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Seinfeld, Master of Its Domain: Revisiting Television's Greatest Sitcom
After a slow and inauspicious beginning, Seinfeld broke through to become one of the most commercially successful sitcoms in the history of television. This fascinating book includes classic articles on the show by Geoffrey O'Brien and Bill Wyman (first published in the New York Review of Books and Salon.com respectively), and a selection of new and revised essays by some of the top television scholars in the US - looking at issues as wide-ranging as Seinfeld's Jewishness, alleged nihilism, food obsession, and long-running syndication. The book also includes a comprehensive episode guide, and Betty Lee's lexicon of Seinfeld language.
290 pages, Paperback
First published January 20, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 23, 2025
It's essays from people writing about the show for college credit. That is sort of weird. I don't think the show writers meant all of the things that the students infer. Having said that, it was a fun look at the characters and series.
February 7, 2011
Was Seinfeld, as the subtitle of this book posits, the greatest sitcom ever?
Absolutely.
Would I have said that with such certainty only a few short months ago?
Probably not.
In the meantime, I've gotten hold of several seasons worth of DVDs of the show and really hunkered down to watch them. I won't go into the myriad reasons why I think Seinfeld is the best sitcom, but there is one particular quality about it that separates it from the rest of the pack, something that allowed it to NEVER jump the shark.
There was never once a "Very Special Seinfeld." No pandering to phony sentiment. The show would never violate the "no hugging, no learning" rule set down by producers Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, along with their aim to do everything differently than all other sitcoms.
There was, maybe once, an iota of sentiment, a concession to decency, and that was in an episode called "The Bubble Boy," where Elaine chides an emotionless Jerry that it is more important to visit and entertain a homebound, bubble-encased kid with an immune deficiency than it is for Jerry to proceed with his long-planned vacation. Elaine is moved to crying by the story of the bubble boy, as voiced by the bubble boy's father.
But, folks, this is Seinfeld. When Jerry's friend, George (who arrives at the bubble boy's house first) encounters the bubble boy, he isn't Tiny Tim from Dickens. He's a holy terror. A creature from Hell. A colossal jerk.
PC sensibilities were outraged, of course. (Yes, they got letters.)
God bless Seinfeld.
(Now, on to my originally posted review of the book):
Enthusiastically recommended!
It probably sometimes looks as though I give out five-star ratings too liberally. But, if a book perfectly achieves what it sets out to do, I see no reason to hold back. This collection of essays about Seinfeld includes original pieces as well as material culled from a wide and diverse range of sources--academic journals, popular magazines, newspapers, books, etc.--and the views provided by the authors are just as eclectic. Those views range from gay subtext readings to those that dispute such a reading, to essays that examine the creative processes involved in the show's development, essays on morality and manhood, arguments about the innovative nature of the comedic elements of the show and its structure and attitudes and its rejection of traditional audience expectations, explorations of alienation and relationships in the 1990s, the "Jewishness" of the show, and a whole lot more. There's even an essay comparing and contrasting Seinfeld to the novels of Jane Austen!
Geoffrey O'Brien's essay, "The Republic of Seinfeld," is particularly masterly, taking in a sweeping history of TV sitcoms as well as an analysis of the show and the place of entertainment in a post-modern, post-industrial America.
Even the academic pieces (except for one very short one) are relatively free of pretentious jargon, but all the pieces herein are well supported and thoughtful. There is a chapter contrasting various press critics' reactions to the show; some favorable and some not. Plus, for fans, it's fun (and somewhat nostalgic) to read all the references to scenes in the show. These scholars really know their Seinfeld.
I enjoyed reading this a lot more than I expected (especially seeing, at the outset, that some of the essays had insufferable titles such as "Seinfeld as Intertextual Comedy," etc.). The book, as the authors point out, is really the only serious book available that examines Seinfeld as a work of art and as a cultural phenomenon, as opposed to being a puffy insider trivia book about the show.
The book was published in 2006 and so is able to also examine Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm and its thematic and humorous similarities to Seinfeld. Bonuses in the back include a nice glossary of famous words and catch-phrases made popular by the show (and there are a LOT) as well as a complete episode guide.
As far as I can tell, this is really the best book about Seinfeld out there. Kudos to the editors of this admirable effort.
Absolutely.
Would I have said that with such certainty only a few short months ago?
Probably not.
In the meantime, I've gotten hold of several seasons worth of DVDs of the show and really hunkered down to watch them. I won't go into the myriad reasons why I think Seinfeld is the best sitcom, but there is one particular quality about it that separates it from the rest of the pack, something that allowed it to NEVER jump the shark.
There was never once a "Very Special Seinfeld." No pandering to phony sentiment. The show would never violate the "no hugging, no learning" rule set down by producers Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, along with their aim to do everything differently than all other sitcoms.
There was, maybe once, an iota of sentiment, a concession to decency, and that was in an episode called "The Bubble Boy," where Elaine chides an emotionless Jerry that it is more important to visit and entertain a homebound, bubble-encased kid with an immune deficiency than it is for Jerry to proceed with his long-planned vacation. Elaine is moved to crying by the story of the bubble boy, as voiced by the bubble boy's father.
But, folks, this is Seinfeld. When Jerry's friend, George (who arrives at the bubble boy's house first) encounters the bubble boy, he isn't Tiny Tim from Dickens. He's a holy terror. A creature from Hell. A colossal jerk.
PC sensibilities were outraged, of course. (Yes, they got letters.)
God bless Seinfeld.
(Now, on to my originally posted review of the book):
Enthusiastically recommended!
It probably sometimes looks as though I give out five-star ratings too liberally. But, if a book perfectly achieves what it sets out to do, I see no reason to hold back. This collection of essays about Seinfeld includes original pieces as well as material culled from a wide and diverse range of sources--academic journals, popular magazines, newspapers, books, etc.--and the views provided by the authors are just as eclectic. Those views range from gay subtext readings to those that dispute such a reading, to essays that examine the creative processes involved in the show's development, essays on morality and manhood, arguments about the innovative nature of the comedic elements of the show and its structure and attitudes and its rejection of traditional audience expectations, explorations of alienation and relationships in the 1990s, the "Jewishness" of the show, and a whole lot more. There's even an essay comparing and contrasting Seinfeld to the novels of Jane Austen!
Geoffrey O'Brien's essay, "The Republic of Seinfeld," is particularly masterly, taking in a sweeping history of TV sitcoms as well as an analysis of the show and the place of entertainment in a post-modern, post-industrial America.
Even the academic pieces (except for one very short one) are relatively free of pretentious jargon, but all the pieces herein are well supported and thoughtful. There is a chapter contrasting various press critics' reactions to the show; some favorable and some not. Plus, for fans, it's fun (and somewhat nostalgic) to read all the references to scenes in the show. These scholars really know their Seinfeld.
I enjoyed reading this a lot more than I expected (especially seeing, at the outset, that some of the essays had insufferable titles such as "Seinfeld as Intertextual Comedy," etc.). The book, as the authors point out, is really the only serious book available that examines Seinfeld as a work of art and as a cultural phenomenon, as opposed to being a puffy insider trivia book about the show.
The book was published in 2006 and so is able to also examine Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm and its thematic and humorous similarities to Seinfeld. Bonuses in the back include a nice glossary of famous words and catch-phrases made popular by the show (and there are a LOT) as well as a complete episode guide.
As far as I can tell, this is really the best book about Seinfeld out there. Kudos to the editors of this admirable effort.
January 30, 2012
I'm preparing to teach A Course About Nothing so I figured I'd better get it figured out. Enjoyable so far.
March 1, 2022
I know this is an odd book to be reading. I've had it for years, given to me by someone who went to NYU and knew I was a Seinfeld fan. It was on the reading list for a class about TV. It is a compilation of essays from various journalists and academics over the years about the sitcom. My watching of Seinfeld came when it first came into syndication. When Netflix recently made access to the entire series (in order), I watched it in sequence. What a different experience from seeing it in syndication!The book became so much more thought provoking and understandable after that experience.
If you are a fan, or you wish to understand why this sitcom has been lauded, this book provides viewpoints that illuminate. It celebrates the writing and character acting of the entire ensemble. I continue to watch Seinfeld in syndication as it continues to bring laughter into my life.
If you are a fan, or you wish to understand why this sitcom has been lauded, this book provides viewpoints that illuminate. It celebrates the writing and character acting of the entire ensemble. I continue to watch Seinfeld in syndication as it continues to bring laughter into my life.
April 3, 2021
Seinfeld is a sitcom that I didn't try to watch. You see, Seinfeld started in 1989, and my birthdate was in 1986. I was too young to get the show, and now that I am older, I don't watch television anymore.
Seinfeld, Master of its Domain, is a book of essays concerning the show and its influence on popular culture. If I watch a television show again, Seinfeld seems like something I would enjoy, but I don't know.
The book contains a complete set of synopses on Seinfeld.
Seinfeld, Master of its Domain, is a book of essays concerning the show and its influence on popular culture. If I watch a television show again, Seinfeld seems like something I would enjoy, but I don't know.
The book contains a complete set of synopses on Seinfeld.
July 31, 2020
I haven't actually finished this book, but I want to, and I thought the whole premise behind it was just brilliant and hilarious, and it has a surprising amount of substance to it.
October 30, 2025
Amateurish.
October 18, 2012
The majority of this book is a collection of serious essays about Seinfeld written by men and women in academia. The irony is that these people have so much to say about a show that is self-proclaimed as about "nothing". However, after a while, the serious tone of many of the essays lost my interest because, as a Seinfeld fan, I wanted more information about "Seinfeld" itself and less about its portrayal of society.
The back of the book does have an episode-by-episode recap, as well as a glossary of Seinfeld-isms, which should be highly entertaining to Seinfeld fans.
The back of the book does have an episode-by-episode recap, as well as a glossary of Seinfeld-isms, which should be highly entertaining to Seinfeld fans.
February 16, 2013
I read part of this as research for an essay in grad school about memes and literary /cultural references in the arts. It really was good but I didn’t have time to finish it then. With so much on my ‘to read’ list I doubt I will ever finish it. This isn’t just a run of the mill “behind the scenes- tell all” book for fans. It is a smart book.
November 22, 2016
Pathetic and impressive at same time; pretentious riding on coat tails of show's popularity, over analyzed essays that stretch comprehension, but at least crude attachment to show still makes worthwhile
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews