Oswalt has always been a thoughtful storyteller—among the many strengths of his comedy is his ability to take you on a journey, rather than tossing out wisecracks and observations. His prose is strong and evocative, and it’s interesting that episodes of memoir are interspersed with “comedy bits” full of out-loud laughs—no rhyme or reason, apparently just stuff that came to him that would work better in a book than onstage.