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Let Me Off at the Top!: My Classy Life and Other Musings
Let Me Off at the Top
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 26, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 461 reviews
July 11, 2023
OK lets start by saying that anyone picking this book up and expecting it to be a 5 star masterpiece is clearly deluded. I read a few of the reviews before I paid the princely sum of a dollar for my copy, and there are some seriously deluded people - yes the book is ridiculous - of course the book was going to be ridiculous, how could you expect otherwise? But it was kept strictly in character the whole way through, a self-centred, highly opinionated, sexist, racist and ludicrous character - exactly as one would expect from a Ron Burgundy comedy biography.
I am just going to plough on assuming there is nobody reading who doesn't know who Ron Burgundy is, but I guess if Anchorman and Anchorman 2 are not on your radar, neither should this book be (or my review) as none of it will make any sense - it will appear to be the raving of a lunatic (accurate) with an extensive ego and a book out to slander tens of real life people from news anchors and actors to presidents and politicians.
I found a few laugh out loud parts, plenty to smirk about and even more to shake my head at, as I struggled to join the dots of relevancy. There were red herrings and nonsense a plenty - all as expected.
Only recommended for a/ Ron Burgundy fans, and b/ those who find it for a few bucks.
3 comedy stars.
I am just going to plough on assuming there is nobody reading who doesn't know who Ron Burgundy is, but I guess if Anchorman and Anchorman 2 are not on your radar, neither should this book be (or my review) as none of it will make any sense - it will appear to be the raving of a lunatic (accurate) with an extensive ego and a book out to slander tens of real life people from news anchors and actors to presidents and politicians.
I found a few laugh out loud parts, plenty to smirk about and even more to shake my head at, as I struggled to join the dots of relevancy. There were red herrings and nonsense a plenty - all as expected.
Only recommended for a/ Ron Burgundy fans, and b/ those who find it for a few bucks.
3 comedy stars.
November 25, 2013
If you're reading this and have no idea who Ron Burgundy is then stop reading this review and go rent Anchorman. If you're reading this and don't like Ron Burgundy, and Ron Burgundy was a real person he would punch you right in the mouth.
Being a fan of Anchorman I had to preorder this book. Until the Brick Tamlin autobiography is released this will have to do. If Ron were a real person he would be arrogant, a bit stupid, and a bit controversial. As a fictional character he's all of these and that's why people like him.
As a parody of the autobiography Let Me Off At The Top works really well in the fact that it's absurd and knows it. Any time you read something like this the jokes wear thin or the story becomes boring but whomever wrote this did a great job at keeping in character and most importantly being funny.
Ron Burgundy is a man, a myth, and a legend. He has truly lead a great life and he even admits to having sex with Bruce Lee. There is nothing here that will ask for you to suspend belief at any time. That's the whole point. The book is damn funny and a must read for Burgundy fans
Being a fan of Anchorman I had to preorder this book. Until the Brick Tamlin autobiography is released this will have to do. If Ron were a real person he would be arrogant, a bit stupid, and a bit controversial. As a fictional character he's all of these and that's why people like him.
As a parody of the autobiography Let Me Off At The Top works really well in the fact that it's absurd and knows it. Any time you read something like this the jokes wear thin or the story becomes boring but whomever wrote this did a great job at keeping in character and most importantly being funny.
Ron Burgundy is a man, a myth, and a legend. He has truly lead a great life and he even admits to having sex with Bruce Lee. There is nothing here that will ask for you to suspend belief at any time. That's the whole point. The book is damn funny and a must read for Burgundy fans
January 26, 2014
Meh. I had really high expectations for this book, I thought it would laugh-out-loud funny, and it just wasn't. Much of the content was boring, pointless, or just plain gross. A few pretty funny chapters, as well as the epic cover picture, redeemed this book from being a complete fail. Overall, just disappointing compared to my expectations.
May 15, 2014
Ever since legendary anchorman Ron Burgundy left his humble local San Diego news station to become the highest-rated national anchorman on the first 24-hour cable news channel, GNN, all of our lives in this country have felt the glorious impact of his innovation, genius, and beautiful hair. In what is sure to win a Pulitzer, a Nobel, a Hugo, and an Oscar, Burgundy's long-awaited autobiography, "Let Me Off at the Top!: My Classy Life and Other Musings", has already created irreparable aftershocks within the publishing industry and within the literate elite. It may be the most important book ever written, probably. It's definitely a big deal.
Burgundy talks about his tumultuous and lust-filled childhood in the small mining town of Haggleworth, Iowa. Forced to endure life with seven older brothers who constantly wanted to kill him, literally, and living in a town beset with continuous mine-fires and unexpected explosions that could have ended his life at any second, Burgundy had to grow up quick and hard.
Perhaps it is this hardness that helped him to push his erect manly stature onto television and to penetrate the tough world of nightly news, a world that opened itself up to him with immense pleasure once he erupted his fantastic Burgundy sauce into our souls every night. That sentence was called a metaphor, and it was all about having sex. In case you didn't get it.
Burgundy has had a major influence upon the world of television journalism, having mentored lesser-known and not-as-popular news anchors such as Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw, Matt Lauer, and Brian Williams. He has also been the lover (many times) of lesser-known female anchors such as Barbara Walters, Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric, and Veronica Corningstone. He eventually settled down and married Ms. Corningstone, and together they sired a son.
Burgundy's poetic prose waxes rhapsodic on a variety of different subjects from his love for the peoples of Mexico, to his collection of Spanish broadswords, to his gorgeous hair, to his views on homosexuality, which he thinks is perfectly fine, even though he is not homosexual in any way at all.
He writes about the wonderful night that he and Bruce Lee made love under the stars and about how he met his amazing news team of Champ Kind, Brian Fantana, and Brick Tamland. He also writes candidly about the night he, Peter Lawford, and Bobby Kennedy got shit-faced in Las Vegas and decided to go jackalope hunting.
There are so many glorious little gems of stories like this that abound within the pages of Burgundy's memoirs.
If you have already bought a copy of this book and read it, you already know how wonderfully life-altering it is. If you haven't, you are probably a filthy communist and deserve to be beaten to within an inch of your life.
Burgundy talks about his tumultuous and lust-filled childhood in the small mining town of Haggleworth, Iowa. Forced to endure life with seven older brothers who constantly wanted to kill him, literally, and living in a town beset with continuous mine-fires and unexpected explosions that could have ended his life at any second, Burgundy had to grow up quick and hard.
Perhaps it is this hardness that helped him to push his erect manly stature onto television and to penetrate the tough world of nightly news, a world that opened itself up to him with immense pleasure once he erupted his fantastic Burgundy sauce into our souls every night. That sentence was called a metaphor, and it was all about having sex. In case you didn't get it.
Burgundy has had a major influence upon the world of television journalism, having mentored lesser-known and not-as-popular news anchors such as Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw, Matt Lauer, and Brian Williams. He has also been the lover (many times) of lesser-known female anchors such as Barbara Walters, Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric, and Veronica Corningstone. He eventually settled down and married Ms. Corningstone, and together they sired a son.
Burgundy's poetic prose waxes rhapsodic on a variety of different subjects from his love for the peoples of Mexico, to his collection of Spanish broadswords, to his gorgeous hair, to his views on homosexuality, which he thinks is perfectly fine, even though he is not homosexual in any way at all.
He writes about the wonderful night that he and Bruce Lee made love under the stars and about how he met his amazing news team of Champ Kind, Brian Fantana, and Brick Tamland. He also writes candidly about the night he, Peter Lawford, and Bobby Kennedy got shit-faced in Las Vegas and decided to go jackalope hunting.
There are so many glorious little gems of stories like this that abound within the pages of Burgundy's memoirs.
If you have already bought a copy of this book and read it, you already know how wonderfully life-altering it is. If you haven't, you are probably a filthy communist and deserve to be beaten to within an inch of your life.
May 19, 2014
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
3.5 Stars
I’m assuming everyone reading this is already well aware of the legend that is Ron Burgundy.
You’re not, you say???? Although I cannot even fathom how that is possible, please take a moment to familiarize yourself with his work. Don’t worry I’ll wait for you . . . .
Okay, are you back? If so, I assume the transformation from curious interweb clicker to crazy superfan has officially taken place. After all, we’re talking about Ron Burgundy here.
Why yes. Yes you are, Mr. Burgundy, and I can’t thank you enough for making time in what I can only imagine is the busiest of schedules to put pen to paper and draft your memoir.
From his not-so-well-known friendship with Bobby Kennedy to romantic trysts with the likes of Barbara Walters (with a cameo appearance by Walter Kronkite) and Bruce Lee (just to name a few), this is a chance to get to know Ron Burgundy on a truly philosophical level. Not only does Ron give you complete access to what made him the man he is today, he also shares the story of how the entire Channel 4 News Team came to fruition.
Words cannot express how thankful I am that I had the opportunity to get inside of Ron Burgundy (interpret that as you will), and this book? Well, it’s just
If you’ve been a fan of Ron Burgundy, Brick Tamland, Brian Fantana and Champ Kind for the past 10 years and still can’t get enough, then this is the book for you. If you’re not a fan, then I only have one thing to say to you:
3.5 Stars
I’m assuming everyone reading this is already well aware of the legend that is Ron Burgundy.
You’re not, you say???? Although I cannot even fathom how that is possible, please take a moment to familiarize yourself with his work. Don’t worry I’ll wait for you . . . .
Okay, are you back? If so, I assume the transformation from curious interweb clicker to crazy superfan has officially taken place. After all, we’re talking about Ron Burgundy here.
Why yes. Yes you are, Mr. Burgundy, and I can’t thank you enough for making time in what I can only imagine is the busiest of schedules to put pen to paper and draft your memoir.
From his not-so-well-known friendship with Bobby Kennedy to romantic trysts with the likes of Barbara Walters (with a cameo appearance by Walter Kronkite) and Bruce Lee (just to name a few), this is a chance to get to know Ron Burgundy on a truly philosophical level. Not only does Ron give you complete access to what made him the man he is today, he also shares the story of how the entire Channel 4 News Team came to fruition.
Words cannot express how thankful I am that I had the opportunity to get inside of Ron Burgundy (interpret that as you will), and this book? Well, it’s just
If you’ve been a fan of Ron Burgundy, Brick Tamland, Brian Fantana and Champ Kind for the past 10 years and still can’t get enough, then this is the book for you. If you’re not a fan, then I only have one thing to say to you:
December 4, 2013
Let Me Off at the Top!: My Classy Life and Other Musings, is hands-down the classiest e-book in my collection. It is bound in a thick, rich mahogany cover and smells of vintage leather. This book review is 100% fact-checked and I have not received reciprocity from the author to tout his wares. I have, however borrowed his leaf-blower from Mr. Burgundy's neighbor who in fact borrowed it from the man himself three weeks ago and has yet to return it.
Gosh darn it, I can't think of a time when I laughed aloud more whilst reading a memoir! If you are a fan of the humor of Anchorman, there is absolutely nothing that should stand in your way of a sojourn to your local antiquities shop or rare bookstore to finagle a priceless copy. One can definitely appreciate the imagined narrations of this illustrious news anchor as the book gets its hooks in one and zips right along! It's the perfect bridge between the first Anchorman motion picture and the sequel, slated to release later this holiday season.
If one has the ability to imagine the sensational Will Ferrell reading to one as the legendary Ron Burgundy, this book is one's ticket to a bedazzled mecca of unrivaled entertainment and culture. San Diego's finest news anchor will speak directly to one as if one is there, naked and hiding in the closet, terrified of what one has just witnessed through the slats, yet quivering and pulsating and energized for more. The scintillating one-liners and utterly quoteable materials whiz and zing right through one's belly like great Robin of Locksley's arrows, always finding purchase in one's spleen, which is also known by the Greeks as the "seat of the emotions." There will never be anything as fine as this book in your life again, but lord knows you will try to fill the hole for some time after the last "stay classy."
Gosh darn it, I can't think of a time when I laughed aloud more whilst reading a memoir! If you are a fan of the humor of Anchorman, there is absolutely nothing that should stand in your way of a sojourn to your local antiquities shop or rare bookstore to finagle a priceless copy. One can definitely appreciate the imagined narrations of this illustrious news anchor as the book gets its hooks in one and zips right along! It's the perfect bridge between the first Anchorman motion picture and the sequel, slated to release later this holiday season.
If one has the ability to imagine the sensational Will Ferrell reading to one as the legendary Ron Burgundy, this book is one's ticket to a bedazzled mecca of unrivaled entertainment and culture. San Diego's finest news anchor will speak directly to one as if one is there, naked and hiding in the closet, terrified of what one has just witnessed through the slats, yet quivering and pulsating and energized for more. The scintillating one-liners and utterly quoteable materials whiz and zing right through one's belly like great Robin of Locksley's arrows, always finding purchase in one's spleen, which is also known by the Greeks as the "seat of the emotions." There will never be anything as fine as this book in your life again, but lord knows you will try to fill the hole for some time after the last "stay classy."
June 7, 2019
I absolutely love Anchorman and Ron Burgundy, But holy crap, this was way too much. It is not so much a book as it’s a collection of sentences vying to be the most outlandish. I did A LOT of skimming to confirm that the last 90% is just like the first 10%. It is. You can read the first few pages and you have the idea.
He writes: “I know I did a lot of bragging in the beginning about the greatness of this book. Those are just the kinds of straight-faced lies we authors tell you people to get you to read a pile of garbage.” Yep.
Note: I bet this would be a hilarious audiobook if Will Ferrell were to read it aloud. But on paper, it’s a waste.
I left this at one star after my My Absolute Darling resolution because it is an utter waste, and there’s nothing I detest more than pointless waste.
He writes: “I know I did a lot of bragging in the beginning about the greatness of this book. Those are just the kinds of straight-faced lies we authors tell you people to get you to read a pile of garbage.” Yep.
Note: I bet this would be a hilarious audiobook if Will Ferrell were to read it aloud. But on paper, it’s a waste.
I left this at one star after my My Absolute Darling resolution because it is an utter waste, and there’s nothing I detest more than pointless waste.
November 22, 2015
I'm really not sure what I was expecting from this book. I love both of the Anchorman movies, but it just doesn't come across quite as endearing through the book.
March 20, 2016
Humph... this book is as ridiculous as the existence of the platypus; it had the prose of an uneducated show-off who thinks he is God's gift to the human race, this... is Ron Burgundy's: Let Me Off at the Top!: My Classy Life and Other Musings!
*cue the music*
Gooood Morning San Diego!!
Warning! If you do not find Will Farrell funny, or you don't understand why he is the way he is, and you think his type of comedy isn't funny, then you're probably not going to enjoy Let Me Off at the Top!: My Classy Life and Other Musings
Let Me Off at the Top!: My Classy Life and Other Musings is a book written by Will Ferrell for Ron Burgundy, I should know - he told me!
Yep, that's right! Me, not you.
Sorry, I'm bragging again, I shouldn't tease you like that, it's not fair. I mean, far be it from me to just write upon an open forum like this and yell over everyone else's voice, "I know Ron Burgundy, and we are both better than all of you!!!"
Because, you know - that would be rude.
No, of course I wouldn't do that, although Ron Burgundy would...
What you have read so far is pretty much what the book is like; random ridiculous musings, and other self-righteous repartee. Basically it is Ron Burgundy being very much, Ron Burgundy. That's the long and short of it. Reading this will make you laugh and shake your head vigorously.
Plenty of times I cocked my head backwards and laughed out loud, but also an equal amount of shaking of the head and blurting out, "Oh! Come on!"
That is what Let Me Off at the Top!: My Classy Life and Other Musings was to me, a stupid-fun time with an idiot celebrity.
If you pick this up, please do not think you're going to come away with more knowledge, because that is just a bold-faced lie. In the book Ron shares some very intimate secrets with his multitude of fans, and even shares some military secrets too. That's how important Ron Burgundy is, even the military confides in him.
He's a big deal, you all know that. Now go read his book already!
*cue the music*
Gooood Morning San Diego!!
Warning! If you do not find Will Farrell funny, or you don't understand why he is the way he is, and you think his type of comedy isn't funny, then you're probably not going to enjoy Let Me Off at the Top!: My Classy Life and Other Musings
Let Me Off at the Top!: My Classy Life and Other Musings is a book written by Will Ferrell for Ron Burgundy, I should know - he told me!
Yep, that's right! Me, not you.
Sorry, I'm bragging again, I shouldn't tease you like that, it's not fair. I mean, far be it from me to just write upon an open forum like this and yell over everyone else's voice, "I know Ron Burgundy, and we are both better than all of you!!!"
Because, you know - that would be rude.
No, of course I wouldn't do that, although Ron Burgundy would...
What you have read so far is pretty much what the book is like; random ridiculous musings, and other self-righteous repartee. Basically it is Ron Burgundy being very much, Ron Burgundy. That's the long and short of it. Reading this will make you laugh and shake your head vigorously.
Plenty of times I cocked my head backwards and laughed out loud, but also an equal amount of shaking of the head and blurting out, "Oh! Come on!"
That is what Let Me Off at the Top!: My Classy Life and Other Musings was to me, a stupid-fun time with an idiot celebrity.
If you pick this up, please do not think you're going to come away with more knowledge, because that is just a bold-faced lie. In the book Ron shares some very intimate secrets with his multitude of fans, and even shares some military secrets too. That's how important Ron Burgundy is, even the military confides in him.
He's a big deal, you all know that. Now go read his book already!
August 27, 2016
This is probably one of the worst books I have ever read. I know it was supposed to be a spoof of Will Ferrell's character Ron Burgundy, but the book was completely ridiculous. It was about nothing, the stories were stupid, the character of Burgundy was unlikeable, and there was nothing redeeming about the book except finally finishing it. There were stories about how the news team got together, stories about Burgundy and Veronica Corningstone, stories about what a popular news anchor he was and how women flocked to him. He talks about why he wrote the book and about his sexual dalliances with male and female news reporters. He has entire chapters on the countries of Canada and Mexico, and a chapter written from a book that he was supposedly writing about the history and people of Mexico. Ridiculous and completely uninteresting. He speaks about where he grew up in a small mining town in the middle of nowhere where most people drank like champs because there was nothing else to do. He talks about his dog, Baxter. He speaks about his brothers and how he learned to fight because that is what the brothers all did. He speaks about the different foods one should eat in order to attain certain breath smells to attract women. It was disgusting. He talks about different myths that relate to him, talks about his hair, continuously talks about a feud with his neighbor for stealing his leaf blower that in the end the neighbor never took and Burgundy had the whole time. There was just no point to the book and much of it was just gross or completely worthless. The only reason I even read this book was because my husband wanted me to buy it for him for Christmas, so I did, and I ended up being the only one to read it. A complete waste of time. Burgundy talks about making love to Bruce Lee and about his love for this country and why all other countries stink in comparison. He ends it by speaking about a Ponzi scam he was involved in with a bunch of loan companies and holdings of money and property that did not exist. Just a completely worthless book.
January 2, 2014
I love Anchorman. I enjoyed Anchorman 2, despite how truly bizarre it was. I got this book for Christmas having asked for it as soon as I knew it was coming out. I read it in two days, but I must admit to being slightly disappointed overall.
Ron Burgundy is quite the character and he works so well on screen but I think what makes him great is being able to play off the rest of the news team and for people, such as Veronica Corningstone, to be forever rolling their eyes at his behaviour. When you put such a larger than life character on the page where it is just you and him, it can be a little wearing. I found myself losing interest in certain chapters because it was just too much extreme all in one go.
I had hoped for more stories relating to Brian, Champ and Brick and, while there are a few, the focus is largely on his rise to Anchordom and truly bizarre adventures mixed in (the jackelopes story was pretty damned funny and was a nice tie-in with his history with animals).
The events of both movies are, understandably skipped over and there are no spoilers for Anchorman 2 within the the book but there are hints of things that happen which I found neat.
Two of the things I did particularly like and would have loved seeing more of scattered throughout the book:
1) The italic “chapter” titles. Easily missed, I laughed out loud when I noticed and thought it was a clever little add-on. I like things like that.
2) The leaf-blower antics. A few chapters in, Ron gets distracted and has to vent about his frustrations with his neighbour. Every couple of chapters, were are given an update on the current goings on with said neighbour and it was in these little snippets that I felt most in touch with Ron. I understand that the absurdity of the some of the situation is just par for the course when you’ve seen the movies. We know that his life is not normal and that the most surreal things do seem to happen to him but his complete ineptitude at dealing with this scenario was much funnier to me than say his encounter with Bruce Lee.
Oh, I also liked the addition of Ron’s poorly judged history of Mexico book. It was tangents like that that I expected more of.
It’s a very well produced book and very well written, capturing the character just as well in its pages as it does on the screen (even if I feel it doesn’t translate as well, it is still pure Ron Burgundy). To anyone not in the know, it would look just like any other autobiography, complete with glossy photos.
If you are a fan of the Anchorman movies then I would recommend it but maybe don’t expect to be rolling around with laughter (I have given myself a stitch from laughing so hard at both movies, this didn’t come close). If you are a fan of Ron Burgundy in particular, well you probably already have it or at least intend to read it.
Ron Burgundy is quite the character and he works so well on screen but I think what makes him great is being able to play off the rest of the news team and for people, such as Veronica Corningstone, to be forever rolling their eyes at his behaviour. When you put such a larger than life character on the page where it is just you and him, it can be a little wearing. I found myself losing interest in certain chapters because it was just too much extreme all in one go.
I had hoped for more stories relating to Brian, Champ and Brick and, while there are a few, the focus is largely on his rise to Anchordom and truly bizarre adventures mixed in (the jackelopes story was pretty damned funny and was a nice tie-in with his history with animals).
The events of both movies are, understandably skipped over and there are no spoilers for Anchorman 2 within the the book but there are hints of things that happen which I found neat.
Two of the things I did particularly like and would have loved seeing more of scattered throughout the book:
1) The italic “chapter” titles. Easily missed, I laughed out loud when I noticed and thought it was a clever little add-on. I like things like that.
2) The leaf-blower antics. A few chapters in, Ron gets distracted and has to vent about his frustrations with his neighbour. Every couple of chapters, were are given an update on the current goings on with said neighbour and it was in these little snippets that I felt most in touch with Ron. I understand that the absurdity of the some of the situation is just par for the course when you’ve seen the movies. We know that his life is not normal and that the most surreal things do seem to happen to him but his complete ineptitude at dealing with this scenario was much funnier to me than say his encounter with Bruce Lee.
Oh, I also liked the addition of Ron’s poorly judged history of Mexico book. It was tangents like that that I expected more of.
It’s a very well produced book and very well written, capturing the character just as well in its pages as it does on the screen (even if I feel it doesn’t translate as well, it is still pure Ron Burgundy). To anyone not in the know, it would look just like any other autobiography, complete with glossy photos.
If you are a fan of the Anchorman movies then I would recommend it but maybe don’t expect to be rolling around with laughter (I have given myself a stitch from laughing so hard at both movies, this didn’t come close). If you are a fan of Ron Burgundy in particular, well you probably already have it or at least intend to read it.
November 28, 2013
Even classier than I expected, "Let Me Off at the Top" was written with all the grace and aplomb one expects from San Diego's (German for "a whale's vagina") most accomplished and venerable anchorman. I recommend reading this book in a harem while sipping on the finest scotch or scotch-like beverage, say... Scotch?
The only story lacking (and I've been told that claims of the story actually occurring are spurious) is the time Burgundy was tasked with interviewing Bill Braskey. The story goes that after Ron shows up on Braskey's summer ranch on the Siberian taiga, Braskey (in the middle of an absinthe and coffee bender) mistook Burgundy for an interloping Clydesdale. Braskey, in a state of rage and panic, waits behind a Joshua tree and lunges at the mighty anchorsteed and proceeds to launch an invasion of the Caucasus oil fields with only Burgundy, the 12th descendent male of Genghis Khan, himself, and Brian Dennehy. Well, after 13 horrid and exhausting months of cauldron battles, siege weaponry, and a trébuchet, Braskey sobers up, looks at Ron, and says, "Hey, Burgundy! How'd we wind up in Vegas, and did we take the Palms?"
The only story lacking (and I've been told that claims of the story actually occurring are spurious) is the time Burgundy was tasked with interviewing Bill Braskey. The story goes that after Ron shows up on Braskey's summer ranch on the Siberian taiga, Braskey (in the middle of an absinthe and coffee bender) mistook Burgundy for an interloping Clydesdale. Braskey, in a state of rage and panic, waits behind a Joshua tree and lunges at the mighty anchorsteed and proceeds to launch an invasion of the Caucasus oil fields with only Burgundy, the 12th descendent male of Genghis Khan, himself, and Brian Dennehy. Well, after 13 horrid and exhausting months of cauldron battles, siege weaponry, and a trébuchet, Braskey sobers up, looks at Ron, and says, "Hey, Burgundy! How'd we wind up in Vegas, and did we take the Palms?"
January 8, 2014
I really wanted it to be a five star book.
I love both Anchorman films. I love Ron Burgandy. I didn't love this book.
Don't get me wrong, it's not terrible, it just could have been better. I was expecting more laugh out loud moments, and some bits did make me chuckle but I felt like I just didn't get any of the stories.
The problem might be that I am from the UK, and a lot of the anecdotes are about American celebs who I have never heard of!
However, you definitely get the Ron Burgandy character coming through loud and clear and I can imagine he would have gone through all the crazy things he mentions. My favourite story was about the first time he met Brick and they got chatting in a park. Brilliant!
If you are a fan you have to read it and just be aware it's no way near as funny as the films, but still enjoyable. If you don't know who Ron Burgandy is, then seriously, put the book down and get on with your life.
I love both Anchorman films. I love Ron Burgandy. I didn't love this book.
Don't get me wrong, it's not terrible, it just could have been better. I was expecting more laugh out loud moments, and some bits did make me chuckle but I felt like I just didn't get any of the stories.
The problem might be that I am from the UK, and a lot of the anecdotes are about American celebs who I have never heard of!
However, you definitely get the Ron Burgandy character coming through loud and clear and I can imagine he would have gone through all the crazy things he mentions. My favourite story was about the first time he met Brick and they got chatting in a park. Brilliant!
If you are a fan you have to read it and just be aware it's no way near as funny as the films, but still enjoyable. If you don't know who Ron Burgandy is, then seriously, put the book down and get on with your life.
December 5, 2013
Ok. Was hoping to love it more than I did. It's Ron Burgundy, after all...who doesn't love the Anchorman? Don't get me wrong...it's good. And funny. Really funny. But I just hoped for a little bit more. Some parts dragged a bit for me, and though I laughed out loud at many sections of the book, it wasn't side-splitting, tears-in-your-eyes hilarious like I kind of expected it would be.
That said, I still recommend. It's very true to character (written by the man himself, after all) and pretty creative for a fictional author's musings on his life. A definite must for Anchorman fans...or, really, anyone who enjoys a good laugh and doesn't mind a little vulgarity (the spice of life, right?) mixed in. A quick and entertaining read!
That said, I still recommend. It's very true to character (written by the man himself, after all) and pretty creative for a fictional author's musings on his life. A definite must for Anchorman fans...or, really, anyone who enjoys a good laugh and doesn't mind a little vulgarity (the spice of life, right?) mixed in. A quick and entertaining read!
January 29, 2014
I haven't seen Anchorman 2 yet but I've been hearing a lot of negative buzz. After reading this book I understand, it had a pretty consistent feel of 'beating a dead horse'. The writing reminded me of the style used on the Cartoon "Family Guy", where a situation is explained and then a totally irreverent situation is compared. Here's an example that was particularly unfunny from page 160: "I'm more better at emotional stuff than women. I'm actually more better than women at a lot of stuff. I can balance a basketball on my finger for more than twenty seconds."
I also can't not mention how awful the homosexual encounter with Bruce Lee was...
I also can't not mention how awful the homosexual encounter with Bruce Lee was...
May 28, 2017
This was so bad, I couldn't even finish it. Even when trying to read it as if hearing it in 'Ron Burgundy' voice. There were stories that started off as humorous, but couldn't sustain any humor. I finish every book I start, typically, as I figure there must be some worth to it, but as this was just supposed to be a humorous book - and it wasn't- I decided I'd rather move on to something better.
August 10, 2014
No flow, not many laughs, still a lot of Ron.
Reading this book, I imagine a man walking in circles talking to himself about himself. This is supposedly the work of an egocentric mythomaniac named Ron Burgundy, and the language is convincingly similar to everyone’s favorite TV news anchor.
The biggest weakness of the book is the lack of a red thread. Jumping back and forth between events, and spending way too many words convincing the reader of its authenticity. I wished we could have followed a decent story about this fictional character. Instead we are fed with lists of his own empiricism and have to figure the story out ourselves. I call this lazy writing. Perhaps it would have been tolerated if it was fun, but it wasn't.
Nonsense! That is what it is, and it is what I expected it to be. Although I naively anticipated the book to make me laugh my lungs out, which it failed with miserably; as my lungs are safely intact in my body. It was a surprisingly dull spontaneous summer read.
Reading this book, I imagine a man walking in circles talking to himself about himself. This is supposedly the work of an egocentric mythomaniac named Ron Burgundy, and the language is convincingly similar to everyone’s favorite TV news anchor.
The biggest weakness of the book is the lack of a red thread. Jumping back and forth between events, and spending way too many words convincing the reader of its authenticity. I wished we could have followed a decent story about this fictional character. Instead we are fed with lists of his own empiricism and have to figure the story out ourselves. I call this lazy writing. Perhaps it would have been tolerated if it was fun, but it wasn't.
Nonsense! That is what it is, and it is what I expected it to be. Although I naively anticipated the book to make me laugh my lungs out, which it failed with miserably; as my lungs are safely intact in my body. It was a surprisingly dull spontaneous summer read.
October 12, 2016
I'm a big fan of Will Ferrell and I really enjoyed the anchorman movies. When I heard about this book I was super excited to read it. I kinda put off reading it after I got it. I finally decided I was going to read it for my reading challenge this year. I have to say I was pretty disappointed with it. I don't know what it was I just didn't find it as funny as I thought it would be. I found myself rather bored with the story. I read majority of the book but didn't absorb what I was taking it. I was hoping maybe this book had an audiobook because that might help me focus and be entertaining but there was no such luck. By the end I kinda starting skimming through because I just wanted to get it over with. I really wanted to enjoy this book but it just didn't do it for me. It did have some silly pictures which was good but that was the only thing I really enjoyed out of the book.
May 14, 2023
Fair warning: This book will make absolutely no sense if you haven’t seen the movies. If you have (and loved them), then you are in for a real treat. It really is just Ron Burgandy going on a tangent for 214 pages. It’s starts with his birth in Hagglesworth, Iowa, to his high school experience at Our Queen Lady Chewbacca highschool, and so on. This book is so quotable and funny, one of my many favorites being, “I carry around a photo of Buffy Sainte-Marie in my wallet and I’m not even a Catholic”. It was a nice, hilarious break from the world.
June 13, 2020
I really struggled to get through this book. It's only got about 200 pages and it's taken me around 2 weeks to finish. I just wasn't interested. It's a shame as I love the character but it doesn't really translate well to a book, just sounds like a load of old nonsense. It's not the worse thing to read, if it's the only book to hand but there are much better books worthy of your time.
August 2, 2022
a complete waste of time. not funny at all. i loved the Anchorman movies, but this book falls far short of the comedic genius that is ron burgundry. maybe something is lost when its not Will bringing the great character to life.
April 23, 2014
Pretty funny, and stayed true to the 'voice of Ron Burgundy'.
I loved the 'side'-story of the neighbor.
I loved the 'side'-story of the neighbor.
March 20, 2016
3 stars purely for comedy value. Please don't expect this book to be any more than it is - rambling hilarity.
August 6, 2024
This silly book is just what the doctor ordered if the doctor ordered laughter as the best medicine. This "autobiography" by Ron Burgundy (aka Will Ferrell) contains the same brand of irreverent, male chauvanistic, over-the-top humor that you'd expect from a Ron Burgundy movie. If you are a fan of Ron's character in those movies, you'll definitely enjoy this amusing book.
One of my favorite parts is that the book includes a running story line about an ongoing feud between Ron and his neighbor... an absolutely gold mine for comedy! The only thing I didn't care for was the last 2 chapters, which just seemed to be random topics totally unrelated to the rest of the book. It would have read better without those chapters IMHO. Otherwise, it's good cover to cover.
Bottom line: If you are fan of Ron Burgundy, RUN... don't walk... to the nearest bookstore and grab a copy of this book. It's a fun read and you will laugh out loud! If you don't enjoy the comedy stylings of Mr. Burgundy, this book is definitely NOT for you.
Stay classy, my friends!
One of my favorite parts is that the book includes a running story line about an ongoing feud between Ron and his neighbor... an absolutely gold mine for comedy! The only thing I didn't care for was the last 2 chapters, which just seemed to be random topics totally unrelated to the rest of the book. It would have read better without those chapters IMHO. Otherwise, it's good cover to cover.
Bottom line: If you are fan of Ron Burgundy, RUN... don't walk... to the nearest bookstore and grab a copy of this book. It's a fun read and you will laugh out loud! If you don't enjoy the comedy stylings of Mr. Burgundy, this book is definitely NOT for you.
Stay classy, my friends!
February 17, 2022
This was a fkn punish. One of the greatest films and not too bad sequel. But this was just ramblings of shite. I’m not even sure Will Ferrell wrote it and it’s just cosplaying Ron Burgundy.
It was hard to focus on it often and dragged the joke out too long.
One star for the saga with his neighbour over the leaf blower, and one star for naming and defaming all the celebrities Ron has fought, made love to or both in the same day.
It was hard to focus on it often and dragged the joke out too long.
One star for the saga with his neighbour over the leaf blower, and one star for naming and defaming all the celebrities Ron has fought, made love to or both in the same day.
February 21, 2019
It was an enjoyable read, made watch Anchorman more enjoyable
October 15, 2025
Not bad but it definitely is all over the place in terms of quality. I think I it would be more enjoyable as an audiobook or translated into a podcast format.
January 14, 2014
If you are looking for a well-written epic about a young man’s rise from poverty to greatness, this is not the book for you; but if you want to laugh for 200+ pages straight, you MUST read this. Let Me Off at the Top: My Classy Life and Other Musings, by Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell), is quite possibly the greatest, classiest comedy ever written. It is a great laugh from cover to cover. Plus, it teaches many interesting facts on all topics. Within these fine pages readers learn about the history of Mexico, how to survive a prison riot, and much, much more.
Ron Burgundy lived an extremely interesting life. This story gives an intriguing background on his life that is not provided by the Anchorman movies. His family, his days at Our Lady Queen of Chewbacca High School, and the stories behind how he met each of the members of his news team are all explained. There is also a very interesting crusade that is going on between Ron and his neighbor that involves a leaf blower, flaming dog droppings, and a few other things. This story is especially interesting because it is actually going on as Mr. Burgundy is writing the story, so he interjects, seemingly randomly, throughout the book with new updates on it.
There are a few criticisms I have to give about this book, which I’m sure Ron would understand because he realizes that not even our great nation, the USA is perfect. The main thing is that the story jumps around a little too much. It tends to meander way off topic and then jump back all in one page. This can make for some confused readers. There are also a few pieces of the book that are completely irrelevant to the rest of the book, like the neighbor thing. It is funny, but it is also a little unnecessary.
Ron Burgundy teaches many things within the pages of his life story. He teaches that perseverance is the key achieving anything in life. This is prevalent through his growing up with eight older brothers and the long trip he took to his first Anchorman gig in Tucson. On the trip he discovered that it takes a month to get from Albuquerque to Tucson if you take the direct route through Maine. There are many other stories of perseverance throughout the book. His long search for a news team, his slow hookup with his first love, and his search for the jackalopes in the deserts of Nevada are only a few examples.
It is nearly impossible to read this book without falling in love with it. Of course reading it without first seeing Anchorman makes it a little harder to understand. So, if you want to read this book, first go watch Anchorman. After that, Let Me Off at the Top will be that much more amusing, but you can still enjoy it even if you haven't watched the movie.
Ron Burgundy lived an extremely interesting life. This story gives an intriguing background on his life that is not provided by the Anchorman movies. His family, his days at Our Lady Queen of Chewbacca High School, and the stories behind how he met each of the members of his news team are all explained. There is also a very interesting crusade that is going on between Ron and his neighbor that involves a leaf blower, flaming dog droppings, and a few other things. This story is especially interesting because it is actually going on as Mr. Burgundy is writing the story, so he interjects, seemingly randomly, throughout the book with new updates on it.
There are a few criticisms I have to give about this book, which I’m sure Ron would understand because he realizes that not even our great nation, the USA is perfect. The main thing is that the story jumps around a little too much. It tends to meander way off topic and then jump back all in one page. This can make for some confused readers. There are also a few pieces of the book that are completely irrelevant to the rest of the book, like the neighbor thing. It is funny, but it is also a little unnecessary.
Ron Burgundy teaches many things within the pages of his life story. He teaches that perseverance is the key achieving anything in life. This is prevalent through his growing up with eight older brothers and the long trip he took to his first Anchorman gig in Tucson. On the trip he discovered that it takes a month to get from Albuquerque to Tucson if you take the direct route through Maine. There are many other stories of perseverance throughout the book. His long search for a news team, his slow hookup with his first love, and his search for the jackalopes in the deserts of Nevada are only a few examples.
It is nearly impossible to read this book without falling in love with it. Of course reading it without first seeing Anchorman makes it a little harder to understand. So, if you want to read this book, first go watch Anchorman. After that, Let Me Off at the Top will be that much more amusing, but you can still enjoy it even if you haven't watched the movie.
June 6, 2014
Billy Ebersold
Alternate Assignment
So far this story has made me laugh every step of the way but I have only one question that this book might answer later on its own, What did Ron Burgundy’s neighbor do with his lawn mower? I want to know this because his neighbor asked Ron for his lawn mower months ago and then never used it but also never returned it to him. If I were to answer this question myself according to all of the stuff Ron has already done since he hadn’t gotten the lawn mower back from his neighbor from lighting dog poop on fire and putting it on his door step to dumping all of his trash in his neighbor’s pool. I think this problem will end when Ron ends up flat out killing his neighbor even though Ron said he doesn’t care so much for the mower itself but more for the reason of asking for it and not using it. This is the most reasonable outcome because Ron Burgundy is a very crazy man he always gets himself into the most bizarre situations that would most likely end in his neighbors death.
Review
After I finished this book I thought that it was a wild ride,
it was of the only books I have read that ever made me laugh and
actually enjoy reading. To enjoy this book you will have had to have
seen the movie before so that you can get an understanding for who Ron
Burgundy is if you don't you will read the book and think he a simple
self-absorbed anchorman who just wants attention. If you can appreciate
Ron Burgundy for who he is this book will be like boarding the fun
train to happy town and never wanting to go back. Through this whole
book Ron tells you about his life and all the shananigans he got into
over the years like when he went to Canada and nearly killed himself
from the boredom he felt up there or when he got into a drunken bar
fight where he met his good friend Champ Kind. There are many
informational parts about this book too, he gives his twelve rules on
how to survive a prison riot and his insights Chain of Begin for all
animals with us in the middle above the sea otter and daddy long legs
but lower than hermit crabs and eagles. All in all this book was very
entertaining and I would encourage anyone who has seen the movie to go
out and buy the book while that still can because it will be a cult
classic and may even spawn another movie.
Alternate Assignment
So far this story has made me laugh every step of the way but I have only one question that this book might answer later on its own, What did Ron Burgundy’s neighbor do with his lawn mower? I want to know this because his neighbor asked Ron for his lawn mower months ago and then never used it but also never returned it to him. If I were to answer this question myself according to all of the stuff Ron has already done since he hadn’t gotten the lawn mower back from his neighbor from lighting dog poop on fire and putting it on his door step to dumping all of his trash in his neighbor’s pool. I think this problem will end when Ron ends up flat out killing his neighbor even though Ron said he doesn’t care so much for the mower itself but more for the reason of asking for it and not using it. This is the most reasonable outcome because Ron Burgundy is a very crazy man he always gets himself into the most bizarre situations that would most likely end in his neighbors death.
Review
After I finished this book I thought that it was a wild ride,
it was of the only books I have read that ever made me laugh and
actually enjoy reading. To enjoy this book you will have had to have
seen the movie before so that you can get an understanding for who Ron
Burgundy is if you don't you will read the book and think he a simple
self-absorbed anchorman who just wants attention. If you can appreciate
Ron Burgundy for who he is this book will be like boarding the fun
train to happy town and never wanting to go back. Through this whole
book Ron tells you about his life and all the shananigans he got into
over the years like when he went to Canada and nearly killed himself
from the boredom he felt up there or when he got into a drunken bar
fight where he met his good friend Champ Kind. There are many
informational parts about this book too, he gives his twelve rules on
how to survive a prison riot and his insights Chain of Begin for all
animals with us in the middle above the sea otter and daddy long legs
but lower than hermit crabs and eagles. All in all this book was very
entertaining and I would encourage anyone who has seen the movie to go
out and buy the book while that still can because it will be a cult
classic and may even spawn another movie.
May 7, 2023
I have fulfilled the book club's category of reading a biography of someone you don't like. I still don't like Will Ferrell or this character he plays. Reading this book was like a series of eye rolls, disgusted looks, and endurance of chauvinistic ignorance for me. I do not like his humor. It's not funny to say that women are stupid.
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