Dad Is Fat

by Jim Gaffigan Narrated by Jim Gaffigan

Overview

Jim Gaffigan never imagined he would have his own kids.

Though he grew up in a large Irish-Catholic family, Jim was satisfied with the nomadic, nocturnal life of a standup comedian, and was content to be "that weird uncle who lives in an apartment by himself in New York that everyone in the family speculates about." But all that changed when he married and found out his wife, Jeannie "is someone who gets pregnant looking at babies."

Five kids later, the comedian whose riffs on everything from Hot Pockets to Jesus have scored millions of hits on YouTube, started to tweet about the mistakes and victories of his life as a dad. Those tweets struck such a chord that he soon passed the million followers mark. But it turns out 140 characters are not enough to express all the joys and horrors of life with five kids, so he's now sharing it all in Dad Is Fat.

From new parents to empty nesters to Jim's twenty-something fans, everyone will recognize their own families in these hilarious takes on everything from cousins ("celebrities for little kids") to growing up in a big family ("I always assumed my father had six children so he could have a sufficient lawn crew") to changing diapers in the middle of the night ("like The Hurt Locker but much more dangerous") to bedtime (aka "Negotiating with Terrorists").

Dad is Fat is sharply observed, explosively funny, and a cry for help from a man who has realized he and his wife are outnumbered in their own home.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Clean-mouthed comedian Gaffigan—best known for his riffs on Hot Pockets, McDonald's, and bacon—lived by himself for more than 13 years before getting married and fathering five children who now reside with him and his wife, Jeannie, in a two-bedroom New York City apartment. What began as a series of tweets about the everyday chaos of this self-professed loner's life has now become Gaffigan's hilarious first book. In 60 short chapters that read like stand-up bits, the comedian shares his insights on being the youngest of six kids in a Catholic family and explains why adults are really just "giant toddlers." He covers everything actual toddlers love, from candy to cousins, mocks preschool and nut allergies in three swift paragraphs, and explains why he and Jeannie opted for five home births as well as how they are raising so many kids in a such a tiny living space. Occasionally, Gaffigan feels the need to explain his jokes, but he needn't worry, as this laugh-out-loud collection also is one of the most honest and endearing portrayals of fatherhood penned by a contemporary comedian. The inclusion of dozens of photographs featuring Gaffigan's adorable family furthers the personal touch. 50 b&w photos. (May)

Library Journal

Stand-up comedian Gaffigan’s first book covers similar ground as his 2012 self-released Mr. Universe special (also a Grammy-nominated album), but his expanded reflections on fatherhood read more heartfelt than hilarious. He still makes the most of his experiences raising five kids in a two-bedroom, five-story Bowery walk-up, as well as the dichotomy of being driven crazy by his kids while hating to be away from them. In a series of vignettes, Gaffigan reflects on the similarity between bars and nursery school, evaluates children’s literature (including bonding with The Giving Tree), and explains the horrific reality of a Disney vacation, all the while sanctifying his wife and playing up his ineptitude.

Verdict Gaffigan joins the ranks of Bill Cosby and Paul Reiser with this comedic approach to parenthood. A quick read parents will appreciate. Recommended.—Terry Bosky, Madison, WI
(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

AUGUST 2013 - AudioFile

Listeners familiar with the author's stand-up comedy will love hearing this low-key monologue about raising five small children in Manhattan. With his straightforward diction and pleasing voice, Gaffigan's performance strikes the right balance between his near-deadpan comedy delivery and the energy needed to keep a beleaguered parent engaged. Self-deprecation is the backdrop for the author's stories and observations, which all involve a measure of good-natured complaining. He's hilarious as he pokes fun at how his wife and five children give him no rest, living in a small apartment and schlepping around the big city. This fun listen will help parents remember that suffering and laughing are both part of the deal when you're raising young children. T.W. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

Comedian Gaffigan delivers zany stories from the front lines of urban parenting. Living in a two-bedroom New York City apartment with five kids and an amazingly "fertile" wife, frumpy funnyman Gaffigan may have found, in a sense, the perfect domestic situation for a comedian trolling for new material. His chaotic family life serves as the basis for this nonfiction debut, and readers can assume that he'll reap an endless supply of comedic material from this situation for years to come. Branching out from his usual wheelhouse jokes involving subjects like bacon or McDonald's hamburgers, the author's G-rated sense of humor expands into new parental/responsible adult territory. Topics include his wife's obvious love of pregnancy, the cringe-worthy question of circumcision, the demented universe of children's literature and the challenging adventures of raising kids in the city. He gets much mileage out of the sort of exaggerated mock cruelty that comedian Louis C.K. revels in, only Gaffigan is a bit less mean-spirited. His prose style resembles that of most comedians who write books: The sentences are simple, short and punchy, with much the same rhythms of delivery as their stand-up counterparts. But as the book progresses, the rapid-fire assault of jokes and punch lines can seem strained, and Gaffigan sometimes misses his targets and pulls up lame, much like a heavyweight boxer who comes out of his corner scoring points early but punches himself out halfway through the fight. Later in the book, when he compares a 3-year-old with insomnia to a heroin addict going through withdrawal, you know you're beginning to witness a once-effective formula running itself into the ground. Hardly groundbreaking comedy material, but the book will appeal to Gaffigan's fans. Others can stick to his usually funny Twitter feed.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940172138454
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	05/07/2013
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	460,275

Read an Excerpt

Letter to My Children
(Continues…)

---

Excerpted from "Dad Is Fat"
by .
Copyright © 2017 Jim Gaffigan.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

---

Videos