A life story that finished too soon
3 stars
I am a big fan of the few remaining film snippets of Lenny Bruce doing stand-up or television appearances. His comedy was sharp, biting, and remains incredibly relevant despite his having died too young in the 1960s. This book is his story, originally published in Playboy Magazine for his friend Hugh Heffner, at a time when that magazine was considered counter-cultural and revolutionary.
Bruce's experiences in World War II, his childhood in poor Jewish New York, his con artistry, and his later life being hounded by police for 'obscenity' were all hard tales to read because he wrote them while he was still trying to drag himself out of the depths of this; knowing that he never made it makes it all sadder. He writes with a light humour with dark undertones, with moments that are dated and other that made me laugh until I cried.
