We love good books. We even love some bad books. What we don't normally go in for, however, are memoir-type books, especially those of Hollywood legends. They hardly ever write the books on their own (this is Hollywood after all) and the gossipy asides from yesteryear never intrigue as much as promised.
When Don Rickle's book, Rickles' Book, (don't get us started) hit shelves this month, we thought it would be just another Hollywood memoir that fails to deliver. But then we thought - this is Don Rickles. He's funny. He's witty. He's known many presidents, was friends with Frank Sinatra and helped make the Johnny Carson show legendary. He's also rumored to be one of the nicest guys in the business. Perhaps we should give it a chance after all...
...but then we read the blurb:
"Rickles' Book will help you win friends and influence people.
Rickles' Book will introduce you to all of his famous friends, from Frank Sinatra to Johnny Carson.
Rickles' Book will help you lose weight.
Rickles' Book will help you gain weight.
Rickles' Book will improve your love life.
Rickles' Book will make you cry. (If your love life doesn't improve.)
Rickles' Book will make you laugh. (If your love life does improve.)
Rickles' Book will make you love one of the great Americans of our time, Don Rickles.
Rickles' Book will give you something to talk about at parties. (If you're ever invited to parties.)
Rickles' Book, along with the Bible and War and Peace, will grace your bookshelf and upgrade your literary status.
Rickles' Book will keep you up at night.
Rickles' Book will put you to sleep at night.
Rickles' Book will make you rich. (If you treasure great humor.)"
Is this funny in that tongue-in-cheek way that will make you want to crack open the book? Or more trying too hard to be funny-funny that never works and only irritates? Or not as funny as Rickles himself would have been if he was allowed to write it (because we're pretty sure he didn't write that)? We can't decide, but color us irritated at the moment.
You'll have a chance to decide for yourself as he'll be reading from & signing his book tonight at 7pm @ Book Soup. Go. Find out what kind of funny it is and let us know.
