My mother can 10000% vouch for the fact that I hate lying.
So, you can trust the truth of the following statement: I have never read a book that nearly made me piss myself laughing.
Seriously, I had to take like 3 emergency trips to the bathroom.
I’ve preached the virtues (or lack thereof) of Daniel Sloss’s particular genius of comedy many times before.
Since the last time I wrote about him however, I’ve managed to see two more of his previous recorded specials, book tickets to see him live this year and read his debut book in less than six hours.
Everyone You Hate Is Going to Die – the title alone should have you running to your nearest bookseller.
Is there a more comforting idea to hold onto than the knowledge that every bastard who has ever done you dirty is going to kick the bucket? The added joy, of course, comes from imagining how it could happen – but my therapist says I shouldn’t say those kinds of things out loud.
Sloss once again takes no prisoners as he tackles topics from family to grief, to love and the pros and cons of the garbage fire that is The United States of America. He particularly doesn’t shy away from the god’s honest truth about himself and his own history also.
DON’T PANIC! It’s nothing scandal worthy.
But he talks candidly about how he treated casual sex and affairs and how that led to him making mistakes when it came to serious relationships.
He is open about the way he feels his younger sister’s death affected his future relationships and bonds with his little brothers.
He hides nothing when talking about his own mental health and how that has led him to invest in getting himself therapy.
He is more than honest about his love for marijuana.
Basically, Sloss tells you everything you could ever want to know and probably a few bits and pieces that you could have done without.
Now it is my turn, to be honest: I honestly don’t think that this book is for everyone. Obviously, no book will please all customers but I don’t think even Sloss himself would deny that his brand of comedy – though genius and wildly successful – is an acquired taste.
He says it himself at the beginning of his HBO special ‘X’ (a show I will 100% cover in a future post. It’s an important one.)
“Get comfortable. And if you’re not comfortable, don’t worry about it too much, I’m about to provide plenty of material that’s going to make most of you… very fucking uncomfortable. Let’s crack on.”
Ever the self-aware bastard is our Sloss.
So, it’s worth bearing in mind – get comfortable with the uncomfortable pretty feckin’ quick.
But as someone with absolutely no moral compass to speak of, I ADORE this man’s style.
He’s just funny. He’s just fucking funny man and like to the point where I can’t be objective and clinical about it. Like I want to sit here and type up a super in-depth analysis of just why this man is shit-the-bed funny but it is currently for me, an unobtainable goal.
You’ll just have to take my word for it.
And I won’t lie, remember?
I suppose it’s also my duty to include a language warning – Sloss (much like myself) swears like a goddamn champion and is perhaps a little over-fond of the C word (mother, I promise we are not alike in that aspect).
But he’s Scottish so it’s okay.
It is amazing what a strong Scottish accent will let you get away with. In my books at any rate.
I want to clarify that I am of the opinion everyone should watch Sloss’ material and read this book in particular. Yeah, I said it’s not going to be for everyone, but you know what? I don’t care.
Read it and make your own bloody conclusions.
I think he’s a genius.
I’m also not surprised that he is quite consistently accused of being a sociopath.
Doesn’t mean he’s not funny though 😉.
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