Too Fat to Fish

Too Fat to Fish is a memoir by comedian and radio personality Artie Lange, co-written with journalist Anthony Bozza and featuring a foreword by Howard Stern. The book chronicles Lange's life experiences, from his early days in New Jersey through his rise in comedy and his tenure on The Howard Stern Show. The collection of personal stories spans Lange's career in stand-up comedy, television, and radio, including his time on MADtv and work with Howard Stern. The narrative covers both professional milestones and personal struggles, presented with Lange's characteristic blend of humor and candor. The book achieved commercial success upon its 2008 release, reaching #1 on The New York Times Best Seller list and remaining in the top 15 for fourteen weeks. The paperback edition includes bonus material and an alternate cover design. Through these interconnected stories, the memoir explores themes of family relationships, addiction, success in entertainment, and the price of fame in contemporary American culture.

Readers describe this as a raw, honest memoir of Lange's life and addiction struggles. The audiobook version, partially narrated by Lange himself, receives specific praise from listeners. Readers appreciated: - Brutal honesty about his mistakes and poor decisions - Behind-the-scenes stories from Mad TV and Howard Stern Show - Dark humor throughout difficult subject matter - Personal family stories, especially about his father Common criticisms: - Disorganized timeline that jumps between periods - Repetitive stories that overlap - Writing quality could be stronger - Some stories feel exaggerated Ratings: Amazon: 4.5/5 (1,200+ reviews) Goodreads: 3.8/5 (6,800+ ratings) Many reviews note the book works better as an audiobook, with one Amazon reviewer stating "Artie's voice brings these stories to life in a way the text alone cannot." Several readers mentioned stopping partway through due to the scattered structure, while others found the chaotic style matched the subject matter.

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🎭 The book debuted at #1 on The New York Times Best Seller list in 2008, marking Artie Lange's first literary success 🎬 Before writing this memoir, Lange starred in his own feature film "Beer League" (2006), which he also co-wrote and produced 📻 Many of the stories in the book were previously untold, even to loyal Howard Stern Show listeners where Lange was a co-host for nearly 9 years 👔 The book reveals that Lange worked as a longshoreman like his father, earning $40/hour at age 19, before pursuing comedy 🎤 Lange developed his comedic style performing at the famous Comic Strip Live in New York City, where legends like Eddie Murphy and Jerry Seinfeld got their start