Last Words: A Memoir
Written by George Carlin and Tony Hendra
Narrated by Patrick Carlin
3.5/5
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About this audiobook
As one of America's preeminent comedic voices, George Carlin saw it all throughout his extraordinary 50-year career and made fun of most of it. Last Words is the story of the man behind some of the most seminal comedy of the last half century, blending his signature acerbic humor with never-before-told stories from his own life.
In 1993 George Carlin asked his friend and best-selling author Tony Hendra to help him write his autobiography. For almost 15 years, in scores of conversations, many of them recorded, the two discussed Carlin's life, times, and evolution as a major artist. When Carlin died at age 71 in June 2008 with the book still unpublished, Hendra set out to assemble it as his friend would have wanted. Last Words is the result, the rollicking, wrenching story of Carlin's life from birth — literally — to his final years, as well as a parting gift of laughter to the world of comedy he helped create.
George Carlin's journey to stardom began in the rough-and-tumble neighborhood of New York's Upper West Side in the 1940s, where class and culture wars planted the seeds for some of his best-known material, including the notorious "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television".
His early conflicts, his long struggle with substance abuse, his turbulent relationships with his family, and his triumphs over catastrophic setbacks all fueled the unique comedic worldview he brought to the stage. From the heights of stardom to the low points few knew about, Last Words is told with the same razor-sharp honesty that made Carlin one of the best loved comedians in American history.
A Simon & Schuster audio production.
Reviews for Last Words
253 ratings20 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Carlin takes us on a long and varied journey through his life. He shares his many up and downs, his successes and failures. This is a must read.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Funny and candid, quite a bit will be familiar (as in verbatim) to his fans. The Carlin whose comedy matured over the years from juvenile to hard-hitting social commentary wrapped in humor turns the crosshairs on his own work (the middle years), his own life and failures, but rightfully takes credit for his successes. Great (next to) Last Words from the master - I read part of Sally Wade's book in a bookstore last year and wished I had bought it then. I very much enjoyed reading some of those last words and look forward to when I can read them all.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I doubt George intended his autobiography to be inspirational, but it was. Comedians' autobiography's are rarely funny - Mark Twain's in particular was downright depressing - but George did work in his signature humor in places. It was interesting to read his evolution as an artist and as a man. I always enjoyed Carlin's intelligence and caustic wit, but I have a new respect for him having read his story. I would highly recommend this to anyone who isn't flustered by the odd F-bomb. The words, of course, are innocent! I'm saddened knowing there will be no more of his unique humor in the world.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I read biographies to gain insight into another person's life, to experience their pains and pleasures, their beauty and bruises. Carlin does not disappoint. You get the full experience of growing up Irish in NYC, stealing bikes, going to mass and making trouble. He spills on everything and everyone, himself not excluded. He's a prick to the bitter end and that's what made him great. I winced at his drug use, laughed at handling his daughter's boyfriend with a baseball bat, and cheered when he took on authority. He was no saint and doesn't pretend to be; his rant on the concept of God will live forever. His wife passed away with only a few details mentioned. I wanted to hear him expand on that, to see less of the angry, bitter Carlin (there's plenty of that) but I understand that might have been too painful.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I've been a fan of G Carlin's earlier material for a long time so it was a pleasure to relive some of the material and learn some of the thought processes he went through while writing his routines. His self-proclaimed "sortabiography" is exactly that--part a history of growing up in America during the 50's and 60's, part his personal life and opinions and part an insider's look at the workings of the entertainment industry. As usual, George doesn't hold back when it comes to criticizing institutions like the Church, the Republican Party, the FBI, the US military, etc, but there's a lot of funny and thought-provoking material in this book. I'd recommend it to American adult readers (those with thick skins anyway), but I'm not sure members from other countries would find it as humorous or entertaining.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is a really well done autobiography. Unlike some 'autobiographies' that are obviously written by the co-author, Carlin's voice is loud and clear in this one. I was suprised by the amount of personal info about drug use, wife, family that he devulges. There is also some fascinating insight into how he evolved from the Hippy Dippy Weatherman into the raw, brilliant social-political humorist the last 20 some years of his career. I really do miss George Carlin.