Over the last few weeks I have been busy reading several books at once in order to post a few reviews in quick succession. The first book I started reading and will be reviewing today is "Uganda Be Kidding Me" by talk show host/comedienne Chelsea Handler.
Quite a few of the people closest to me have suggested in the past that I look into Handler's TV show, Chelsea Lately, as they believed I would enjoy her brand of quick-witted, dry humour. Recently, I finally decided to get stuck into a few episodes (yes I'm aware that the show is ending this month after seven seasons on the air) and enjoyed them so much that I immediately downloaded an e-book of "Uganda Be Kidding Me" to soak up as much of Handler's exploits as possible before she leaves E! for Netflix, which is not yet available in Australia.
"Uganda Be Kidding Me" is Handler's fifth published work and the second of a three-book deal signed in 2010. The book is also Handler's fourth #1 on the New York Times bestsellers list and is being supported/promoted by a stand-up tour of the same name being performed internationally by the feisty comedienne.
As the titular pun suggests, "Uganda Be Kidding Me" is a collection of comical travel essays that document the outrageous events of Handler's personal life as she travels the world, from her experiences on safari in Africa to vacationing in the Bahamas. Handler's signature brand of humor is evident throughout the narrative and the quality of the prose is of the high standard one would expect from the fiercely intelligent and witty woman we have come to know and love from Chelsea Lately (although her intelligence must be questioned after reading about a conversation in the book where she asks her sister if the sun and the moon are the same thing).
I found Handler's ability to self-deprecate while detailing highly embarrassing personal events, such as the befoulement of a kayak in the Bahamas, extremely refreshing for a semi-autobiographical book as celebrities generally use this platform to promote themselves and their oft-times controversial actions. Handler's book has absolutely none of this, with the comedienne striving to make her reader laugh at every turn, whether at the expense of herself, a close friend or anyone else she encountered during her adventures across the globe.
If your looking for a read filled with deep underlying messages or revelations about a celebrity then you should probably give "Uganda Be Kidding Me" a miss and steer towards Hillary Clinton's recent release. Handler's book is much more a comical retelling of relatively minor events in her life than a hard-hitting autobiography and delivers exactly want you would expect- lots of laughs that leave the reader feeling much better than they did before they picked up the book. And really, what better reason is there to read than to lose yourself for a couple of hours and feel a little bit better about your real world problems at the end of it? This book is worth every cent and will definitely have any fan of Handler's in stitches throughout.
I enjoyed "Uganda Be Kidding Me" so much that I have kept my eyes peeled for a hard copy (I prefer physical copies to e–books) of it or Handler's other books ever since I read it, to no avail, and have come to the conclusion that they may not be published in Australia. However, the books are of course available online and Handler herself will be bringing the "Uganda Be Kidding Me" stand-up tour to Australia in November.
Overall rating: ★★★★
The final episode of Chelsea Lately will air on E! on August 26th with a special hour-long live episode.
Please visit www.chelseahandler.com for "Uganda Be Kidding Me" tour information.
0 comments:
Post a Comment