Synopses & Reviews
For more than twenty years, Paul Rudnick has been one of America′s most prominent and beloved humorists. From his acclaimed, much performed plays to his screenplays of wildly popular films to his regular contributions to Premiere magazine and The New Yorker, he has established himself as a comic genius whose talents transcend any one genre. Now, in this much overdue essay collection, he trains his wickedly perceptive eye on all manner of side-splitting subjects, from living in a series of increasingly bizarre, altogether fabulous apartments in New York City; to cavorting with a cast of colorful artists who have to be read to be believed; to dealing with some of the most perplexing yet endearing personalities in show business; to handling the finer points of putting up with, and loving, one′s family, however out of their gourds they may be; and, above all, to keeping one′s tongue sharp in the midst of life′s many obstacles and hilarities.
In this collection, Paul Rudnick takes his place firmly beside today′s most adored humor writers, from David Sedaris to Augusten Burroughs and onwards. Raucous, laugh-out-loud funny, and rendered in Rudnick′s gorgeous, always zinger-laden prose, I SHUDDER is one of the most accomplished essay collections in years, from one of America′s true comedic treasures.
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“Piscataway, N.J. and Hollywood dont usually have much in common, but writer Paul Rudnick finds absurdity in both.” Modern Tonic
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“I Shudder is filled with deeply funny musings and adventures that elevate Paul Rudnick to the highest level of American comedy writing.
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“[A] lovable and astute collection of humor pieces...breezy and giddy with zingers, all handcrafted to make their good-natured defiance seem easy...[a] deceptively sweet and droll collection.” Newsday
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“[A] smart, dishy and very funny essay collection.” Daily News
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“A hilarious, often touching hodgepodge. . . . Its the literary equivalent of the tchotchke, at least as [Paul Rudnick] defines it: ‘Something peculiar which you dont need, and which has no discernible purpose or value, but which you cant live without.” (Four out of four stars) People
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“The witty, sardonic playwright (Jeffrey) and screenwriter (In and Out, Addams Family Values) delivers an acerbic and entertaining memoir about his experiences as a child in New Jersey and an adult in showbiz.” Entertainment Weekly
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“Uproariously self-deprecating essays about being gay and Jewish in suburban New Jersey and downtown Manhattan...The vignettes that give the book its title offer...irresistible screeds against the indignities of modern urban life.” New York Times Book Review
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“A laugh-out-loud pleasure to read...[Rudnick] writes with glee and unjudgmental warmth about the bohemian people and places of late 1970s and ‘80s.” Asbury Park Press
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“Paul Rudnick is a champion of truth (and love and great wicked humor) whom we ignore at our peril. Theres no book wiser or half as funny as I Shudder.” David Sedaris
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“Uproariously self-deprecating essays of a gay, Jewish life in Manhattan, Hollywood and suburbia.” (Editors Choice) New York Times
Synopsis
A hilariously funny, touching, and revelatory book from one of America's preeminent humorists
In his plays, his screenplays, and his writing for the New Yorker and Premiere, Paul Rudnick has established himself as a comic master whose talents transcend genre. Now, in I Shudder, he trains his wickedly perceptive eye on everything from his New Jersey family to Hollywood to demented alcoholic Broadway stars waving swords. At his Uncle Rudy's funeral, Rudnick's beloved Aunt Lil put one hand on her husband's coffin and her other hand on Rudnick's shoulder and said, Your Uncle Rudy always loved you. He never understood why, in your writing, you had to use that kind of language, but he loved you.
Charming and touching, I Shudder is rendered in Rudnick's gorgeous, zinger-laden prose and reminds us of the need to keep our tongues sharp in the midst of life's many obstacles and absurdities. Here is one of the most accomplished collections in years, from a writer who ranks with David Sedaris and Augusten Burroughs as one of our most gifted and hilarious social observers.
Synopsis
I Shudder is a side-splittingly funny collection of essays from Paul Rudnick, one of Americas preeminent humorists. Rudnick, who writes for The New Yorker and has written the screenplays for the films In and Out, Sister Act, and Addams Family Values, shares his hilarious observations on life in New York City and New Jersey, the perils of show business, and dealing with ones family, however crazy they may be. As David Sedaris says, “Theres no book wiser or half as funny as I Shudder.”
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About the Author
Playwright, screenwriter, and novelist Paul Rudnick's celebrated works include the plays I Hate Hamlet and Jeffrey, and the screenplays In & Out and Addams Family Values. He also writes regularly for The New Yorker. Born in Piscataway, New Jersey, he now lives in New York City.