Lenny Bruce is Dead

by Jonathan Goldstein

This startlingly original debut from This American Life contributor Jonathan Goldstein is, according to a Vice Magazine reviewer, "the cleanest dirty book I've ever read." It's a snapshot of the mind of Josh, a rather confused young man who must cope with his father's listlessness and his own overwhelming lust, not to mention the arrival of the Moschiach, inventor of the infamous Love Lotion.
Lenny Bruce Is Dead walks a tightrope between the searingly funny and the poignant. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll long for some Love Lotion of your own. And you won't forget Josh-ineptitude, scatological neuroses, urban angst, self-deprecating humor and all.

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Novels, Literary Fiction, Canada, Comedy

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Radio Work

Many of Goldstein's pieces have been featured on the PRI radio show This American Life where he is a contributing editor. From 2000 to 2002 he was also a producer of the show.

Currently, Goldstein hosts a show on CBC Radio One called WireTap, a program featuring stories told over the phone. He was also the host of the CBC summer radio program Road Dot Trip in 2000 and has contributed to shows like Dispatches and Outfront.

Written work

In 2001, Goldstein's debut novel, Lenny Bruce Is Dead, was published by Coach House Books. Goldstein also co-authored Schmelvis: In Search of Elvis Presley's Jewish Roots with Max Wallace, an account of a Hasidic Elvis impersonator and Rabbi's quest to trace the Jewish roots of Elvis Presley. His latest book, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bible! was published in April 2009 by Riverhead. Goldstein has also been published in The New York Times Magazine, Saturday Night, The New York Times, The Walrus, GQ, the Journey Prize Anthology and the National Post. He has also self-produced a number of small publications, most notably carwash the size of a peach.

Reviews

[Shootsie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I first heard of Jonathan Goldstein after listening to "This American Life" on NPR. When I put his book on my to-read list, I had high hopes. After all, the book is tiny so I was prepared for a delightful short read.

So here's the thing: I just don't get it. It's probably entirely my fault -- I probably missed some really cunning literary joke or perhaps there was something clever in the arranging of words that completely flew over my head. Try as I might this book just wasn't for me.

[lily 🎀 · Rating 3 out of 5]

super funny & entertaining! read this in one sitting it didn’t even make it to my list lol! the writing style is very unique and unlike anything i’ve read before. i thought the main character was kinda a weirdo but honestly the book is so random that it was fitting. in my opinion, a lot of things went left unsaid and i felt like it didn’t really wrap anything up by the end which is why i’m rating it 3 stars :)

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, while this was on my "to-read" shelf (mere hours ago) I had given it four stars. I've sinced finished it, and since downgraded to three stars. Still good, but have you ever had that experience reading a book where you're all about it and digging the tone but then it just doesn't quite build and deliver properly at the end? That's how I felt about this one. According to the back cover of the book the death of the protagonist's mother is supposed to be a central event, the point around which his story revolves and the impetus for his many ruminations on past girlfriends. But I didn't quite get that. The life and death of Frida, the mother, is mentioned at the beginning but fades out towards the end. I would have liked the characters of the parents to be more developed.

Regardless, I love Jonathan Goldstein's writing style. The chapters read like prose-poems, made up of short paragraphs that are beautiful and sad and full of amazing descriptions, imagery and humor.

[Lana. · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a big fan of WireTap, I was expecting a lot from this book. Sadly, I was disappointed.

The book cover indicated this was the story of Josh, who moves back to his childhood home after his mother dies. The disconnected, episodic, memory recall style of the book was quite effective as the scenes changed from moments when Josh's mother, Frieda, was a live, and moments from his childhood (childhood friends and enemies and girlfriends, and the rabbi). But overall the couple of moments of real tenderness and brilliance were completely overwhelmed by all the masturbation, and obsession over sex.

I expected more, Johnathan! But I know this was a first work. For those like me who also love WireTap, try "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bible" instead.

[Mesa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading books for many reasons, one of which can be experimental narrative... which this is. However, unlike some books I have read which jump around through time, this never gave me the jolting feeling I get when this style is executed poorly. It was a beautiful (while crude) story, and I read it straight through in one sitting.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

i think i like reading about masturbation more and more

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goldstein somehow crafted phenomenal microprose into a credible novel. How can you not love a book totally composed of lines like "Her mother told amusing anecdotes in a light British accent. There was never a point to anything Josh's mother said. Frieda's stories usually ended with 'and I bargained him down to half.' Kay's mothers stories had buttons"???? "Lenny Bruce..." improves on a second read due to the structure. Since these vignettes are often scattered in time through the book, the full line of events is only clear after the first reading. I recommend you to sit and read on a hot day by the pool with a melting gin and tonic with lemon, to slowly savor each part: book, drink, and pool. Counting the months till I can do so again as well.

[feathers · Rating 3 out of 5]

not as satisfying as a segment of 'this american life' but featuring some of the usual material, this book centers on josh, goldstein's best friend. nonlinear, episodic, and impressionistic in structure, the narrative is funny and interesting but definitely improved by imagining it read in goldstein's signature nasal deadpan.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Much like Shootsie, I did not get it. While I found the style very readable and new, all I read were tenously connected rantings and railings without understanding what the bigger meaning was. Me thinks one needs more schooling to enjoy the benefit of the book.

[Justin Freeman · Rating 2 out of 5]

The fuck did I just read?

[Madison Deppe · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

I don’t know what it was about this book but it totally captivated me. The at times strange metaphors and similes were at once eyebrow-raising and also bang on. The struggles and pain and discoveries and thoughts were raw and real. Fascinating and resonant little snippets of life. I’d love to read more by this author.

[otaku · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know. I don't understand this book. Each little section is so random that I forget what I've read as soon as I move onto the next section. It feels weird just for the sake of being weird. And I say this as someone who has been a big fan of Jonathan's radio work for years. But this is just confusing and depressing.

[siya · Rating 4 out of 5]

wow. really incredible stuff. i flew through this, never read anything quite like it. it reminds me of getting to know a perfect stranger. you get pieces of their life in every conversation, and the more pieces you get the better you know them. reading this book is like making a friend.

[Magnus Jorgensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strange sort-of novel in fragments, about sex and grief and growing up. I enjoyed the writing and appreciate the experimental structure, but don't think this will stay with me for long.

[tily]

Didn’t quite get it but glad I read it.

[Miki burger · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time favourites so awesome and perverted. Perfect book!

[Armie Leghead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Delightfully convoluted.
Almost-a-Jewish-Joke-Book, but reads more-like-Autobiographical-Gonzo-Journalism.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are still a few things in this world that can make my heart go “Pitter-patter” 1) Potential love from a pretty girl. 2) Great food. 3) Seeing a book that’s written by someone I associate with either This American Life or McSweeney’s.
It wasn’t the book that caught my eye, but rather the name of the author: Jonathan Goldstein. I could hear Ira Glass saying his name. Jonathan Goldstein. I didn’t care if it was good or bad. I just wanted to read it.
The story is told in tiny concussive bursts of language. Sometimes the story-lettes are funny, sometimes they’re sad. It takes a bit of reading the book to get used to the book’s non-linear short bursting story telling, but once you get going, you get going. I’m not sure if I really liked it or not, but I did learn something- all stories are told like this. No one tells you the whole story. Everyone tells you the snippets. Here’s my favorite story concerning Mike the Dog: He was a tiny, cute excitable dog. He loved playing with the family. We loved playing with him. So excitable was he that he would run at full speed around the house; then try to run outside, running full out into a closed screen door. He’d stumble backward. Look embarrassed for a minute; then go back to running around the house at full speed (it helps if you have a picture- he was pretty cute). A bigger part of the picture is that he never did ran full on into the screen door before we accidentally thumped him upside the head with a 2x4 while trying to build an awning for the back patio of the house. Even bigger is that we bought Mikey to keep my mom company (and to keep her spirits up) while she was around the house recovering from her chemo therapy (she was dealing with the whole cancer thing on top of being an empty nester). Mikey actually outlived my mom. My brother and I moved away. My dad got remarried. The new family never played with Mikey. Mikey ended up running away from the house. We probably should have bought a dog for the dog.

[Fred · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed several moments and descriptions in this book, the form made it difficult to do more than skim the surface of the story. Instead of a continuous narrative, it is made up of brief parts, from a single sentence up to several short paragraphs, but never more. Its "chapters" rarely frame the material in a meaningful way and instead seem like arbitrary groupings of anecdotes. Every new piece feels like it could be the beginning of a longer story, and eventually the lack of forward momentum becomes the most enduring aspect of the story.

While some meaning does seep through, in the end it feels slight, as if the experimental structure has dissipated the book's intent. Some readers may feel that there's simply no story there to be told, and while I don't think that's entirely true, I do think it's fair to expect writing to pull readers closer rather than push them away.

As an experiment, this is an interesting one. As a read, it's much less than I hoped it'd be. There were some threads that seemed to promise so much that I wanted them more fully developed, and the fact that each small section simply hit its solitary note and then ended left me frustrated. I'm looking forward to reading Jonathan Goldstein's book in which he retells some stories from the Bible, because from the piece I have heard on This American Life, he employs a similar style to greater narrative effect.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I go back and forth on how I feel about the fragmented nature of the book’s narrative. On one hand, I think it’s brilliant … for those who love THIS AMERICAN LIFE and Goldstein’s work there, it’s a must read. The book gives a good feeling for main-character Josh’s rather odd and perhaps dysfunctional life ... a life spent dealing with the loss of his mother, the presence of his father, and a steady stream of love interests.

On the other hand, I think it’s a cop out; an easy way to tell a story without having to draw out much of a plot. It’s as if Goldstein gathered up all of the bar napkins on which he’s scrawled witty sayings over the years and then dreamed up a way to put them into a book. But because of my affinity for anything related to TAL, and because I powered through it in a day and enjoyed it thoroughly… four stars. Definitely worth a read, and more original than 90% of what most people are reading.

[Raphaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my all-time favorites. You may know Goldstein, as I did originally, from his usually-funny CBC radio show, Wiretap; don't expect a similar style from this novel, aside from its unique episodic format. Goldstein is funny and frank, splicing moments together in a patchwork that mirrors the way we often experience life and memories. Like most good humorists, Goldstein is touching, too; among his interwoven storylines are one or two that deal beautifully with death and grieving. Page to page, you'll notice Goldstein's compelling, original, and fun prose. I never get tired of reading Lenny Bruce is Dead.

[athony · Rating 4 out of 5]

this sat around various rooms for years after a friend’s recommendation. it was inscrutable. the snapshots too brief, strange, and random.

upon finishing it, I find that there is no book that renders a human experience in quite this way. through a series of scattered bits that most closely resemble deadpan stand-up comedy, we come to a portrait of a character. the portrait is fleshed out and complete despite there being no exposition whatsoever. it's closer to how we actually formulate ideas of people. and to be able to interact only with that, ONLY with that, instead of pages and pages which serve only to distract, felt so good and freeing.

[Brett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very fast read--often funny, and less often poignant. As I imagine most readers of this novel, I became acquainted with Goldstein through his great work on This American Life on NPR. While Lenny Bruce is Dead is in a similar mold to his TAL work, I didn't feel that the bits added up to enough of a whole to justify the novel, which was a terrible disapointment to me, as I had high hopes for this one. It's not unenjoyable, but it feels trifling when it's all said and done. Lots of sexual content in this one, so avoid if that offends you.

[Bachorb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a rather experimental feel. There is really no cohesive narrative and the characters are not very well-developed. It ended up being an incoherent collection of quirky, paragraph-long nuggets of humor. However, a lot of these nuggets are utterly brilliant, and that makes the book worth the read. This book is a QUICK read - you can easily read it all in one sitting - so it's not a huge time investment for getting some good laughs in return. The book is enjoyable so long as you know what to expect going in.

[Kendall Kieras]

A part of me loved this book. The writing style was awesome, and I loved the weird way Josh thought. However, another part of me is saying "What the hell did I just read?"
It was a nice easy to get through read, and some of the passages were extremely interesting and true to life. However, even though I somewhat understood the plot, I wouldn't be able to explain it if someone asked, and some of the passages were just super duper weird.
Anyways, I'm conflicted on this book so I won't give it a rating.

[Dana Larose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm...it's probably worth four stars if you listen to Wiretap and imagine the book with Jonathan Goldstein's voice.

Lenny Bruce is Dead isn't so much a novel as a collection of anecdotes and one-liners from the narrator's life. He spends a lot of time talking about masturbating and fantasizing about his girlfriends.

It's very funny while exposing how lost and lonely Josh (the narrator) is after his mother dies.

[Sam Lute · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lenny Bruce is Dead was pretty difficult to follow at times. The stream of consciousness shifts scenes almost every paragraph, which is disorienting, but if find the groove, it proves to be an entertaining and humorous novel about a young jewish kid's adventures in adolescence. I found that it's best to try to read this novel in as few sittings as possible, because everytime you lay it down, you have to relocate said "groove."

[jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

intriguing format - simply sentences, brief paragraphs, short passages, no chapter titles or significant delineation...non-linear, somewhat surreal, like "slaughterhouse five" or "2001 space odyssey"...a couple of funny lines or interesting memories...i bought it after hearing him read a section of his "bible stories"...he sounded like he has a very dry sense of humor...this is more of a memoir about growing up and coping with losing his mom...

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't realize this was the same Jonathan Goldstein from TMA. All the same, I enjoyed it a lot; if Denis Johnson had written Portnoy's Complaint instead of Jesus' Son, it would probably go like this. A lot of references to masturbation and things-you're-not-supposed-to-admit with it, also some dream-novel things thrown in for good measure. But, you know, funny. "I thought I would swallow Wite Out so I could start all over." I'm not sure I will remember much of it in a few weeks, but hey.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little odd, a little twisted, a little filthy, all fantastic. Okay, I have to admit that I'm a long time obesessive Jonathan Goldstein and Joshua Karpati fan from TAL. This book did not disappoint. I borrowed it from the library and after finishing it went out and bought a copy for my own shelves. The obsession lives on.