All By My Selves - Jeff Dunham

[goodreads]

Title: All By My Selves
Author: Jeff Dunham
Genre: Autobiography
Rating: 5/5
# pages: Audiobook ~9hrs
Date read: December 2010, July 2018

Whether he's breathing life into an old curmudgeon, an over-caffeinated purple maniac, or a screaming, skeletal, dead terrorist, Jeff Dunham is the straight man to some of the funniest partners in show business.

All by My Selves is the story of one pretty ordinary guy, one interesting hobby, one very understanding set of parents, and a long and winding rode to becoming America s favorite comedian. With wit, honesty, and lots of great show business detail, Jeff shares all the major moments in his journey. From the toy dummy he spotted at a toy store when he was 8 years old to playing to arenas filled with screaming fans, Jeff takes readers behind the curtain to explain how he turned an old fashioned art form into something truly modern and hip. Best of all, Jeff s story is accompanied by asides and interruptions from his characters who share all the hilarious details Jeff himself is too embarrassed to include.

From the very first time I even heard about this book, I was keen, but I wasn't too sure whether the book would actually be any good, or if it was just a gimmick. Especially when I saw that Jeff Dunham's characters took part in it as well. How would that even work in writing? Wouldn't it end up being too 'cute' for words? The only way that would work would be if the book came out on audiobook, narrated by Jeff Dunham himself...

... Famous last words, because of course it did. And when I discovered that, I saw no reason to hesitate further, and immediately turned to audible.com to buy it (I usually stick to audible.co.uk, but unfortunately they didn't have it). It was worth every penny! I usually listen to audiobooks while biking to and from work, and I can't help but wonder what the other cyclists must have thought, when I biked past them laughing my head off - yes, Jeff Dunham is every bit as funny in book as on stage - and literally found myself biking detours to get to listen to "just another five minutes".

It's a well-written book, coated with Jeff's humour and charm. I got to know a lot about him that I had no clue about, and am even more impressed by his current success than before. I was thrilled to hear his performance in Denmark being mentioned and laughed out loud at his surprise at how popular he was here as well.

I highly recommend it to any fan of Jeff Dunham - but get the audiobook version. I don't think it would be nearly as good without Jeff himself telling the story and doing the voices.