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Ingram
A suspenseful, often harrowing yet hopeful odyssey through rural America follows a young drifter’s coming of age in an indifferent world, in this debut novel by comedian Louis C.K.
When Ingram is forced by overwhelming poverty and spiritual exhaustion to walk away from his home, he leaves behind a neglectful childhood on a dirt farm on a dead-end road. With no family, no resources, and no practical understanding of the world, Ingram’s only compass is the daily fight to survive and the narrow dream of one day owning a truck.
A picaresque novel set against the backdrop of working-class Texas, Ingram invites readers to see the world through the eyes of a child who drifts through a tough American landscape of corn farms and oil fields, guided by diner waitresses, migrant workers, and criminals, trying to make sense of a world that doesn’t care about him anymore than a jungle or desert does for the creatures that toil to survive within them.
The reality Ingram discovers is wild and cruel, but filled with unexpected wonders. Though this young boy faces tornadoes, explosions, thieves, and rampant violence, his curiosity, humor, and resilience never dull.
As he begins to push against the tide of social and natural bad luck that seems to almost chase him, Ingram begins to forge himself into an individual with agency and the ability and right to choose his own moves, even if he’s not always prepared for the consequences.
Through Ingram’s journey, he begins to come to terms with a forgotten tragedy from his past that shapes the way he understands himself, his family, and his own place in the world.
When Ingram is forced by overwhelming poverty and spiritual exhaustion to walk away from his home, he leaves behind a neglectful childhood on a dirt farm on a dead-end road. With no family, no resources, and no practical understanding of the world, Ingram’s only compass is the daily fight to survive and the narrow dream of one day owning a truck.
A picaresque novel set against the backdrop of working-class Texas, Ingram invites readers to see the world through the eyes of a child who drifts through a tough American landscape of corn farms and oil fields, guided by diner waitresses, migrant workers, and criminals, trying to make sense of a world that doesn’t care about him anymore than a jungle or desert does for the creatures that toil to survive within them.
The reality Ingram discovers is wild and cruel, but filled with unexpected wonders. Though this young boy faces tornadoes, explosions, thieves, and rampant violence, his curiosity, humor, and resilience never dull.
As he begins to push against the tide of social and natural bad luck that seems to almost chase him, Ingram begins to forge himself into an individual with agency and the ability and right to choose his own moves, even if he’s not always prepared for the consequences.
Through Ingram’s journey, he begins to come to terms with a forgotten tragedy from his past that shapes the way he understands himself, his family, and his own place in the world.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published November 11, 2025
545 people are currently reading
3532 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
November 13, 2025
He mentioned on a podcast that his goal was to find that old voice that comes from the soil of America. I think he accomplished that. This story is brutal, but also the reality we live in.
I read this in two evenings over tea in my rocking chair. As much of an homage as I could offer to enhance the setting for the story.
I'm a big fan of Louis CK. His standup, his show Louis, and now this.
I read this in two evenings over tea in my rocking chair. As much of an homage as I could offer to enhance the setting for the story.
I'm a big fan of Louis CK. His standup, his show Louis, and now this.
January 1, 2026
Profound, clever and poetic. And very bleak.
Being familiar with his comedy, I had no doubts this would be a great journey.
It is also a gritty and raw journey.
Ingram’s life is about the bare bones: facts, things, survival. And the fact that he’s a young, innocent boy increases the intensity of everything that happens to him.
Louis CK is painting for us a shocking example of how cruel life can be. The reader has to struggle with the instinct to protect a young kid, while life throws horror after horror at him, and that’s heavy because as a reader, you can’t do anything to help him.
When I got to the end, I wondered to what extent this story must be autobiographical, since in the end every writer writes about themselves, and I’m sure that in at least a metaphorical way a lot of it is very personal for Louis.
Something that struck me is how Ingram’s growth, as a character, happens only as a matter of practical experience, of simply “being more used to the world”, rather than as a real internal growth.
By the end, there is a mention of an internal trauma being somehow processed, but to me, that sounds more like “psychiatry vagueness” rather than actual, profound growth.
What I mean is, there is street wisdom and then there is actual wisdom. Nowadays, the former is much more common than the latter.
Louis, like many modern secular men, stands at the foot of the Cross without Resurrection, which might look like clear-eyed courage, but is a kind of truncation.
He refuses to move, watching, as our Lord bleeds and suffers with us and for us. It’s late at night. Almost no sounds. It’s a warm night, with a little breeze.
He sees the wood very clearly. He does not flinch from nails, from blood, from pain, from the public exposure and humiliation (which he has had to endure himself, mutatis mutandis, due to the recent scandal).
He understands, with an acuity that is increasingly rare, that this world is a cold pit of selfishness, and that too many religious people simply seek faith for superficial comfort, or apply their selfishness to a grandiose delusion.
But — like most, he confuses real faith with “fables and bs”:
“I thought about all these words that meant the same thing: fables, bullshit, lies, fiction: things that weren’t real. What Marian said men need to believe, or what she said puts sugar in your mind. Then there were other words that come together, like what Jackson at the farm called “reality” and Marian called “the truth”: what you get stuck with. The way things are, that can’t be avoided, and are too much to look at.”
A lot of the novel’s core revolves around this concept of “truth”, of staring at it in the face rather than filling your head with fables.
Some people believe that christianity is a prime example of these “fables”. Louis CK probably does, too, because when a priest (or bishop) visits Ingram in the hospital and tells him about Jesus’ presence in everyone’s life, Ingram says “that was the most untrue thing I’d heard in my entire life”, his life being defined by extreme loneliness.
(When a protagonist in fiction says something about God, it is always the author’s own perspective).
What this perspective ignores, however, is that the christianity that they’re thinking about is simply not christianity. And that true christian doctrine is not about sugar-coating (think about all the christian martyrs, just as an example), but about getting deeper into our actual reality.
In this novel, the Cross becomes a practical lesson in realism rather than a passage. It is the place where illusions go to die, not where the dead rise and everything begins. Not the one place in history where a man symbolically, realistically, genuinely, metaphorically, authentically and literally defeated death.
And so Louis’s honesty, bracing as it is, closes in on itself and, sadly, becomes cynicism. It circles human failure with precision, yet refuses the possibility that failure might be more than terminal.
The Cross is not merely the revelation of how bad things are and can be, but the condition of their transformation. To stop at the crucifixion is to grasp judgment without mercy, truth without completion.
It’s like reading only Inferno and thinking that’s the whole Divine Comedy. Dante understood that Christianity is not an opinion, but it’s the only thing that can explain the truth.
Yeah, not “my truth” or “his truth”. The truth. Our society of teenagers has lost the courage to say that.
The Resurrection, after all, is an offense to realism.
It breaks causality. It violates moral accounting. It forgives without pretending nothing happened.
In a sense, Louis makes the mistake that millions make today: being smart, they question tirelessly, thinking that faith asks you to do the opposite. But despite the appearances and the numerous examples of unthinking self-proclaiming christians, that’s not the case.
Real christian doctrine is not built on dumb acceptance of principles. It is rooted in a relentless desire to question reality and get to the bottom of it. It requires great rationality as well as great trust.
So many today wait at the Cross, looking at Jesus, almost a corpse by now. A tiny and grey body, the last pieces of garments flapping in the breeze.
They insist that meaning, if it exists, must be carried on human shoulders alone. Nothing is sacred. Nothing is divine.
But every single human heart needs to worship. So — real, true and deep happiness and growth cannot prescind from the truth of God. And the truth of the Resurrection.
It’s not an easy truth to accept, especially for the intellectually minded like Louis C. K. It’s very difficult.
But it’s the key to “salvation” — a word that comes from “being healthy” in latin.
“Tom! Enough with the preaching! Why do you go on about faith so much?”
Because — like Cardinal Sarah said — “in the end, it is God or nothing.”
Being familiar with his comedy, I had no doubts this would be a great journey.
It is also a gritty and raw journey.
Ingram’s life is about the bare bones: facts, things, survival. And the fact that he’s a young, innocent boy increases the intensity of everything that happens to him.
Louis CK is painting for us a shocking example of how cruel life can be. The reader has to struggle with the instinct to protect a young kid, while life throws horror after horror at him, and that’s heavy because as a reader, you can’t do anything to help him.
When I got to the end, I wondered to what extent this story must be autobiographical, since in the end every writer writes about themselves, and I’m sure that in at least a metaphorical way a lot of it is very personal for Louis.
Something that struck me is how Ingram’s growth, as a character, happens only as a matter of practical experience, of simply “being more used to the world”, rather than as a real internal growth.
By the end, there is a mention of an internal trauma being somehow processed, but to me, that sounds more like “psychiatry vagueness” rather than actual, profound growth.
What I mean is, there is street wisdom and then there is actual wisdom. Nowadays, the former is much more common than the latter.
Louis, like many modern secular men, stands at the foot of the Cross without Resurrection, which might look like clear-eyed courage, but is a kind of truncation.
He refuses to move, watching, as our Lord bleeds and suffers with us and for us. It’s late at night. Almost no sounds. It’s a warm night, with a little breeze.
He sees the wood very clearly. He does not flinch from nails, from blood, from pain, from the public exposure and humiliation (which he has had to endure himself, mutatis mutandis, due to the recent scandal).
He understands, with an acuity that is increasingly rare, that this world is a cold pit of selfishness, and that too many religious people simply seek faith for superficial comfort, or apply their selfishness to a grandiose delusion.
But — like most, he confuses real faith with “fables and bs”:
“I thought about all these words that meant the same thing: fables, bullshit, lies, fiction: things that weren’t real. What Marian said men need to believe, or what she said puts sugar in your mind. Then there were other words that come together, like what Jackson at the farm called “reality” and Marian called “the truth”: what you get stuck with. The way things are, that can’t be avoided, and are too much to look at.”
A lot of the novel’s core revolves around this concept of “truth”, of staring at it in the face rather than filling your head with fables.
Some people believe that christianity is a prime example of these “fables”. Louis CK probably does, too, because when a priest (or bishop) visits Ingram in the hospital and tells him about Jesus’ presence in everyone’s life, Ingram says “that was the most untrue thing I’d heard in my entire life”, his life being defined by extreme loneliness.
(When a protagonist in fiction says something about God, it is always the author’s own perspective).
What this perspective ignores, however, is that the christianity that they’re thinking about is simply not christianity. And that true christian doctrine is not about sugar-coating (think about all the christian martyrs, just as an example), but about getting deeper into our actual reality.
In this novel, the Cross becomes a practical lesson in realism rather than a passage. It is the place where illusions go to die, not where the dead rise and everything begins. Not the one place in history where a man symbolically, realistically, genuinely, metaphorically, authentically and literally defeated death.
And so Louis’s honesty, bracing as it is, closes in on itself and, sadly, becomes cynicism. It circles human failure with precision, yet refuses the possibility that failure might be more than terminal.
The Cross is not merely the revelation of how bad things are and can be, but the condition of their transformation. To stop at the crucifixion is to grasp judgment without mercy, truth without completion.
It’s like reading only Inferno and thinking that’s the whole Divine Comedy. Dante understood that Christianity is not an opinion, but it’s the only thing that can explain the truth.
Yeah, not “my truth” or “his truth”. The truth. Our society of teenagers has lost the courage to say that.
The Resurrection, after all, is an offense to realism.
It breaks causality. It violates moral accounting. It forgives without pretending nothing happened.
In a sense, Louis makes the mistake that millions make today: being smart, they question tirelessly, thinking that faith asks you to do the opposite. But despite the appearances and the numerous examples of unthinking self-proclaiming christians, that’s not the case.
Real christian doctrine is not built on dumb acceptance of principles. It is rooted in a relentless desire to question reality and get to the bottom of it. It requires great rationality as well as great trust.
So many today wait at the Cross, looking at Jesus, almost a corpse by now. A tiny and grey body, the last pieces of garments flapping in the breeze.
They insist that meaning, if it exists, must be carried on human shoulders alone. Nothing is sacred. Nothing is divine.
But every single human heart needs to worship. So — real, true and deep happiness and growth cannot prescind from the truth of God. And the truth of the Resurrection.
It’s not an easy truth to accept, especially for the intellectually minded like Louis C. K. It’s very difficult.
But it’s the key to “salvation” — a word that comes from “being healthy” in latin.
“Tom! Enough with the preaching! Why do you go on about faith so much?”
Because — like Cardinal Sarah said — “in the end, it is God or nothing.”
November 14, 2025
This book brought me right back to my roots growing up, invisible, in a single wide mobile home on wheels in Appalachia Kentucky. IYKYK Watch out Huck Finn! There’s a new kid in town and his name is Ingram.
November 18, 2025
This was, without a doubt, the worst book ever written since writing was invented 4500 years ago. I would rate it zero stars if it would let me. The longest homosexual coming out story I’ve ever read. I don’t endorse burning books, but in this case I will make an exception. The main character is just him being angry at everyone because he can’t keep his man parts to himself. This whole thing is an ode to the mediocre white man being held accountable for inflicting his mediocre white peen upon the world. I knew this was going to be bad when he Thanked Theo Von with reading and helping him craft the story. Chris Rock should sue to have his name removed from the dedication page. A completely non-sensical story with flat zero dimensional characters and no discernible plot. I think he’s making a social commentary, but mostly he was too busy insulting the reader with stereotypical portrayals of every race and social standing. I would say it’s mostly misogynistic, but you realize that’s just the pretty wrapping on a misanthropic gift, that is Ingram. Or should it be called Baby Louis is angry with the world. Louis CK is the Temu Mark Twain/Cormac McCarthy. I feel like he was trying to write The Road, but only made it as far as the outhouse. Mothers, Fathers, friends, family…you know when you’ve created and coddled a mediocre white male, do not feed into or co-sign their delusions of grandeur, novels like this are the result…or school shootings. I hate to be so critical of any artistic endeavor; the artist is as close to a god as can reasonably be observed, in that they create from thin air what never existed. But this creation…birth is backwards. Louis CK has laid before us, the afterbirth. Please only read this book if you hate yourself or recommend it to someone you truly hate.
November 23, 2025
I've been a big fan of Louis c.k.'s work since shameless came out almost twenty years ago. I've been lucky enough to see him live and I've purchased his side projects like Horace and Pete, which I enjoyed. All this to say I really wanted to love this book. I do have to be honest, no aspect of this narrative was executed well. The character development, settings, plot points, the pacing, the vernacular, everything, was just flat. In areas where it was clear from context that it should be a moving moment, the feeling just wasn't there. There were just way too many similes which also made it feel all the more amateur, and it really took me out of it. In the final third of the novel a major revelation gave me hope that there was still time for redemption. Unfortunately that was not the case. It felt like he ramped up for something big and didn't deliver in the end.
Louis is an incredibly gifted story teller imo. I absolutely loved how he was able to capture moments of the absurdity of everyday life on his show 'Louie'. There was never a moment in this novel where I could hear Louie's voice. It seemed too much like he was trying to write in the voice of Mark Twain. I feel like Louie needs to just be Louie. If he writes another one, which it sounds like he will, I really hope he finds his voice for it because I know it's there.
Louis is an incredibly gifted story teller imo. I absolutely loved how he was able to capture moments of the absurdity of everyday life on his show 'Louie'. There was never a moment in this novel where I could hear Louie's voice. It seemed too much like he was trying to write in the voice of Mark Twain. I feel like Louie needs to just be Louie. If he writes another one, which it sounds like he will, I really hope he finds his voice for it because I know it's there.
December 27, 2025
Did I accidentally order a Cormac McCarthy novel at the Scholastic Book Fair in the school library? Every commonplace event is described through the eyes of an innocent boy. That gimmick got tiresome and it was often excruciatingly inauthentic. Is this YA? I've never read any YA before (unless Huck Finn counts).
November 20, 2025
When I first heard that Louis C.K. had written a novel—let alone one that people were whispering might become a classic—I was skeptical. And yet here we are. Ingram is an unexpected achievement: a remarkably assured piece of fiction that at times feels timeless, even canonical, while also containing moments that hold it back from fully earning that status.
Let’s start with what works. The voice Louis C.K. creates for Ingram is extraordinary—simple, clear-eyed, strangely innocent, and immediately believable. The narrative feels like it’s filtered through a child’s perception, offering “new eyes on an old world.” The mix of ignorance, curiosity, and plainspoken observation is delightful. It’s a difficult narrative voice to sustain, and he does it with real skill.
I was also struck by the novel’s ambiguous time period. It initially evokes a scene out of the Great Depression, yet as the story unfolds we encounter details suggesting this world exists much later—perhaps even in a speculative future. The effect is disorienting but compelling, and it gives the novel a mythic, almost fable-like quality.
Another place where Louis C.K. shines is in his portrayal of people simply trying to survive. Characters don’t pontificate about politics or systems; they inhabit the world in front of them, doing their best within its constraints. Their lives are simple but never depicted as lacking intelligence or emotional depth. It’s a humane, grounded perspective that works beautifully.
But there are moments where the author’s hand shows more than it should. The clearest example is around money. Early on, Ingram is obsessed with burying his coins for safekeeping—an instinct that feels true for someone living in poverty. Yet moments later, he casually dumps stacks of dimes on a bed and walks away from them. It reads like authorial carelessness rather than character development. It also reflects something about the writer: a wealthy comedian who, perhaps, cannot fully imagine the hyper-protectiveness that poverty instills. The scene only becomes stranger when the thief is offered a moral choice so bizarre—“take half and I won’t stab you”—that it borders on parody.
A similar issue appears after the factory explosion, when Ingram learns from an attorney that his pain and suffering have monetary value. For someone who has known extreme poverty, his total indifference feels less like character consistency and more like the author imposing an idea. The book insists that Ingram cares only about whether people own a particular pickup truck—a detail meant to be quirky, but one that becomes thematically muddled as we learn the truck is nearly obsolete in this world.
And then there’s the question of segregation. I remain conflicted about how it functions in the novel. Given the realities of today’s society—where both wealth and poverty are racially diverse—it’s difficult to accept a future that reconstitutes a 1950s-style racial order. If anything, our trajectory suggests class stratification, not the reemergence of rigid racial segregation. The book’s portrayal of racial boundaries feels anachronistic, as if imported from mid-century America rather than earned within the logic of the world being built.
Despite these criticisms, I thoroughly enjoyed Ingram. It often reads like a classic. It feels like a classic. Louis C.K. has created a distinctively American voice and a richly imagined world. The novel does stumble in its later chapters—losing some of the clarity and control that made the opening so strong—but even so, this is an impressive, memorable debut. I’m glad I read it, and I suspect many others will be too.
Let’s start with what works. The voice Louis C.K. creates for Ingram is extraordinary—simple, clear-eyed, strangely innocent, and immediately believable. The narrative feels like it’s filtered through a child’s perception, offering “new eyes on an old world.” The mix of ignorance, curiosity, and plainspoken observation is delightful. It’s a difficult narrative voice to sustain, and he does it with real skill.
I was also struck by the novel’s ambiguous time period. It initially evokes a scene out of the Great Depression, yet as the story unfolds we encounter details suggesting this world exists much later—perhaps even in a speculative future. The effect is disorienting but compelling, and it gives the novel a mythic, almost fable-like quality.
Another place where Louis C.K. shines is in his portrayal of people simply trying to survive. Characters don’t pontificate about politics or systems; they inhabit the world in front of them, doing their best within its constraints. Their lives are simple but never depicted as lacking intelligence or emotional depth. It’s a humane, grounded perspective that works beautifully.
But there are moments where the author’s hand shows more than it should. The clearest example is around money. Early on, Ingram is obsessed with burying his coins for safekeeping—an instinct that feels true for someone living in poverty. Yet moments later, he casually dumps stacks of dimes on a bed and walks away from them. It reads like authorial carelessness rather than character development. It also reflects something about the writer: a wealthy comedian who, perhaps, cannot fully imagine the hyper-protectiveness that poverty instills. The scene only becomes stranger when the thief is offered a moral choice so bizarre—“take half and I won’t stab you”—that it borders on parody.
A similar issue appears after the factory explosion, when Ingram learns from an attorney that his pain and suffering have monetary value. For someone who has known extreme poverty, his total indifference feels less like character consistency and more like the author imposing an idea. The book insists that Ingram cares only about whether people own a particular pickup truck—a detail meant to be quirky, but one that becomes thematically muddled as we learn the truck is nearly obsolete in this world.
And then there’s the question of segregation. I remain conflicted about how it functions in the novel. Given the realities of today’s society—where both wealth and poverty are racially diverse—it’s difficult to accept a future that reconstitutes a 1950s-style racial order. If anything, our trajectory suggests class stratification, not the reemergence of rigid racial segregation. The book’s portrayal of racial boundaries feels anachronistic, as if imported from mid-century America rather than earned within the logic of the world being built.
Despite these criticisms, I thoroughly enjoyed Ingram. It often reads like a classic. It feels like a classic. Louis C.K. has created a distinctively American voice and a richly imagined world. The novel does stumble in its later chapters—losing some of the clarity and control that made the opening so strong—but even so, this is an impressive, memorable debut. I’m glad I read it, and I suspect many others will be too.
December 17, 2025
..netipisks un aizraujošs stāsts par mazu puiku, kurš piespiedu kārtā tiek aizsūtīts pasaulē. kā tāds brutāls Sprīdīša variants no štatiem. un paša autora balsī pavisam cits baudījums. | 4,5*
November 16, 2025
Surprisingly profound in its simplicity and CK's creative interpretation of the world through a lost child's eyes. Touching if you wish to be touched. Moving if you wish to be moved. Captivating and hopeful through countless tragedies. Ingram consistently defies the alternative, even through passivity. Highly recommend.
November 16, 2025
I acknowledge heavy bias as a fan of the author. Is this a prize-winning book? No. Is this the next Great American Novel? No. Is it incredibly repetitive in its simplistic prose due to being written in the first person by the main character, an illiterate child? Yes. The best description I have read for this book is 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with Forrest Gump as the main character' - in the sense that the character stumbles through a hard life, encountering meanness from people who should know better, and kindness from people his peers would have taught him to hate, and events just seem to happen to him, and he learns something from every experience.
There is nothing ground-breaking or life-changing here. However, I enjoyed my time with it, and I will revisit it in the future. I'm glad I bought the audiobook, as I think seeing the prose as the written word would have frustrated me greatly as a reader.
There is nothing ground-breaking or life-changing here. However, I enjoyed my time with it, and I will revisit it in the future. I'm glad I bought the audiobook, as I think seeing the prose as the written word would have frustrated me greatly as a reader.
November 18, 2025
Ingram is one of the most mesmerizing books I’ve read. The boy’s clarity and calm acceptance of reality were unexpectedly moving. I couldn’t stop listening, even pushed work aside just to finish it.
November 13, 2025
Listened on audiobook. My husband wanted to listen to it with me. I gave it 4 chapters and just couldn’t do anymore. I give 1 star for books I cannot finish. It’s the writing and the contradictions. Maybe it gets better but it was like nails on a chalkboard to me and I couldn’t do it anymore.
December 26, 2025
Hands down the worst book I have ever read. So disappointing that it will become an instant NY Bestseller because it is written by a celebrity and that's how marketing works - but all the more reason that strong criticism of it must be made.
I knew this was a disaster by the first paragraph. When a protagonist who was supposedly born and raised on a farm says of horses, "horses do what horses do," instantly shattered the immersion of a world attempting to be entered. It’s a glaring "tell" that the author hasn't done the basic research required to inhabit the world he's building. I hoped it would improve; instead, it descended into a parody of "meaningful" literature. What should have remained as an SNL Sketch became an actual novel.
It is clear that Louis CK is operating within a vacuum of sycophants. There is no evidence of an editor’s hand here. This book reads like a first draft that was applauded by people too intimidated by celebrity to speak the truth: it is unreadable. The writing doesn't just fail; it insults the reader. The characterization is so shallow that the boy feels less like a human being and more like a buffoon that came into spontaneous existence at 9 years old. I expected the boy to soon take delight by how wet water was. The author mistakes misery for depth and the dawning of awareness for insight. The character is a know-nothing in dialogue, but displays depth in narration and that's because Louis has no idea on how to write such a novel.
The danger of this book isn't just that it’s bad—it’s that it represents the "celebrity-first" plague of publishing - pushing away the talent in lieu of the famous. The wit and timing he has on stage are nowhere to be found in these pages. The prose is so "confidently moronic" that it risks poisoning the well. Between the algorithmic drift of AI-generated content and the ego-driven vanity projects of celebrities, the bar for "good writing" has been lowered to the floor. This book came into existence as trash, never having served any purpose other than being garbage and to the garbage it shall go.
I had AI remove my vitriol to stay within the community guidelines. Do yourself a favor and remove it from your reading list.
I knew this was a disaster by the first paragraph. When a protagonist who was supposedly born and raised on a farm says of horses, "horses do what horses do," instantly shattered the immersion of a world attempting to be entered. It’s a glaring "tell" that the author hasn't done the basic research required to inhabit the world he's building. I hoped it would improve; instead, it descended into a parody of "meaningful" literature. What should have remained as an SNL Sketch became an actual novel.
It is clear that Louis CK is operating within a vacuum of sycophants. There is no evidence of an editor’s hand here. This book reads like a first draft that was applauded by people too intimidated by celebrity to speak the truth: it is unreadable. The writing doesn't just fail; it insults the reader. The characterization is so shallow that the boy feels less like a human being and more like a buffoon that came into spontaneous existence at 9 years old. I expected the boy to soon take delight by how wet water was. The author mistakes misery for depth and the dawning of awareness for insight. The character is a know-nothing in dialogue, but displays depth in narration and that's because Louis has no idea on how to write such a novel.
The danger of this book isn't just that it’s bad—it’s that it represents the "celebrity-first" plague of publishing - pushing away the talent in lieu of the famous. The wit and timing he has on stage are nowhere to be found in these pages. The prose is so "confidently moronic" that it risks poisoning the well. Between the algorithmic drift of AI-generated content and the ego-driven vanity projects of celebrities, the bar for "good writing" has been lowered to the floor. This book came into existence as trash, never having served any purpose other than being garbage and to the garbage it shall go.
I had AI remove my vitriol to stay within the community guidelines. Do yourself a favor and remove it from your reading list.
November 24, 2025
A beautiful, American hero's journey. I knew Louis CK could write comedy, but DAMN can he write a novel too. I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by Louis, but I will definitely buy this in hard copy and read it again. Absolutely loved it.
December 3, 2025
I went into the book wanting to like it, but it was a mess of one dimensional characters and caricature-ized tropes. For all that Ingram went through, he still managed to be written as a one dimensional flat line of a character with no development, which was disappointing. This book was a publishing of an idea with no editing or fine-tuning of the sentences or the characters. No one seemed to check or hold the author accountable for any of it, which is a shame.
I didn’t struggle to pick up the book, there was a part of me that always wanted to see where Ingram’s story ended, but it was overall a disappointment and waste of time.
I didn’t struggle to pick up the book, there was a part of me that always wanted to see where Ingram’s story ended, but it was overall a disappointment and waste of time.
December 30, 2025
Shockingly, this novel is written by the Grammy winning and extremely famous and successful comedian Louis CK. Did anyone else on the whole planet know that he was writing a novel? I saw it on the shelf at Barnes & Noble and was reading through reviews before it occurred to me who the author was. I could not have been more shocked….. except for when I learned what the book was about. For anyone who is familiar with CK’s work, they would expect this book to be something significantly more lighthearted. Fair warning, it is not.
The writing here is not good. I think with time it could get that way. Ingram, however, is very rudimentary. The story follows a young boy cast out of his family home, who is forced to learn his life’s lessons on his own in extremely difficult circumstances. This of course is a story that has been told many times before. The novel that I can think of that most closely resembles what CK is attempting here is Kingsolver’s Pulitzer Prize winning Demon Copperhead, which is a sweeping epic tale of a boy in similar circumstances. Both stories seem to be heavily inspired by notions of David Copperfield, but Ingram is definitely a poor man’s version.
I have to applaud a few things here – a well-known comedian getting in to novel writing is a huge intellectual jump, and I think he did it with aplomb. He also crossed a genre gap in a way that is almost belies believability, and though I felt that he missed the mark somewhat, the novel is extremely serious in tone and tackled some difficult themes. It also manages to wrap up the multiple storylines in a way that is satisfying and feels thorough, although it was done in sort of a clumsy ham fisted way. I believe his next novel might be truly excellent.
This book is good. It is not great. For people interested in literature as a progressive art form I think this might be an important book to check off of your to-read list. CK seems to be announcing himself as a serious author and I think in the next 5 to 10 years he will quite possibly have achieved something excellent. Ingram is a smoke signal — CK has declared himself a serious contender in story telling and I find that extremely exciting!
The writing here is not good. I think with time it could get that way. Ingram, however, is very rudimentary. The story follows a young boy cast out of his family home, who is forced to learn his life’s lessons on his own in extremely difficult circumstances. This of course is a story that has been told many times before. The novel that I can think of that most closely resembles what CK is attempting here is Kingsolver’s Pulitzer Prize winning Demon Copperhead, which is a sweeping epic tale of a boy in similar circumstances. Both stories seem to be heavily inspired by notions of David Copperfield, but Ingram is definitely a poor man’s version.
I have to applaud a few things here – a well-known comedian getting in to novel writing is a huge intellectual jump, and I think he did it with aplomb. He also crossed a genre gap in a way that is almost belies believability, and though I felt that he missed the mark somewhat, the novel is extremely serious in tone and tackled some difficult themes. It also manages to wrap up the multiple storylines in a way that is satisfying and feels thorough, although it was done in sort of a clumsy ham fisted way. I believe his next novel might be truly excellent.
This book is good. It is not great. For people interested in literature as a progressive art form I think this might be an important book to check off of your to-read list. CK seems to be announcing himself as a serious author and I think in the next 5 to 10 years he will quite possibly have achieved something excellent. Ingram is a smoke signal — CK has declared himself a serious contender in story telling and I find that extremely exciting!
December 1, 2025
Slower start- maybe Intentionally bleak.
Stick with it- you’ll be rewarded with moments of beauty.
Stick with it- you’ll be rewarded with moments of beauty.
November 21, 2025
It’s Luis friggin C.K. being all serious like he did with Horace and Pete.
November 16, 2025
Louis CK is like Prince. The singer. But more ginger. I say that because I’m a massive Prince fan, and from the early 90s when I discovered Prince and his back catalogue, I would buy everything he would release and go to his concerts multiple times (he’d always mix the set list up depending on his mood). I’m the same with Louis CK. I discovered his comedy when Chewed Up came out, went back and watched Shameless and his HBO more absurd special, and then I was along for the ride with the Lucky Louie show, then Louis, Horace and Pete, a bunch of podcasts and all of the specials that followed. I would even regularly read Louis’ blogposts on his website (the series of posts when he travelled to Afghanistan to perform for the troops always springs to mind) and I had always thought that Louis was just ad interesting, funny and engaging when he would write. Louis is one of those people who has a distinct voice, and the accent on that voice is honesty. I’ve always admired Louis’ way of just being truthful no matter what, and finding unique ways to find humour in any situation. I am reminded of a routine where Louis asks, “what are some other terrible things to do comedy about” and then nails it.
So when I learned that Louis was to write his first book, I was excited in the same way that I was when Prince would release an album or announce a new tour. And I was right to be excited because I loved this book.
Ingram is a wonderful story that reminded me of when I was a kid and read Hucklberry Finn (check out Louis’ memories of discovering Tom Sawyer and reading it to his daughters!). It’s an innocent story, told through the eyes of Ingram, a young child who really hadn’t learned very much about life. So we go on a literal and philosophical journey with Ingram and that’s where Louis’ distinct expert voice and sublime way of telling the reader what is happening, but having the character be unaware, kicks in. Louis deftly describes situations where you laugh, cry, gasp as little Ingram experiences them and sees them through his innocent eyes. Really, Ingram is a mirror, holding society up to all of us to see, but in a non-pretentious honest way that Louis specialises in. A word about the similes that Louis deploys here - they are with purpose and I noticed that the similes that Ingram uses all relate to the world that he knows. That was cool, Louis!
It is very funny, and for those that really know Louis and know how he has never been afraid to evolve, and how he is equally honest and an amazing storyteller, but also has a joyful love of the absurd, you folks will not be disappointed. But it’s not an out and out comedy book by any stretch of the imagination. If you’re looking for Louis writing out a bunch of stand up routines, you’ll be disappointed. But you also have a bunch of actual stand up routines so go and watch them, and then come back to this book with an open mind and allow yourself to go on the journey with Ingram and you’ll really start to feel for the little fella.
I really hope Louis continues writing, because this was a memorable and fantastic read.
So when I learned that Louis was to write his first book, I was excited in the same way that I was when Prince would release an album or announce a new tour. And I was right to be excited because I loved this book.
Ingram is a wonderful story that reminded me of when I was a kid and read Hucklberry Finn (check out Louis’ memories of discovering Tom Sawyer and reading it to his daughters!). It’s an innocent story, told through the eyes of Ingram, a young child who really hadn’t learned very much about life. So we go on a literal and philosophical journey with Ingram and that’s where Louis’ distinct expert voice and sublime way of telling the reader what is happening, but having the character be unaware, kicks in. Louis deftly describes situations where you laugh, cry, gasp as little Ingram experiences them and sees them through his innocent eyes. Really, Ingram is a mirror, holding society up to all of us to see, but in a non-pretentious honest way that Louis specialises in. A word about the similes that Louis deploys here - they are with purpose and I noticed that the similes that Ingram uses all relate to the world that he knows. That was cool, Louis!
It is very funny, and for those that really know Louis and know how he has never been afraid to evolve, and how he is equally honest and an amazing storyteller, but also has a joyful love of the absurd, you folks will not be disappointed. But it’s not an out and out comedy book by any stretch of the imagination. If you’re looking for Louis writing out a bunch of stand up routines, you’ll be disappointed. But you also have a bunch of actual stand up routines so go and watch them, and then come back to this book with an open mind and allow yourself to go on the journey with Ingram and you’ll really start to feel for the little fella.
I really hope Louis continues writing, because this was a memorable and fantastic read.
December 8, 2025
When it comes to novels written by people who can be labelled, with the broadest brush, as 'celebrities', there is always an element of doubt: whether their talent in other spheres can carry across to novel-writing, which is harder than it looks; whether they have been sufficiently challenged by an editor or publisher who may be starstruck or, worse, lazy because they know the name alone will shift copies; and whether it is, when all is said and done, merely a vanity project while real authors starve.
But in the face of these default concerns whenever a 'celebrity' writer says howdy and here's my book, Ingram comes out surprisingly well. This is really a rather impressive literary debut from Louis C.K., and worth your time. There are some flaws: the first half strays a bit too close to his inspirations, aping the likes of Mark Twain and, perhaps, Cormac McCarthy without doing enough of its own thing, whereas the second half hints that this is actually a near-future world where racial segregation and civil war rage (with our protagonist, the titular Ingram, oblivious to it all), without building that world or using it to any real narrative or thematic purpose. Ingram himself, while largely well-drawn, also strains our credulity at how little he knows about some basic things.
That said, flaws are to be expected in any debut novel and there's no reason we shouldn't grant Louie the same grace we would any other promising first-time author. Because when you ride over these bumps in the road, the whole vehicle's been built so well you'll barely notice them. While Louie occasionally leans a bit too heavily into Ingram's podunk naivety, the voice of the character is, in general, quite well-honed. The reader enjoys his company and roots for him. Likewise, the various characters Ingram meets along the way are well-drawn, even if they're only there for a single scene – the sign of a capable and confident writer, for a lesser writer would guard what achievements they have jealously and spread them thin.
There's little plot in Ingram, and that may frustrate more casual readers who have come to the book solely because they are fans of the name on the cover, but it's a perfectly legitimate approach in literary circles to orient what is essentially a character study in this way. It bodes well for any novel-writing Louie might do in the future, though I do confess that I had hoped the creator of Louie and Horace and Pete and Fourth of July had written something closer in spirit to those fine experiences, for there is little to no comedy in Ingram, the dialogue is homespun and authentic rather than razor-sharp and witty, and the nature of the book – a Huckleberry Finn-esque odyssey told through the eyes of a child – does not easily fit into the mold of what we imagine Louis C.K. to be or seek to take from him. Nevertheless, if this is one string Louie is adding to his bow, I for one won't mind at all if he shoots me in the ass.
But in the face of these default concerns whenever a 'celebrity' writer says howdy and here's my book, Ingram comes out surprisingly well. This is really a rather impressive literary debut from Louis C.K., and worth your time. There are some flaws: the first half strays a bit too close to his inspirations, aping the likes of Mark Twain and, perhaps, Cormac McCarthy without doing enough of its own thing, whereas the second half hints that this is actually a near-future world where racial segregation and civil war rage (with our protagonist, the titular Ingram, oblivious to it all), without building that world or using it to any real narrative or thematic purpose. Ingram himself, while largely well-drawn, also strains our credulity at how little he knows about some basic things.
That said, flaws are to be expected in any debut novel and there's no reason we shouldn't grant Louie the same grace we would any other promising first-time author. Because when you ride over these bumps in the road, the whole vehicle's been built so well you'll barely notice them. While Louie occasionally leans a bit too heavily into Ingram's podunk naivety, the voice of the character is, in general, quite well-honed. The reader enjoys his company and roots for him. Likewise, the various characters Ingram meets along the way are well-drawn, even if they're only there for a single scene – the sign of a capable and confident writer, for a lesser writer would guard what achievements they have jealously and spread them thin.
There's little plot in Ingram, and that may frustrate more casual readers who have come to the book solely because they are fans of the name on the cover, but it's a perfectly legitimate approach in literary circles to orient what is essentially a character study in this way. It bodes well for any novel-writing Louie might do in the future, though I do confess that I had hoped the creator of Louie and Horace and Pete and Fourth of July had written something closer in spirit to those fine experiences, for there is little to no comedy in Ingram, the dialogue is homespun and authentic rather than razor-sharp and witty, and the nature of the book – a Huckleberry Finn-esque odyssey told through the eyes of a child – does not easily fit into the mold of what we imagine Louis C.K. to be or seek to take from him. Nevertheless, if this is one string Louie is adding to his bow, I for one won't mind at all if he shoots me in the ass.
November 25, 2025
I'm heartbroken and delighted upon finishing this story. This was a simple tale, and was told very efficiently, but the depth was impressive. The first chapter moved me deeply. I was overwhelmed and very surprised by it.
What a story of loss and grief. What a pleasure it was to get to know Ingram and to see the world through his eyes. I found his perspective and voice to be very believable and well written. His grief was real. My desire to save this boy was strong.
I loved the characters we met along the way, all so well-written. Bull, Marion, Bart, Pa...so many broken, imperfect people who gave little pieces of themselves (maybe even the best pieces of themselves they had left?) to Ingram.
The vague setting was amazing. When did this story take place? Turn of the century? The Great Depression? A dystopian future?? I could smell, feel, and hear so many of the places in this book...but couldn't tell you when it happened.
All in all, this was so worth the time. I will definitely re-read this book. I'm very grateful for the tale and the characters. I will remember Ingram and think of his story. This was a really good one.
If Louis C.K. has not read the works of Ottessa Moshfegh, I highly recommend he does.
What a story of loss and grief. What a pleasure it was to get to know Ingram and to see the world through his eyes. I found his perspective and voice to be very believable and well written. His grief was real. My desire to save this boy was strong.
I loved the characters we met along the way, all so well-written. Bull, Marion, Bart, Pa...so many broken, imperfect people who gave little pieces of themselves (maybe even the best pieces of themselves they had left?) to Ingram.
The vague setting was amazing. When did this story take place? Turn of the century? The Great Depression? A dystopian future?? I could smell, feel, and hear so many of the places in this book...but couldn't tell you when it happened.
All in all, this was so worth the time. I will definitely re-read this book. I'm very grateful for the tale and the characters. I will remember Ingram and think of his story. This was a really good one.
If Louis C.K. has not read the works of Ottessa Moshfegh, I highly recommend he does.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2025
I have absolutely no qualms about rating this novel 5 stars. It is, perhaps, the greatest book I have read in 2005, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if this becomes a classic.
Ingram, abandoned by his father and ultimately turned out by his mother in Texas at the age of 9, is forced to endure his coming of age prematurely and at great personal cost. Unloved and uncared for, completely devoid of experience or education, he starts out in the clothes on his back and the shoes on his feet, he starts walking to Houston in hopes of finding a way to survive. Through dirt and paved roads, toxic sludge and even a tornado, he uses his wits and the assistance of a few kindly strangers to make his way to an unknown and unpromising future.
Ingram’s story is one of sadness, ignorance and sheer grit and will leave most readers sharing his pain and confusion.
An absolutely perfectly written novel.
Ingram, abandoned by his father and ultimately turned out by his mother in Texas at the age of 9, is forced to endure his coming of age prematurely and at great personal cost. Unloved and uncared for, completely devoid of experience or education, he starts out in the clothes on his back and the shoes on his feet, he starts walking to Houston in hopes of finding a way to survive. Through dirt and paved roads, toxic sludge and even a tornado, he uses his wits and the assistance of a few kindly strangers to make his way to an unknown and unpromising future.
Ingram’s story is one of sadness, ignorance and sheer grit and will leave most readers sharing his pain and confusion.
An absolutely perfectly written novel.
December 5, 2025
Man, I wanted to like this book. There’s some good ideas, and he really tries to make it seem like it’s coming from the perspective of a middle-of-nowhere child. Sometimes it’s cute and charming. But the childish ignorance makes the narrative feel clunky. There also really isn’t much of a narrative. Just a mishmash of things that happen — none particularly interesting. I think this is a testament to how hard it is to write a novel. But I also think there’s a reason why none of the big publishers touched it. This is almost the worst thing Louis has ever done.
December 10, 2025
I'm torn here... as entertainment it worked. I was fully engaged and flew through the novel. BUT, just like with his shitty B&W arthouse film, Louis desperately seemed to be trying to make a piece of serious literature and, by that standard, it just felt like by-the-numbers cosplay.
BONUS POINTS for when Ingram finally discovered masturbation and I let out an audible cheer because I though Mr C.K. would wuss out and skip that part :-D
BONUS POINTS for when Ingram finally discovered masturbation and I let out an audible cheer because I though Mr C.K. would wuss out and skip that part :-D
November 30, 2025
Louis has the unique gift and ability to tell sad horrible stories that reveal the beauty of living life and can make you smile despite the pain. Ingram is no different. You get to experience the world for the first time with him and learn about all the different kinds of people and pains that we’ve come accostum too.
December 29, 2025
More like 3.5. Why aren’t there half stars on here?
January 1, 2026
A really great story - Ingram, uneducated,banished from his home as a small child, begins an amazing journey through Texas (maybe circa 1950-60s). Hard to put this one down! Highly recommend!
December 6, 2025
I’m about to meet Louis C.K. at a book signing and I’m going to tell him my review in person: the book is incredible. I loved it so much!
November 30, 2025
I just finished Ingram by Louis C.K. on Audible, and I honestly can’t recommend it enough. This isn't just a book—it’s an absolutely immersive listening experience that you won't want to pause.
Louis C.K.'s writing here is truly something special. He has managed to craft a story that is deeply engaging, unexpectedly moving, and laced with that signature observational depth he's known for. It pulls you into the world of the titular character, making every twist and turn feel intensely personal. The pacing is pitch-perfect, constantly driving the narrative forward without ever feeling rushed or confusing.
Louis C.K.'s writing here is truly something special. He has managed to craft a story that is deeply engaging, unexpectedly moving, and laced with that signature observational depth he's known for. It pulls you into the world of the titular character, making every twist and turn feel intensely personal. The pacing is pitch-perfect, constantly driving the narrative forward without ever feeling rushed or confusing.
November 17, 2025
2.5⭐️
It came so close to being great, but the writing often felt clunky and in need of a few more rounds of editing. I especially struggled with the stretches of narration that dwelled on overly basic details, like describing a map by painstakingly listing out every key, line, and symbol. I understand this was meant to reflect Ingram’s perspective and knowledge gap, but it ultimately made the reading experience feel tedious.
That said, Louis’s talent is undeniable. You can see flashes throughout the story, and with more time with the craft, I believe he could become an exceptional writer. I’ll absolutely be picking up his next novel.
It came so close to being great, but the writing often felt clunky and in need of a few more rounds of editing. I especially struggled with the stretches of narration that dwelled on overly basic details, like describing a map by painstakingly listing out every key, line, and symbol. I understand this was meant to reflect Ingram’s perspective and knowledge gap, but it ultimately made the reading experience feel tedious.
That said, Louis’s talent is undeniable. You can see flashes throughout the story, and with more time with the craft, I believe he could become an exceptional writer. I’ll absolutely be picking up his next novel.
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