Hits and Misses, Simon Rich
Hits and Misses, Simon Rich
List: $18.99 | Sale: $13.29
Club: $9.49

Hits and Misses
Stories

Author: Simon Rich

Narrator: Simon Rich

Unabridged: 3 hr 52 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/24/2018

Synopsis

A hilarious collection inspired by a former Saturday Night Live writer's real experiences in Hollywood, chronicling the absurdity of fame and the humanity of failure in a world dominated by social media influencers and reality TV stars.

Simon Rich is "one of the funniest writers in America" (Daily Beast) -- a humorist who draws comparisons to Douglas Adams (New York Times Book Review), James Thurber, and P.G. Wodehouse (The Guardian). With Hits and Misses, he's back with a hilarious new collection of stories about dreaming big and falling flat, about ordinary people desperate for stardom and the stars who are bored by having it all.

Inspired by Rich's real experiences in Hollywood, Hits and Misses chronicles all the absurdity of fame and success alongside the heartbreaking humanity of failure. From a bitter tell-all by the horse Paul Revere rode to greatness to a gushing magazine profile of everyone's favorite World War II dictator, these stories roam across time and space to skewer our obsession with making it big -- from the days of ancient Babylon to the age of TMZ.

About Simon Rich

Simon Rich has written for "Saturday Night Live," Pixar, and "The Simpsons." He is the creator and showrunner of "Man Seeking Woman" (FXX) and "Miracle Workers," (TBS), which he based on his books. His other collections include Hits and Misses, Spoiled Brats, and Ant Farm. He is a frequent contributor to The New Yorker.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Peter on October 24, 2018

I am very much a fan of the comedy stylings of Mr Simon Rich, a former Saturday Night Live writer and a New Yorker contributor. But as the title implies, his latest collection is a mixed bag. Most of these madcap tales look at fame and ambition in some kind of way. A few of them made me laugh out lo......more

Goodreads review by Sunny on December 17, 2023

Hilarious and wacky as Rich always is. Love the biblical tale elements and the meta writer/artist stories especially. Think the endings are sometimes too abrupt but what do I know!......more

Goodreads review by Shawn on July 21, 2018

Appropriately titled, I suppose, although I think “Near Hits & Unfortunate Misses” is more accurate. I’d certainly consider myself a fan — absolutely loved his “Last Girlfriend” and “Spoiled Brats”. They were so good, in fact, that the mere memory of them renders this latest attempt forgivable. A gi......more

Goodreads review by Molly on June 06, 2018

I always forget just how much I like Simon Rich until I inevitably stumble across one of his new books somewhere. The short stories here are delightful, whether they are simple silliness or biting satire, and I laughed out loud more than once. The GQ profile of Adolf Hitler is a great send-up of cer......more

Goodreads review by britt_brooke on June 12, 2018

Simon Rich had me cackling out loud right away. These stories are so irreverent and fun with characters ranging from a genius in utero infant to Paul Revere’s horse to Adolf Hitler. Some are better than others, as the title implies, but all are entertaining. Thank you for the ARC, NetGalley!......more

Quotes

"Rich's special genius is his ability to nest an absurd premise in an otherwise ordinary situation... A perfect example of Rich's ability to mix humor and poignancy."—Ron Charles, Washington Post

"Welcome to the sweet but twisted world of Simon Rich... Rich has proved he has a boundless imagination and a sharp sense of humor, and Hits and Misses continues that streak--it's a bizarre and hilarious collection from one of the funniest writers in America... He's endlessly clever but not impressed by his own wit; gentle, but not afraid to test boundaries. It's a kind of humor that recalls early 20th-century writers like James Thurber and E.B. White, but Rich's comic genius is really all his own. He spent years being regarded as a kind of precocious wunderkind, but with this book, Rich has come into his own as one of the most talented writers of comedic fiction working today."—Michael Schaub, NPR

"Great writers tend to arrive when we need them most, and at this moment Simon Rich is a comedic godsend. Hits and Misses is a motherlode of silly, inventive, absurd brilliance. My admiration for Rich is rivaled only by my jealousy."—Conan O'Brien

"Simon Rich is the Stephen King of comedy writing. From the first lines, he pulls you into a world of hilarious, simple, kind, determined, dumb, and bizarrely proud characters who, like all of us, are terrified of being embarrassed. He is the funniest writer I have ever met and Hits and Misses is his best collection of stories."—John Mulaney

"Simon Rich is the Serena Williams of humor writing... Rich has sharpened his satire over the years, and he now wields it with skill... Rich is at the height of his craft when he is writing on the border between comedy and tragedy."—New York Times Book Review

Simon Rich "writes funny, short, inventive, breathtakingly precise pieces... Rich's insistence on hope, love, and that people (other than himself) are basically good is refreshing."—The Millions

"Rich's special genius is his ability to nest an absurd premise in an otherwise ordinary situation... the tale of an actual dinosaur being laid off as a comedy writer is a perfect example of Rich's ability to mix humor and poignancy."—Ron Charles, The Washington Post

"Flights of fancy from preternaturally gifted humorist Rich... Shades of Christopher Moore's slapstick... [and] Python-esque medieval farce... He has a sweet spot between mockery and respect for old Hollywood... lovingly crafted comedies from a writer beginning to match wit with wisdom."—Kirkus

"Hits and Misses is full of the kinds of snappy writing and short, well-crafted situations that make perfect sense."—BookReporter

Add to Cart
Add to Wish List