Knee Deep in Paradise

by Brett Butler

The star of the popular ABC-TV series Grace Under Fire recounts her childhood in the South as the daughter of an absent, alcoholic father, her experience with domestic abuse, and her start as a comedienne.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Autobiography, Humor, Biography Memoir

295 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Linda ~ they got the mustard out! ~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved watching Grace Under Fire as a teen. Butler's humor was really one of a kind and the characters she created on her show were funny but real, and in watching some of her standup, it was easy to see where and how she carried over a lot of that material into the show. So when I saw she wrote a bio, I actually decided to read it, which in itself was unusual for me back then, and even now.

For being self-written, it's one of the better bios I've read. Brett is painfully and beautifully honest about her life, from her struggles with drugs and alcoholism and living in an abusive relationship. It really highlights how she used her own life in her comedy and how she used that humor to start the healing process.

[ReGina Welling · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my all time favorite memoirs. Painfully honest, sensitive but strong and deliciously flawed, Butler speaks with immense vulnerability as she tells her story.

I've never written a fan letter, but for this book, I might be tempted.

[Shani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. She didn't say much about being part of Grace Under Fire but I guess that it doesn't really pertain to the story she was telling about her life. I only somewhat knew what her life was like before she became famous. She's come a long way and worked really hard to be who she is now.



I was fortunate enough to meet Brett about 7 years ago and she was one of the sweetest and nicest celebrities I've ever met. I met her when she was staying at the hotel I was working at and she would call me at the desk anytime she needed something and always asked so politely. She even made the time to chat with me one night for about 15 minutes. What a doll.

[Valissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I threw my virginity out of the speeding car that was my life"

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

The gal can write!! I hope one day she tackles a work of fiction. I connected to her story right away. As I am in the process of coming to terms with my own addiction I could related to the feelings she had about her alcoholism. And even though my father stayed with the family, I felt I understood, because though my father was physically present during my youth, he felt emotionally distant and offered a connection only on his terms which was hard for me to do. When I got to the passage she wrote of her father’s 500 books and how he lived his life holed up in a back room, my first reaction was oh, no, I’m like that and is that how I will end up? My second reaction was geez why didn’t I see – my father is like that. So now I prefer to hold on to this quote, ‘it is the vision of my father, who waited so long for very own Godot, that makes me move forward, when it is not in my nature to do so.’ Wise words indeed!

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because I have always enjoyed Brett Butler's stand-up. I thought it was interesting that she was raised in Tuskegee, a primarily black town (but was born in Montgomery about 40 miles down the road). Now that I live about 20 miles from Tuskegee, it makes it kind of cool. I always like reading about Alabama people and comedians, so this was a win-win for me. I don't remember a whole lot about the book, other than I liked it.

[Mitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the TV sitcom 'Grace Under Fire' so I thought I'd enjoy Brett's biography...but it's tough to use the word 'enjoy' when reading it.

First, Brett had abandonment issues big time with her father and living-with-a-depressed-mother issues compounding that. It's no wonder that she went wild with sex, early and often, and became an alcoholic/addict for 17-plus years following that. The only wonder is that she was so successful in comedy or anything, really.

Oddly, I did not really enjoy her writing style. I much preferred her spoken delivery style, even though she professes to have written for years.

Although it seems she has worked through many of her problems, according to further information she is still suffering from some of them. I have to wish better things for her in her personal life, well beyond success in her comedic career.

[books_with_sass · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this more like 2.5, but I rounded up. If you're looking for a juicy tell-all autobiography, this is not it. It tells of growing up with a single mother, getting into drugs and alcohol, how she started in comedy, getting out of drugs and alcohol, and other family drama. That's not to say the book is bad, it's just not the most interesting read.

My main complaint isn't about Brett's writing, but about the way it was edited. Nothing is in chronological order and it skipped around so much I couldn't keep straight her age or where they were living. I really feel like an editor should have rearranged it to be more of a story, have a timeline for it.

All in all, if you're a big Brett fan, then definitely read it. If you enjoyed Grace Under Fire or her stand-up, you can probably skip this, as you'll probably find out more about her through her comedy sets.

[Alicia (PrettyBrownEyeReader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this as an audiobook. The quality of the audio was not great. It made me have an appreciation for how far audiobooks have come. Despite the audio quality, I continued to listen because I am intrigued by the life of comedians.

I grew up watching Brett Butler on her show, Grace Under Fire. I couldn’t believe someone with a strong Southern accent was on television. In this memoir, Butler shares her Southern background which includes a difficult childhood, failed marriages, addiction and her pursuit of a comedy career.

There was nothing earth shattering revealed in this memoir. However, I did enjoy her stories and insights on life. Anyone who enjoys memoirs or reading about the life of comedians will enjoy this book.

[Mike Del Vecchio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting if you're a fan of Grace Under Fire. The writing style veers from Brett's engaging voice as a narrator to the out-of-place inclusion of poetry and prose that seems to try a bit too hard.

The most enjoyable parts, to me, were her early college days and the time shortly afterwards. As she begins to rise as a comedy star she seems less engaged in her personal life, but she doesn't let you blame her for much. She describes a nightmare marriage and an absentee father. The final chapter of the book was a snooze and felt like more of a diary entry than an autobiographical passage. If she wrote another book I'd check it out, I enjoy her personality. Aint bad lookin either.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written while she was starring in the hit sitcom Grace Under Fire, Brett Butler recounts her life growing up in the south with an absent, alcoholic father, depressed mother, domestic abuse, and how she got to where she was.

I’ve always loved how she’d tell it like it is. This book is no exception. The only thing I had trouble with was she would revert back to the past or the future while telling her story with no interlude.

[Stacie Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and it’s a wonderful addition to my home library. Brett had always been an interesting person to me and I loved her tv show back in the day. I picked up this book at a Goodwill store in Opelika, Alabama and upon opening the book cover, I found a few photos of Brett’s father with notes on the back of them. One of the most fascinating things I’ve found left inside a book!

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly this book way better than I thought. I had liked her television show back in the day. It was not necessarily my favorite, but was very relatable.
Her writing style is fluid, beautiful prose that entices the reader more and more. I was sure she had a ghost writer but upon research-nope- all her.
Really well done.

[Ali Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brett is a gifted writer. Her candid words about her feelings for her father were very close to my heart because I could completely identify. Her prose is honest, moving, and memorable.

[Sara Goldenberg · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kind of a sad account of her life.

[Lori Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books of all time. She's fabulous!

[Maureen Armstrong]

Book reads well but story unfolds into depths without care.

[Jeanine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, a nice document of her life. I enjoyed it.

[Olumide Eruobodo]

Hi

[Julie Marsh · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not my type of book. I am disappointed.

[j T · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It’s like looking at a map, the map is on fire, and it says “you are here.””

Read this book

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in between two epic WW2 books that i needed a break from. i enjoyed this memoir a lot. This was a great and concisely written memoir. She didn't harbor on a single event in her life, but rather mentioned and explained the interesting bits. Knowing hardly anything about Brett I was rather impressed by how well she wrote.

[Lisa James · Rating 3 out of 5]

This autobio by Brett herself is a pretty powerful read. It's FULL of the horrors she went through, the abuse she suffered at the hands of her first husband, & it turns out her Mom was also battered, the girls just didn't SEE it, & her search for family answers about the father she never really knew well.

[Theadra Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have bought this book twice. I'd loaned it and it wasn't returned. Butler is a really great writer and I wish she'd write something again. I think this book is as good as any southern gothic novel I've read.

[Rae · Rating 2 out of 5]

An uncommonly well-written celebrity bio from the television star and stand-up comic Brett Butler. She has battled drug and alchohol abuse, suffered through an abusive marriage, and continues to heal from her dysfunctional Southern family environment.

[Hallie Huffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book came at just the right time in my life. Anyone living under the tyranny of their spouse will recognize themselves in this book, and if you are a hick (like me) it just might be disturbing how much you can actually relate!

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend just returned this book to me, which I estimate I read & loaned to him in about 1997! I'd completely forgotten about it, but when I got it back, I remember being impressed with Ms. Butler's writing style & her seemingly objective look at her own life.

[Diane Wachter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knee Deep In Paradise, Brett Butler, Audio Bk-B, @ 1996, 4/02. Autobiography, a memoir of survival, comedienne relates her life of childhood abuse, domestic abuse, addiction, and survival. Very good.

[Karen-Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

he star of the popular ABC-TV series Grace Under Fire recounts her childhood in the South as the daughter of an absent, alcoholic father, her experience with domestic abuse, and her start as a comedienne.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Her life was hard, but that's no excuse.

BTW, that's just a joke. I have nothing personally against Brett or her book.