Lenny Bruce (1925–1966)

A lot of the bite has gone out of Bruce's material, in the 50-odd years since he was last on-stage.
Constantly arrested and banned for obscenity, there's nothing here that'd so much as raise an eyebrow by modern standards.

The commentary, however, hasn't lost any of it's insight or wit. Power, people, and the institutions they keep have changed, but not in any fundamental way that'd rob his work of relevance.

The first half of this book is pretty dated, and he tosses around a lot of slurs that show more are out of place to a modern reader. The second half, on religion, on law, and on how people interact and relate to one another, is a biting and incisive as it must have been when it was first performed.

Bruce is a funny bastard, and this is worth reading to experience it (almost) first-hand alone. And it's stunning that the most offensive man in the world doesn't say fuck once. show less

I guess it's true that Jews really do have a lot in common with Blacks...
I remember the days when the media could make or break a career - now that job belongs to Facebook. I appreciate the candor of Lenny's writing.

Lenny Bruce wrote this book with the insight of a man who has seen the end and knows that it is near. These memoirs extol his wit, while examining the good, bad and ugly (much about himself). Mr. Bruce took-down badges ad named names without sounding wimpy, exposing the farce of show more the justice-system and giving kudos to those who stood for true justice.

At times, the book was difficult to follow, as Lenny wrote it the way he spoke - often a rant, like a conversation inside his head. I enjoyed to the fullest...SMILE!!! show less

I have a story which I think really shows the essential Lenny Bruce although it's not in this, or any other book.

I was editing one of [a:Jay Landesman|341564|Jay Landesman|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1336280345p2/341564.jpg]'s many manuscripts at the time and we were talking about his St Louis nightclub, the Crystal Palace and how Barbra Streisand got discovered. Jay told me that Barbra who was only 18, had been acting like a madwoman, coming in dressed up like a babushka with a scarf show more over her head and going from table to table giving the customers apples from her basket and on other nights, other stunts. And all the while begging for a chance to perform. On the last night she got herself into Lenny Bruce's changing room and there they were together and all of a sudden Lenny stabs her bottom with a full syringe of heroin. Barbra goes down screaming, in comes Jaye and off to the hospital go all three.

Lenny was an enthusiastic heroin addict, a sociable one, he didn't like to do it alone and was always trying to persuade people to try it, although perhaps with Barbra, the 'persuasion' was a little extreme.

The only way Jay could get Barbra to calm down and not go to the police was to give her a chance to perform, which she did, singing and performing brilliantly(she was a comedienne as much as a singer) and the rest, as they say, is history.

Jay's book. Did this story make it? No, the lawyers thought that Landesman wasn't rich enough to afford the fallout if Barbra didn't like it!

The Essential Lenny Bruce was a good, long read about an unusual and very iconoclastic man whose fame rested on his tight sardonic satire and his excellent timing. His humour apparently inspired infectious laughter even whilst his delivery was obscene and offensive. I've listened to him, he's brilliant, but I would really have loved to have seen him in person. Even all these years since I read the book, I remember how impressed with it I was and so... 5 stars. show less

This autobiography of the scatological comedian is illuminating, entertaining and intelligent.