The Funny Thing Is...

Written by Ellen DeGeneres

Narrated by Ellen DeGeneres

An indispensable reference for anyone who knows how to read—or wants to fool people into thinking they do—The Funny Thing Is... is sure to make you laugh.

Ellen DeGeneres published her first book of comic essays, the #1 bestselling My Point...And I Do Have One, way back in 1996. Not one to rest on her laurels, the witty star of stage and screen has since dedicated her life to writing a hilarious new book. That book is this book.

After years of painstaking, round-the-clock research, surviving on a mere twenty minutes of sleep a night, and collaborating with lexicographers, plumbers, and mathematicians, DeGeneres has crafted a work that is both easy to use and very funny. Along with her trademark ramblings, The Funny Thing Is... contains hundreds of succinct insights into her psyche and offers innovative features including:

-More than 50,000 simple, short words arranged in sentences that form paragraphs.
-Thousands of observations on everyday life—from terrible fashion trends to how to handle seating arrangements for a Sunday brunch with Paula Abdul, Diane Sawyer, and Eminem.
-All twenty-six letters of the alphabet.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Oct 28, 2003
• ISBN: 9780743567718

Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen DeGeneres is an American stand-up comedian, actress, producer, and currently the Emmy Award–winning host of the syndicated talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show. She has appeared in several films, including as the voice of "Dory" in Finding Nemo?, as well as the sitcom Ellen. In 1997, she came out publicly as a lesbian in an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show and her character on Ellen came out short after. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her wife, Portia de Rossi. 

Reviews for The Funny Thing Is...

[danajean_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I love Ellen. I think she's witty and smart and super funny. But, this book was a huge ho hum for me. And maybe part of that is due to the fact that I've seen her perform most of this book in her TV stand-up shows. The jokes fell flat and lost something in translation. Ellen is a very physical comedienne; her timing, body movements, facial expressions and wide-eyed innocence are what make her jokes hysterical. It's a package deal with Ellen. Just reading the jokes simply didn't make the cut for me and I was really bummed by this. If you've never seen Ellen perform, then the book might be okay--but I have a strong feeling it would still rank pretty below average. A disappointing read for me. But I still love Ellen.

[thebentley · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I like Ellen when she has an audience to play off of, and I suspect I would have liked this book in print (many of the jokes seem much more suited to print). But I didn't really like it as an audiobook. A great deal of her personal charm gets lots when she's not relating to anyone, and she's a bit of a flat-liner as a reader. It wasn't terrible, but I had hoped to like it more.

[fmrox · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

DeGeneres musings. It's not really funny though.

[df1a_ashlynd · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

very funny and very blunt and very interesting. good book.

[Robin McDaniel Tama · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It was pretty funny just like Ellen’s other books to

[louis.arata · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ellen's signature quirky humor. It never quite goes in the direction you expect. Reading these ramblings got me through a tough week. Many laughs and smiles.

[micalhut · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Actually listened to this book while working, which is the reason I give it four stars . . . not for literary merit (obviously), but for the "easy on the ears and mind while working" factor. High entertainment, but not so high you can't concentrate on what's at hand. Good for a few chuckles and lightheartedness. Kind, classy humor. Like having a best friend who tells solid jokes and you leave feeling better.

[carebear36 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A funny book filled with silly stories. I will admit watching Ellen DeGeneres is funnier than reading her work, because of her timing and body language, but this book is still quite humorous.

[Nikkie Nicole · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

i have never laughed harder to a book .thank you Ellen

[heyjude_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Humorous, yes, but not laugh out loud funny. Perhaps droll is the word? Definitely glad I did the audio over print since one can hear her inflections, etc. I like DeGeneres but would not rush out to get another.

[oreillynsf_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I love Ellen, but her brand of human really doesn't work in print. With Ellen, it's all about pacing and delivery, and in book form that is really hard to replicate. Nigh on impossible.

[wuzzlicious · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Perhaps I expected too much, but considering my love for Ellen's television performances, I was disappointed in her book. A lot of the same jokes were there, but, without her quirky mannerisms and tone of voice coming through, the jokes fell flat.

[bibliophile26 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I recently saw her comedy special on HBO and laughed by ass off. The book was hilarious. Obviously a lot of people associate Ellen with homosexuality, but she doesn't mention this much in either of her books. I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing. Regardless of labels, Ellen is funny and so many of her essays are right on target. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

[kelawrence · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

She makes me laugh, but I think her stand-up comedy is better.

[alanna1122 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Ba dum bum bump - cshhhh.It really surprised me how old-fashioned Ellen's humor was in this book. It's full of soft one-liners. (example- [Paraphrased] - I'm glad the audience was laughing with me - not at me - like the time I wore my shirt on backwards during a show) I really expected her humor to be more complicated and smarter - there were a couple of moments that were pretty funny... but all in all - I found this book barely entertaining. I remember reading her first book (about 10 years ago now...) and thinking that it was really funny. Maybe I have been spoiled by all the Sarah Vowell and David Sedaris I have read since her first book.I will say one thing for it... its a slim book and a very fast read... so even if you aren't enjoying it... there isnt much to it.

[indygo88 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As many other reviewers have said, this was enjoyable & entertaining, but not hilarious. It seemed on par with her stand-up comedy, which is decent enough, and audio is definitely the way to go, since Ellen's delivery is a large part of what makes her funny. Given the choice, however, I still think she's more entertaining as a talk show host. My favorite part was the portion about women in the restroom with automatic toilets, sinks, and hand dryers. Spot on!

[doxtator · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The book reads more like an on stage presentation of a stand up routine than it does of anything else, which I suppose was mostly the objective for the book. There are some funny moments, and a lot of amusing topics, but overall it felt a little forced, and a few of the bits were way off in left field. I think it lost something by being in print, and that the mannerisms of the author in the delivery of such material is what makes it more funny than when it is just read off the page with the memory of her style.