Is This Anything?

By Jerry Seinfeld

The first book in twenty-five years from Jerry Seinfeld features his best work across five decades in comedy.

Since his first performance at the legendary New York nightclub “Catch a Rising Star” as a twenty-one-year-old student in autumn of 1975, Jerry Seinfeld has written his own material and saved everything. “Whenever I came up with a funny bit, whether it happened on a stage, in a conversation, or working it out on my preferred canvas – the big yellow legal pad – I kept it in one of those old-school accordion folders,” Seinfeld writes. “So I have everything I thought was worth saving from forty-five years of hacking away at this for all I was worth.”

For this book, Jerry Seinfeld has selected his favourite material, organised decade by decade. In page after hilarious page, one brilliantly crafted observation after another, readers will witness the evolution of one of the great comedians of our time and gain new insights into the thrilling but unforgiving art of writing stand-up comedy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia
• Release date: Oct 6, 2020
• ISBN: 9781760857134

Jerry Seinfeld

Jerry Seinfeld is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Seinlanguage, Halloween, and Is This Anything?.

Reviews for Is This Anything?

[therestlessmouse · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Seems to have Jerry's entire arsenal of jokes. Unfortunately, a lot of them that would be funny in a comedy club, fall kind of flat on paper.

[booksfordinner · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I thought this book was going to have more on his writing process and his craft, not just all of his routine throughout the years written down. Fantastic regardless, or just not what I was expecting.

[philipjhunt · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Seinfeld’s decision to let the text of his stand-up comedy be the vehicle for memoir, seems risky. But it actually works. First, it’s funny. Especially if you can hear Seinfeld’s voice and delivery in the words. But secondly, because those words change with the years. As the man experiences life; life changes his material. Easy to read, although best in many short takes.

[detailmuse · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Meh. This is a collection of 400+ of Seinfeld’s jokes/bits from his decades of comedy, just page after page of double-spaced (boring formatting) lines of jokes, some of them familiar from his TV series or standups I’ve seen. The Index is 20% of the book :( and the Kindle links I tried from the Index don’t jump to the correct pages. I imagine that an audiobook version, with Seinfeld reading, would be more enjoyable.

[bookczuk · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Pandemic Read. Best if you imagine Jerry Seinfeld's voice in your head.

[albertgoldfain · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Surprised how well the old material holds up and how good the new stuff is. You can hear his tone of voice come through.

[kinwolf · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good, funny, we recognize many bits that inspired the show. Why only 3 stars then? Well, at about 3/4 of the book, you're filled, and the rest is not as fun anymore. :-/ Also, the humongous spacing of the text makes you wonder if it was done only to raise artificially the page count to be able to sell it at a higher price.