Hits and Misses

by Simon Rich

'Simon Rich is outrageously, lavishly gifted'- Caitlin Moran'Simon Rich is the funniest writer alive'- Matt Haig'How fabulously funny'- Lauren Laverne'One of my favourite authors'- B J NovakFrom a bitter tell-all by a horse who made a man famous and then got left behind to a gushing magazine profile of one of your favorite World War II dictators, these stories trawl through history to skewer our obsession with fame and fortune - all the way from ancient Babylon to Hollywood. What father-to-be wouldn't feel a little jealous when his baby outstrips his success from the womb? And what happens when a film critic is forced to live in the movies he so cruelly damned?Loved in the UK by celebs, writers and readers alike, from Lauren Laverne to Matt Haig and Caitlin Moran, Simon Rich is back with his funniest and most personal collection of stories to date.

Genres: Short Stories, Humor, Fiction, Comedy, Audiobook, Contemporary, Adult

240 pages, Paperback

First published July 24, 2018

About the author

Simon Rich (born 1984) is an American humorist whose first book, Ant Farm and Other Desperate Situations, was published by Random House in April 2007.

Rich is an alumnus of The Dalton School and a former president of The Harvard Lampoon, and the son of The New York Times editorialist Frank Rich. He received a two book contract from Random House prior to his graduation from Harvard University in 2007.

His first book, Ant Farm and Other Desperate Situations, has been described as a collection of "giddy what-if scenarios". Excerpts of the book were printed in The New Yorker's "Shouts and Murmurs" column. His second book, Free Range Chickens, was published in 2008. His first novel, Elliot Allagash was released in May of 2010, followed by What in God’s Name and most recently, The Last Girlfriend on Earth, a collection of short stories about love.

He is currently a writer for Saturday Night Live.

Reviews

[Peter Boyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am very much a fan of the comedy stylings of Mr Simon Rich, a former Saturday Night Live writer and a New Yorker contributor. But as the title implies, his latest collection is a mixed bag. Most of these madcap tales look at fame and ambition in some kind of way. A few of them made me laugh out loud. The Baby tells of a struggling novelist who becomes enormously jealous of his unborn child's literary talents (the fetus's manuscript even has an advance blurb from George Saunders). In Hands, one monk decides to prove that he is the most committed member of his strict order by cutting off his own arms. Other tales, like Tom Hanks Stories and Physicians' Lounge April 1st, felt quite throwaway and forgettable.

If you're a newcomer to this gifted humorist, I would direct you instead towards the magnificent Spoiled Brats. Hits and Misses certainly has its moments, but Rich can do better.

[Faith · Rating 2 out of 5]

"All he liked to do was sit around in his underwear, making up jokes and then laughing at them." That pretty much describes the self referential author of these short stories. Unfortunately, I wasn't laughing along with him. Some of the more satirical stories might have made amusing New Yorker cartoons and some of the others might have been ok as part of a set in a comedy club. But they didn't work for me at all as short stories. Each consists of one joke, drawn out. What if your future career could be predicted from a sonogram, and an author found himself competing with the novel his fetal son was typing while in the uterus? What if Paul Revere's horse wanted equal credit for the ride? What if death were an actor? The gofer for a studio exec tries to talk the exec into heaven. I just didn't find any of this funny. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

[Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars for Hits and Misses (audiobook) by Simon Rich read by the author.

My sister in law recommended this author to me. She recommended a different book that I wasn’t able to find so I gave this one a try. This is a set of strange and surreal stories. For some reason I just don’t really connect with this humor.

[Sunny Lu · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Shawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Appropriately titled, I suppose, although I think “Near Hits & Unfortunate Misses” is more accurate. I’d certainly consider myself a fan — absolutely loved his “Last Girlfriend” and “Spoiled Brats”. They were so good, in fact, that the mere memory of them renders this latest attempt forgivable. A gifted storyteller, very funny. You wouldn’t, however, know it from this. Rather than waste time on this one, read or reread the others.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always forget just how much I like Simon Rich until I inevitably stumble across one of his new books somewhere. The short stories here are delightful, whether they are simple silliness or biting satire, and I laughed out loud more than once. The GQ profile of Adolf Hitler is a great send-up of certain publications' *cough* New York Times * cough* recent attempts to make white nationalists somehow more palatable with sympathetic profiles.

"Relapse" is perhaps one of the best and most horrifying commentaries on the ways in which people give up art as they get older and life gets in the way. I don't want to say much else about it, because it's 100% worth reading this entire book to experience just this one gut-punch of a story.

I received access to this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[britt_brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

Thank you for the ARC, NetGalley!

[Cris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny book with moments of adorable. Recommended by Ti❤️. My favorites were the Birthday, Paul Revere and the ghost.

[Rick Berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

So funny. Surreal, loved it.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simon Rich is like George Saunders with a bit less nutritional value. There are, as the title indicates, hits and misses, but even the misses have their virtues. Struggling creatives who are no longer young and full of hope, may find these stories either especially funny or especially painful.

My one criticism would be how Hollywood-centric and repetitive the themes of the stories were (with the occasional Old Testament parody sprinkled in), but I guess Simon Rich is writing what he knows.

Here's my hit and miss breakdown for each story:

1. The Baby:Hit! Probably my favourite in the whole collection.

Synopsis: A struggling writer fights off jealousy when it becomes clear his son is also working on a novel about Custer, while still in Utero. Even the doctor get engrossed in the work looking at the ultrasound.

"Where'd he get the typewriter?"

"Is normal at 25 weeks "

2. Riding Solo:The Oatsy Story: Miss.

Synopsis: The horse that Paul Revere rode on becomes bitter when Revere steals all the credit for their famous ride. 

It was funny at first but very quickly ran out of steam once you saw where it was going.

3. The Foosball Championship of the Whole Entire Universe: Hit, I enjoyed the conceit.

Synopsis: Rich writes about his childhood Foosball matches against his brother with the tone of sports journalism.

4. Birthday Party: Hit! Kind of a sillier version of Beckett's play Krapp's Last Tape.

Synopsis: A writer who compromises his dream to become a well-paid content creator, is visited by his past selves on his 30th birthday. 


5. The Book of Simon: Miss, but it has its moments.

Synopsis: The author swaps himself in for Job, in a biblical parody.

6. Relapse: Hit.

Synopsis: An aging rocker feels the old creative juices flowing, so her family stages an intervention. 

This was such a brutal read as a creative thirty something trying to balance the day to day realities of life.

7. Hands: Just Missed the Mark

Synopsis: An ambitious monk plans to cut off his hands to make a name for himself, but first he has to guide a rich lady to see the tomb of Jesus. 

It was occasionally funny reading about the over-the-top ways monks competed for supremacy through suffering, and Rich almost brings it home with a lesson.

8. New Client: Hit

Synopsis: An aging hack of a talent scout attempts to outwit death so he can continue to care for his elderly wife.

It was a little one note once you see where it's going, but Rich keeps it short and sweet and even sneaks some heart into the story.

9. The Great Jester: Hit. It went a bit long, but I do like the resolution.

Synopsis: A very bad jester gets replaced, and struggles to accept his new role. 

10. Physician's Lounge, April 1st: Miss

A doctor has all his ideas for April Fools Jokes shot down.

The story went nowhere but there were a couple of funny doctor pranks, like the surgeon looking around wildly for his stethoscope before looking back at the patient, with a dawning realization.

11. Menlo Park, 1891: Hit!

Thomas Edison invents film, only to discover everyone is more interested in the person he filmed. 

Between this and the Tom Hanks stories, I'm starting to think Simon Rich slightly resents actors.


12. Tom Hanks Stories:  Miss

Synopsis: Tom Hanks getting too much credit from his fans for basic human decency, or in some cases, for not being outright cruel.

I saw Rich's point but it came across as more bitter than funny.


13. Adolf Hitler: The GQ Profile: Hit

Synopsis: Exactly as it sounds. 

Rich nails the tone of the giddy, laudatory tone of celebrity profiles and then applies it to Hitler.

14. Any Person, Living or Dead: Miss

Synopsis:A service that promises to bring any person from the past to dinner with you, with very negative side effects to the dinner guests. 

I did like the idea that you couldn't rent Shakespeare anymore because he has been traumatized by the process too many times. Or John Lennon just weeping in his restraints at dinner as the customer asked him questions about his assassination (which he, of course, doesn't know about). The concept was better than the execution.

15. Upward Mobility: Hit.

Synopsis: A mistreated assistant lobbies St. Peter to get his narcissistic boss into Heaven. 

There were lots of fun twists and turns to this one.

16. Dinosaur: Hit

Synopsis:A T-Rex struggles to pitch his material in a much younger writers room. 

A nice twist on aging out of comedy. I liked the idea of a dinosaur defending himself by saying you could joke about eating humans when he wrote for Letterman.

17. Artist's Revenge: Miss

Synopsis: A commercially successful Hollywood director gets revenge on his most outspoken critic. 

I liked the idea, but it didn't make me laugh very much.

18. Stage 13: Miss

Synopsis: A failing director takes one last desperate gig to pay off his student loans and avoid having to move home and get a job in mulch. 

A weaker end to the collection, but I liked how the characters didn't learn anything from their experiences, and just kept doubling down on their dreams, even after they died.

[Mark Fajet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been reading so many comedy books that are just memoirs with punchlines sprinkled in. A book like this is a breath of fresh air in comparison. Because it isn’t a memoir, it doesn’t have to be based in reality which means it gets to be silly. Really silly. Each story has its own outlandish premise that has me smiling throughout. Then within each story, things are written and those things will turn my smile into a laugh and the process repeats.

If I had to describe the book in one word: Hits (the joke is that the book is called Hits and Misses but I liked all the stories so it was only hits and no misses)

[Daphne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some hits, lots of misses. So, the same experience I usually have with Simon Rich's books. The most notable thing was that on the acknowledgements I found out that this guy is married to the author that stalked that goodreads reviewed a few years back.

Best stories:
- The Baby
- The Foosball Championship of the Whole Entire Universe
- Relapse
- New Client

[Chloe J · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title of this book caught my eye as I was searching through the comedy section of books in my English class a month ago. It’s a bit funny to me because “hit or miss” is a lyric to a popular song that I find hilarious, so I thought I’d give this book a try. The unique title along with the cover with rubber ducks on it made me interested. I wanted to know what the ducks were all about and what “hits and misses” had to do with comedy. But what did I know? I had never read a comedy book before!

Hits and Misses by Simon Rich is a collection of short, funny stories mostly based on hopeful people with dreams of becoming successful in life. Many of the stories include normal characters and motives, but very unrealistic circumstances, like babies becoming writers in the womb or the grim reaper getting persuaded into an acting gig. Almost all of the stories, although humorous, have certain meanings and messages behind them. Many of them are important and relevant in society today, like the role of social media in our lives and the reality of the work world. It’s an extremely interesting read, as the stories tap into the reality of the world while also creating a completely unrealistic and humorous scenario.

What I really enjoyed about this book was the subtle ways that the author made it funny. How the short stories seemed so normal, yet completely absurd, was intriguing and hilarious at the same time. I especially liked how even the stupidest and lighthearted ones, like a letter from the point of view of Paul Revere’s horse, took dark turns into the reality of our society. Small elements in the stories, like a monk flicking his wrist like the stereotypical teenage girl in the 21st century, made a big impact in the hilarity of it. I enjoyed that part very much, by the way.

What I didn’t like about this book was the fact that at most times, the short stories were hard to relate to. Although I did find some parts funny and relatable, most of the stories had to do with the work world and finding jobs and careers. I, being a sophomore in high school, couldn’t fully understand this aspect or relate to it. This made it hard to find some parts funny.

Overall, my feelings on this book are mixed. When I found a short story that I enjoyed, I REALLY enjoyed it, but a lot of the time, I was bored. I think this is a great book for someone who has been through the struggle of finding a career and pursuing their dreams. They’d definitely have a lot to relate to in this book, and they’d find it hilarious. However, with this being the first comedy book I’ve ever read, I think it was a fairly good one.

[Berenice · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first story, The Baby, is pure genius. I’ve never read anything like it and LOL’d repeatedly in public throughout. Also genius was Birthday Party and the Foosball Championship of the Whole Entire Universe. Those three of the first four stories were so brilliant and crisp that I was already recommending the book to friends and relations; a decision I soon regretted when, like a joke made by his own self-mocking Great Jester character, things slipped rapidly and definitively into a quagmire of poop jokes and uncomfortable footwork, buoyed up by the repetitive formula of the big twisty ending to each story. Maybe if Rich could have continued to keep his sardonic, smart and creative eye on more life truths instead of holding an obsessive hyper-focus on career success as a writer, we’d get more golden pieces like those first ones. But those, whew, man! I’m doling out three stars here; one for each of those stories. And the fact his voice is so solid. Yeah, OK, f-it: get the book just to read those three, and don’t bother with the rest and it will be time and cash well spent.

[Mehrsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the most delightful and hilarious book I've read in a long time. Some of the essays are also very clever social commentary. I read several of these essays several times.

(there was one essay I did not like--the profile of hitler. I get what he was trying to do, but it fell flat and was just gross, but the others were so good that it still gets 5 stars)

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

While there are some great portions within this story collection, I found the breadth of voices to be limited. Some good absurdist farce.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super amusing, worth the 2 month wait at the library.

[Guna Kondapaneni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the goofing short stories and the commentary that came with them! Definitely a quick read and will read again.

[Jaclyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

More misses than hits sadly. I love Simon Rich and a couple of stories were at his usual standard: The Baby in which a writer becomes jealous of his unborn child who has written and published a book (blurbed by George Saunders) in utero and Hands in which a monk wants to cut off both his hands to prove his devotion. Those two stories are pure Rich gold, the rest not so much.

[MC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wildly irreverent and fun, this collection of humorous short stories had me chuckling and laughing out loud. The stories focus on the concepts of fame and fortune especially those who get to enjoy it, imagine they have it or wish they did.

A few of my favorite stories include “Adolf Hitler: The GQ Profile” which imagines a GQ-styled interview with the genocidal maniac, “Hands” about a monk who will do almost anything to out-do the piety of his fellow monks and “Stage 13” where the angry ghost of a dead starlet prevents a film production crew from finishing their movie.

[Linds · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hadn’t read any Simon Rich since Ant Farm & Free Range Chickens, so was excited to see this. I liked that while this is still a collection of funny short stories, a number of them also have pretty poignant endings. I don’t think anything will be as funny to me as Ant Farm the first time I read it, but this still had some laughs out loud moments.

[Zara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hot take? Rich is a misogynist. He can be funny & clever (yikes, what does that say about me?), but all of his female characters are whiny, shallow, ball-busting, and dumb. I found the stories amusing but am kind of disgusted with myself afterwards.

[Randi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the first story, but none of the ones after it really charmed me.

[Till Raether · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the one about the monks drinking urine; did not like the Polish doctor speaking cartoonishly poor English for no reason.

[Linda Branton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes social media influence leads you to fun things, I have learned. This book came into our house because my 17 year old daughter heard about it from some social media 'celebrity', and I am always supportive of her developing her funny bone. This was a delicious palate-cleanser, while I am in the middle of yet another strange novel (My Year Abroad) and was a delight at the end of a busy week of work, in the middle of an exhausting stay-home order in Ontario.
The short stories included some live-action from the perspective of foosball players (fooze-ball, not football); an article interviewing a current Hitler; how to get into heaven; and many stories about how to remain creative in current society from wild perspectives.
Definitely creative, often odd, sometimes cringey...this book is not for you if you are looking for something literal. But, I like quirky and weird, and Simon Rich may be those things.

[Ray Nessly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third collection of his I've read, his latest. I'll keep trying because when Rich is good, he's very very good.
I loved "The Baby" and "Relapse". These two revisit a common Rich theme, dashing the dreams of writers and artists. Also loved "Adolf Hitler: The GQ Profile": Satire at its bravest, most audacious, best. I totally get however why others might be offended by it.
I liked "Hands", "New Client" and "Any Person, Living or Dead." The rest (except for the last four) were okay, sometimes fouled by weak endings or what have you, but were amusing, just nothing special.
The last four stories however, I thought were very weak.
It's interesting to read other reviews, and see how other folks' lists of hits and misses compare with yours. Humor is like that. "Your mileage may vary."
Consensus here, though, seems to be that "The Baby" is a big hit.

[Mak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fekk denne til jul, og tenkte egentlig å berre lese ein, kanskje to av historiene til å begynne med. Endte med å lese heile greia på ein dag. Det er den morsommaste boka eg har lest. The Foosball Championship of the Whole Entire Universe, Adolf Hitler: The GQ Profile, Hands og Oatsy er mine favoritter men så godt som alle har to-tre knallbra linjer. Upward Mobility er også veldig bra når eg tenker meg om. Egentlig The Baby òg. Simon Rich er eit geni.

Fav. linjer: «The script is no longer racist».
«Hitler has commited genocide against his insecurites. He’s cremated his fears and gassed his fears». «Heyo»

[Henry Evans]

Above all else Simon Rich makes writing seem do-able. There are a handful of really clever ideas he elaborates on, and a few stories that carry less weight for me.

He makes writing look easy, which isn’t a criticism. This book reminds me that good writing doesn’t have to be overcomplicated and not every word has to be meticulously chosen. Silliness and eloquence don’t always go hand in hand.

He’s at his best when the stories seem to come from his own life and he’s poking fun at himself as well as others.

[Frederic · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is aptly titled.

There are several really funny stories here. I especially liked the one about the author who has to cope with his precocious baby who writes a bestselling novel and screenplay in utero. Another great piece was a magazine profile of Adolf Hitler, as Simon Rich imagines GQ magazine would write it.

The quality of "Hits and Misses" is more uneven than in his earlier collection, "Ant Farm", where the chapters are very short and the level of humour, consistently high.

[Jonathan K (Max Outlier) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Known in the world of TV and film, Simon Rich is a true gem, and it s no wonder he's been involved with the likes of SNL and others. Creative, zany and poignant, his stories are driven by his experiences in Entertainment, while some are biblical with a dash of film. Diverse in nature, some are laugh out loud while others are 'misses' much as the title says. Out of the gate, the first one was my favorite of all and any author or wannabe like myself, will surely agree. Very talented guy with great stories to tell!