AUGUST 2018 - AudioFile
The brief comic pieces in this collection, often starting from an absurd or fantastic premise, are mostly hits, but Simon Rich’s narration is a near-miss. He does get the humor across, and some of the emotions, but he doesn’t have the acting skill or technique to put across the occasional line that actually has dramatic weight. While his comic timing and emphasis are good enough, he uses the same tone—intentionally ironically flat—too often and doesn’t differentiate characters at all, so everyone sounds the same. While usually articulate and expressive, he occasionally rushes words and swallows parts of them. Rich’s narration is adequate but does little to enhance his stories. W.M. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
"Rich's special genius is in his ability to nest an absurd premise in an otherwise ordinary situation... A perfect example of Rich's ability to mix humor and poignancy."—Ron Charles, Washington Post
"Welcome to the sweet but twisted world of Simon Rich... Rich has proved he has a boundless imagination and a sharp sense of humor, and Hits and Misses continues that streak—it's a bizarre and hilarious collection from one of the funniest writers in America... He's endlessly clever but not impressed by his own wit; gentle, but not afraid to test boundaries. It's a kind of humor that recalls early 20th-century writers like James Thurber and E.B. White, but Rich's comic genius is really all his own. He spent years being regarded as a kind of precocious wunderkind, but with this book, Rich has come into his own as one of the most talented writers of comedic fiction working today."—Michael Schaub, NPR
"Great writers tend to arrive when we need them most, and at this moment Simon Rich is a comedic godsend. Hits and Misses is a motherlode of silly, inventive, absurd brilliance. My admiration for Rich is rivaled only by my jealousy."—Conan O'Brien
"Simon Rich is the Stephen King of comedy writers. From the first lines, he pulls you into a world of hilarious, simple, kind, determined, dumb, and bizarrely proud characters who, like us, are terrified of being embarrassed. He is the funniest writer I have ever met and Hits and Misses is his best collection of stories."—John Mulaney
"Simon Rich is the Serena Williams of humor writing... Rich has sharpened his satire over the years, and now he wields it with skill... Rich is at the height of his craft when he is writing on the border between tragedy and comedy."—New York Times Book Review
Simon Rich "writes funny, short, inventive, breathtakingly precise pieces... Rich's insistence on hope, love, and that people (other than himself) are basically good is refreshing."—The Millions
AUGUST 2018 - AudioFile
The brief comic pieces in this collection, often starting from an absurd or fantastic premise, are mostly hits, but Simon Rich’s narration is a near-miss. He does get the humor across, and some of the emotions, but he doesn’t have the acting skill or technique to put across the occasional line that actually has dramatic weight. While his comic timing and emphasis are good enough, he uses the same tone—intentionally ironically flat—too often and doesn’t differentiate characters at all, so everyone sounds the same. While usually articulate and expressive, he occasionally rushes words and swallows parts of them. Rich’s narration is adequate but does little to enhance his stories. W.M. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2018-05-28
Eighteen new flights of fancy from preternaturally gifted humorist Rich (Spoiled Brats, 2014, etc.).Art, ambition, and Hollywood stardust are at the heart of this new comic collection from Rich, just coming off producing three seasons of sitcom Man Seeking Woman, itself based on his own The Last Girlfriend on Earth (2013). Professional jealousy gets a twist in "The Baby," in which a novelist finds himself competing with his unborn child for literary recognition. The funniest story to read aloud follows in "Riding Solo: The Oatsy Story," in which Paul Revere's unsung horse laments his historical obscurity. Making art is literally addictive in "Relapse," in which a one-hit wonder tries to escape the ugly realities of adulthood. Shades of Christopher Moore's historical slapstick fall over two stories: "Hands," about a Christian monk struggling with his own ethical deficits, and "The Great Jester," a Python-esque medieval farce. There are a few frivolities that might have been better left on the cutting-room floor, including the one-joke "Physician's Lounge, April 1st," the simplistic "Tom Hanks Stories," and the self-flagellating satire "The Book of Simon." It's not that Rich can't be acidic: See "Adolf Hitler: The GQ Profile," the mordantly funny "Upward Mobility," or the sheer irony of "Artist's Revenge." But he also has a sweet spot between mockery and respect for old Hollywood that most notably appears in "New Client," in which an old-time talent agent strikes a deal with his last client, and the tartly charming "Stage 13," about a starlet who finally makes good.Lovingly crafted comedies from a writer beginning to match wit with wisdom.
