friends & golf partners, or when you're asked to be "shocking" at a roast of Bob Saget and you therefore write one cornball line from the 1950's after another, it makes TV producers skittish about giving you a late-night talk show, for example. So, while that level of subversion & unpredictability adds to his legend, it commensurately subtracts from his potential income. Yet, Norm protests that he'd rather be a high-profile comic than a "comic's comic", a commercially successful comedian than a critically acclaimed one. So, I wonder out loud from where the dissonance stems. Norm hints that he might have been repeatedly sexually abused as a boy. But, since this is only "BASED ON a True Story", he leaves you wondering: Was this a literary device to introduce another of many writing styles he uses throughout the book? Or was this a way of explaining why he never wants to feel "totally out of control" in his life again? Was this a comedic device to make an anti-joke when you were expecting a joke? Or was this a way to connect to his readers with a deeply personal admission? Was this an attempt to exploit another taboo subject for devastating comic effect - as he has with prison rape, media treatment of murders, gay pride, Hitler, bestiality, psychopathic sadists, etc.? Or is this the exposing of one of the roots of his addictive personality? We'll never know. Norm has recently bristled at this book being referred to in the media as a memoir, when in his mind he wrote a novel. Mind you, a memoir is not synonymous with an autobiography. A memoir allows for a greater exchange of Truth for truthiness. And novels generally don't use real people's names, especially real people who have lawyers on retainer. So, if you want to read a funny, entertaining, quirky & unique book, it's a 5. If you want to read about Norm's life, it's a 2. If you want to read Alice In Wonderland with a male lead, and where the mind-altering substances are addiction and gambling, it's a 3.5. Stop reading this, and buy the stupid book already. It's still more real than that frappuccino you were going to spend the money on, and it'll keep you awake at least as well. And while you're at it, re-watch Norm's Dirty Work, disregarding the poor pacing and below-par acting. There's still comic gold to be mined in them thar celluloid hills. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2016 by Y. Homnick
    • Wisdom hidden by levity
This book was incredible, and not just because it was hilarious from start to finish. Sincerely, you only have to look to the first page, the dedication, for a joke that already had me laughing. Norm was obviously an exceptional comedian, but this book is, in a way, the perfect memoir for him in that he demonstrates his true genius under the façade of absurdity. So many times, a line would leave me thinking far more than the literal interpretation of the words given the light-hearted and silly context. His joking style of discussing death, depression, gambling addiction; these are the true bits of Norm that shine through and offer real wisdom and show how smart he really was. The moth joke, with its clear homage to the Russian literature he adored. Him talking about the (entirely fabricated) Make-a-Wish experience and what it's like to deal with illness. His style of painting himself as a buffoon while using it to discuss brutal topics, defended by the clearly painted fact that most of the novel is fiction. All these show Norm so much better than a perfectly factually-correct book ever could, and as I read I felt as though I was sitting with him in a park while he told me these stories himself, in his unique tone and voice with that smile on his face. This is one of my favorite books now, providing so much depth while being so light-hearted and goofy. What can I say, except it was good enough for an ol' chunk of coal like me. And, it's good that we finally hear more about that punk Adam Eget. Those parts were all obviously true. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2022 by A1
    • True, Not true?
It’s hard to know what information is true and what is not in this unique novel. It doesn’t really matter. Funny and tragic it explains some of what you see in this author’s on camera work. He’s a comic genius who doesn’t appeal to all. He is mesmerizing to watch. I can’t stop watching his appearances across his professional life. Professor of Logic he is not, but his ability to entertain, with humor, like no other is pure enjoyment. His development both personally and professionally is fascinating to watch. I hope to go to the University of Science some day. I particularly enjoyed hearing his voice as he read this tale. It also freed up my hands so I could eat my cheese sandwich. If you are unfamiliar with my Norm, please dial him up on YouTube and watch his appearances on Letterman who he idolized, Conan who I had never watched before, his bold and brave material from Weekend Update on SNL and his stand-up appearances which are legend to us in the know. From a beginning comic, who told about his life experiences with that boyish naiveté and genuine surprise at how life works is a treasure to watch over and over and then seeing him in each new decade is a gift I am grateful for. Thinking about Janice with bangs kills me every time. They’ll find her!” ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2023 by Alexa

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