Gateway: into one of the only non-fiction genres I read, “memoirs written by comedic writers.” This is a great one to start with, seeing as how there’s more understanding and context to Rogen’s adventures than some of the older memoirs that might not have aged 100% well. For example, I appreciate very much that Rogen prefaces some of his drug escapades with the disclaimer that he gets away with stuff because he is a white man.
So ymmv but for me this book was 50% hilarious stories about growing up/being Jewish and being in Hollywood, and 50% so-so stories about Rogen’s open, thoughtful use of various types of drugs.
As an entry in an oeuvre that I like–memoirs written by people who write funny things–it’s great, striking the right balance of exposition and hilarity to keep you engaged with context. You’re definitely reading this book in his voice, with his trademark laugh and dry delivery. You don’t even need the audiobook, because every line reads, mentally, like you have a personal Seth Rogen voice in your head.
I’ll also admit–I read this memoir to learn more about Rogen’s wife, after this Pajiba article (https://www.pajiba.com/celebrities_ar…). And hey, while I am no fan of women ‘fixing’ unrepentant manchild men, I do have appreciation for a star of Rogen’s stature to come out against a fellow actor of equal(?) stature. And if it’s partially because of his wife, I imagine that she must be a pretty cool lady! Turns out as described in this memoir, she is!
There are a few stories in here that I found particularly hilarious, and it’s not much of a surprise that they tended to be of Rogen’s Jewish upbringing because I am, myself, from a region of the world with a large Jewish population and have a tangential understanding of the nuances therein. Stay until near-ish the end for a truly-harrowing-to-read-as-an-adult tale of misadventures at Jewish Summer Camp, and reminisce about equally terrifying things you did as kids (I, for example, used to play in the active construction sites around my home, including multiple story buildings without build walls).
