The Will To Whatevs: A Guide To Modern Life (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
The book is hilarious and reads like one of Mirman's sets. The missing 5th star really boils down to the concept; as a life-guide to virtually any topic to be found in the self-help shelves the satire succeeds. The problem is that after about halfway through, it becomes more difficult to hold the reader's attention. Regardless, the humor runs throughout... so the best approach is to either devour it in one or two sittings or read sparingly, a chapter at a time. **** A book has to be about something.I know it seems elementary, but I've read books by stand up comedians that seems to forget this. They hire a ghost writer, feed them a huge swath of jokes, and the writer then expands them into a more structured narrative so they can put it in a small paperback with a large font and add a new revenue stream.Mirman's attempt seems a little less calculated. He often writes humorous advice columns that have appeared on his website and various magazines. Funny, but inessential, these bits never really stuck with me. His stand up partially works because of his stellar delivery and humorous wording. This isn't enough to sustain a novel.I read the first half of this book, and it kept feeling like it could turn good at any moment, but constantly ducked away from any connection to the reader. The issue may be that the book is too ironic for its own good. Mirman is rarely frank enough for you to connect with the ideas, and entire chapters lack any real sense of purpose.It's a book about life, after all. I know it's supposed to be mocking those motivational books, but those books are usually awful, and I was hoping for humor. If he had picked a topic with more meat on it, he might have stood a chance of overcoming his other issues and writing a good book. I don't feel bad for buying this book, I like the idea of supporting Eugene Mirman a little extra. Here's hoping his next literary effort reaches a higher.
What do You think about The Will To Whatevs: A Guide To Modern Life (2009)?
The Mirman has made a tight ass book. Read, of fall prey to sucking at parties.
—Adaora
It was just ok. I enjoy his comedy much more.
—dearwatson
