Another guest book review from the lovely & talented, Dori Myer!

Attempting Normal by Marc Maron

Review: The brain droppings of a neurotic success story, Attempting Normal is a real treat for anyone who is filled with self doubt/loathing and enjoys watching other neurotics humorously suffer. Marc Maron is a mess. He’s got family, brain, addiction, you-name-it issues. But he has figured out a way to harness all that woe and anxiety into some really great storytelling.

On many levels I could relate to the constant self-questioning he attacks himself with, so I have to laugh in recognition. Other times, his experiences are so bizarre and foreign to me that it’s amusing just seeing how a neurotic would deal with whatever strange situation approaches.

Maron has had 20 years in the stand-up comedy business, not finding mainstream success until recently (and even then, he’s not a household name). He comes from the 1980s-90s generation of comics like Louis CK, David Cross, Jon Stewart, and other dudes now in their 40s and 50s. Most of these guys just had bad attitudes in their 20s and that translated into negative or offensive humor (funny nonetheless). With time, stand-up has become much more introspective, which is a terrific gain, I think. These dudes have acquired a lot of insight about their profession and it’s quite wonderful to read a well-crafted collection of stories born of honing the difficult skill of comedy-making. Maron is professionally mature while managing to remain an incredibly immature man and I often found myself laughing out loud at his freakish stories. I wasn’t really familiar with his work before this, but the cover of his book is a portrait of him with his cat, so I figured it had to be worth something. I’m glad I grabbed it and found a new comic to follow. It’s fun, quick, and could even inspire you to start writing down all the crazy crap that happens to you on the daily. There’s magic in the details.

written by: Dori Myer

Find more of her musings at: http://findingdori.wordpress.com/mr-blog/