Hello, Molly!: A Memoir

This was an audiobook experience like no other. Molly's storytelling is so lively and heartfelt, she had me laughing and tearing up. It begins with an intensely traumatic event and candidly explores how it shaped her life, especially her relationship and boundaries with her father. While there are glimpses into her big career moments, the real heart of this memoir transcends the typical celebrity memoir. Molly’s sincerity and enthusiasm are infectious, and her voice brings a warmth that makes it perfect for audio. Each listen felt so joyous, making me want to spend more time with loved ones. I highly recommend this as an audiobook since the delivery is everything.

Shannon shows herself to be a good Irish Catholic girl with a charming Irish Catholic alcoholic father. She possesses 3 qualities I'll never have - optimism, extroversion, and the ability to forgive. I've never really forgiven the charming alcoholics in my family yet she, who has much more to forgive, adores her father. She's also driven and competent like Heather Gay (who wrote Bad Mormon) but not so driven financially. You can believe she loves her family. You can believe she lives a real life, not a plastic one

I have been a fan of Molly Shannon from the first time I saw her on SNL. I knew she was going to be something, and boy was I right. She is one of those comedians that you can tell truly enjoys her job, her talent evident from the get-go.

The tragedy that Molly has endured in her relatively short life is heartbreaking, but her take on her loss is refreshing. It’s obvious she is one of those people that sees the sunny side of life, and for me that is so refreshing! I too tend to see the glass half full, so it was nice to find a kindred spirit in someone that I have admired for a long time.

To say that I enjoyed this book is an understatement, especially listening to the audiobook, hearing Molly tell the story in her own unique and show more personable voice. It’s obvious she is a natural-born performer, and I loved every moment, especially as she reminisced about her time at SNL, and all the memorable characters that came from her experience there.

If I didn’t love Molly Shannon before I absolutely adore and respect her even more now! This is hands down a must-read for me and if you can listen to the audiobook, I highly recommend, as it makes the Molly’s story all the sweeter. show less

Her story begins with tragedy: when Molly Shannon was four years old, her father was driving the family station wagon home late at night when he crashed into a light pole. Molly's mother, cousin, and younger sister were killed in the crash, and her father was gravely injured. Molly and her older sister Mary, who were in the back of the car, were less severely injured. Molly recounts stories of her childhood, growing up motherless in the care of a loving but erratic father, and her journey to a career as an actress and comedian working on Saturday Night Live.

I generally enjoy memoirs by funny women, and this was no exception. I hadn't seen any of her work on SNL before reading this book, but I did take a break from reading to watch some show more clips of her Mary Katherine Gallagher sketches. Shannon comes across in this book as a bubbly, genuinely friendly person. I'm glad to have gotten to know her a little through this book. show less

I wanted a light, quick read and this caught my attention. Hello, Molly!: A Memoir is a very focused autobiography which shows her work integrating the tragic death of her mother and sister and the unresolved issues with her father. Being very focused also means that the memoir rarely veers off into subjects like aspirations and descriptions of genius at work within her. We do get lots of mischief and minor wrongdoing, all for laughs. I guess you could say Shannon is lighthearted, I’d describe it as practical and intentionally shortsighted. I liked the book but it’s not what I was expecting. I read and plan to read more memoirs because at this point in my life I find them reassuring. I believe every single person I know could write show more a memoir. It makes me feel confirmed in this view every time I read another one. Memoirs are selective in their production of memories and that is part of the deal with the reader. You get the author’s favorite version of the person you read about. Shannon says that Chris Farley knelt and prayed before every SNL show. Shannon says her own pre-SNL ritual was to take a bite of a pretzel with mustard before every show. Shannon relays from Erin Maroney that Lorne Michaels loved Irish Catholics: Kevin Nealon, Colin Quinn, Chris Farley, Jimmy Fallon, and Conan O’Brien. I have no idea if Shannon still claims anything resembling Roman Catholicism for herself. Shannon lived in Hollywood for many years before breaking in comedy, so she talks about the low-key days of Hollywood’s past. Hollywood is a small place (when people say “Hollywood” they usually mean the portion of Los Angeles City that has a council district called Hollywood but is still part of the wider Los Angeles City proper) and it’s easy to tire of it when you never leave. Now, nobody stays in Hollywood due to crime and homelessness which is a product of Democrat social welfare policy. The moral of the book is that everyone needs to build professional relationships with people you click with. Shannon says that she broke out of her protective shell when in grammar & high school she found the “theatre kids” extroverted and physically affectionate. She needed that to survive the long trek toward the comedic validation she yearned for.
22 Chapters, 283pp., Color Photos show less

There is a lot to love about Molly Shannon's memoir. She has had a life full of tragedy and difficulties but really persevered in spite of all that. She is funny and tells great stories. She definitely is a little skewed from the mainstream in her thinking sometimes, but I was mostly charmed and inspired by her.

Listen to Molly read her memoir. Her voice conveys her emotions so clearly from delight to heartache. And what a fascinating and vivid life!

Many memories come across as vignettes that lacked grounding or a through line, but this was a minor distraction. Delightful title for a summer reading lineup.