Putting the Rabit In the Hat Post 2
I am enjoying this book much more than I expected. A lot of the time when I read books and there are comments like 'witty' or 'extraordinarily funny', I don't laugh at all. Maybe that is because the humor is 'too sophisticated' but I believe that it is hard to make writing that funny. Especially without pacing, body language, facial expressions etc. However, reading Brian's autobiography I find myself laughing quite a bit. It goes without saying that his life story is incredibly interesting, and while sometimes the events he recalls in his writing are simply so absurd you just have to laugh, it's his reflections on what happened, the way he delivers his opinions, and side comments that is just hilarious.
This is one of the only autobiographies I've ever read. I used to think that reading about other people's lives can in no way help me navigate through mine, but after reading some of this book, I realize how wrong I was. Me and Brian have absolutely no similarities, but just seeing the way he thinks, what motivates him, what he regrets, what he is proud of, these small pieces of advice are things I can see applying to my own life. I have especially enjoyed how he describes his love for acting, I think this passion is what we should all strive for when choosing a career.
Lastly I guess I'll comment on something I don't particularly love about the book. Some part of me wishes Cox went in chronological order of his life instead of flipping through phases. It would help me with my flow of reading. But I will say that I think leading with themes and 'lessons' is more engaging than if it was in chronological order.
Hi Sophia, thanks for the post! Although I didn’t read the same book as you, I definitely get what you mean about it being difficult to convey humor through writing without pacing and visuals. I read “American Like Me” which could also be described as witty and funny—and I found myself grinning throughout it. I guess that’s what makes reading these books so interesting because we get to decide the pacing and envision how these stories might have taken place on our own.
ReplyDeleteHey Sophia,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post, and the point you made about the value of autobiographies. I love learning, but have always strayed away from biographies. I thought that reading about someone was so much less insightful than reading about something. In doing so, I've neglected that human lives are full of lessons, and that a book is a great way to capture these.
Thanks for the reminder!
Hi Sophia,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post! I also read this book and definitely enjoyed it way more than I expected to as well. The brutally honest remarks and wit made the book so much more enjoyable. I also agree that the book should've been in chronological order -- sometimes it was really hard to follow and at times got a little confusing.
Hi Sophia, I read a different book but I think I understand what you mean about humor being hard to convey through writing. I've generally enjoyed well-done autobiographies a lot so it's cool to see you come to the same realization. I think it really matters who wrote it and how they wrote it.
ReplyDeletehey sophia -- I can relate to your comments on the "humor" in most books. I feel a lot of the time they are on both sides of an extreme, either way too cheesy or too sophisticated for actual humor and enjoyment. I really enjoyed how you were honest about not relating to the author of the book and his character at all, yet were still able to understand and appreciate his perspective.
ReplyDeleteHi Sophia! I also read Putting the Rabbit in the Hat and can agree with your opinions on the book. I, too, found myself laughing a lot while reading Brian's story because of his great use of humor and sheer honesty. I also agree that passion is the biggest driver for finding success in any career; this was the biggest takeaway from the book for me. I loved all the lessons Brian talked about in this book!
ReplyDeleteHi Sophia, thank you for writing this post! I did not read this book, but your summary made it sound fascinating and engaging. I also don't find self-proclaimed humor books funny, but it's good to know that this one made you laugh, which made me want to read it. Also, I appreciate your constructive criticism of the book, making me trust your opinion even more! Great job on this post!
ReplyDeleteHii! I did not read this book, but I kind of got the gist of what it would be about and its structure from your post. Seeing that its a story about someones life, I do see how it would be necessary but hard to follow the different time changes and period shifts, but still seeing how that is crucial to the story at large. I feel the same way about books that are meant to be funny and when I truly do not understand the joke, I feel like I miss out on the premise of the book as a whole but I am glad this was enjoyable for you :)
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