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Dad Is Fat
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Dad Is Fat
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Dad Is Fat
Audiobook5 hours

Dad Is Fat

Written by Jim Gaffigan

Narrated by Jim Gaffigan

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

Jim Gaffigan never imagined he would have his own kids.

Though he grew up in a large Irish-Catholic family, Jim was satisfied with the nomadic, nocturnal life of a standup comedian, and was content to be "that weird uncle who lives in an apartment by himself in New York that everyone in the family speculates about." But all that changed when he married and found out his wife, Jeannie "is someone who gets pregnant looking at babies."

Five kids later, the comedian whose riffs on everything from Hot Pockets to Jesus have scored millions of hits on YouTube, started to tweet about the mistakes and victories of his life as a dad. Those tweets struck such a chord that he soon passed the million followers mark. But it turns out 140 characters are not enough to express all the joys and horrors of life with five kids, so hes' now sharing it all in Dad Is Fat.

From new parents to empty nesters to Jim's twenty-something fans, everyone will recognize their own families in these hilarious takes on everything from cousins ("celebrities for little kids") to growing up in a big family ("I always assumed my father had six children so he could have a sufficient lawn crew") to changing diapers in the middle of the night ("like The Hurt Locker but much more dangerous") to bedtime (aka "Negotiating with Terrorists").

Dad Is Fat is sharply observed, explosively funny, and a cry for help from a man who has realized he and his wife are outnumbered in their own home.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateMay 7, 2013
ISBN9780804148009
Unavailable
Dad Is Fat

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Reviews for Dad Is Fat

Rating: 3.8550186356877316 out of 5 stars
4/5

538 ratings66 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Before I read this book, I was OK with not having kids. Now, I am feeling terrific about it!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I haven't heard much of Gaffigan's stand up, but I've seen him act on TV shows and enjoyed him. This book is full of essays on parenthood and marriage and being around people with babies before you have babies and thinking they're insane. A lot of it rings true, but more than that, it's all very funny. Many laugh-out-loud sections and, alarmingly, many sections that made raising five kids seem do-able.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I like Gaffigan's stand-up routines a lot, and this book captures some of that magic, but without his voice to provide energy the single-minded focus on children and parenting -- a topic that has been mined endlessly by numerous people -- starts to wear a little on the printed page. He has some good stories and insights, but not quite enough to keep the back half of these 270 pages as engaging and humorous as the start.I probably would have enjoyed this better as an audiobook read by the author.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    HILARIOUS. Jim Gaffigan is fantastic on stage, and just as good in print. Made me laugh loud on a plane, and people looked at me funny.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Eh. This was fine, but not spectacular. I was amused, but not one I ever need to revisit. Definitely going in the Half Price resell pile.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    From my Cannonball Read V review...

    I was looking for another light comedic memoir to listen to on Audible, and this was perfect. It’s light but not fluffy, sweet but not saccharine, clean but not simple or boring. Yes, it is, as he says, ‘family friendly,’ but that doesn’t mean that it’s for you to listen to with your kids.

    There are just a couple of problems with the book; it feels a little short, and it isn’t as linear as I would like. I do recognize that it’s a comedy book, and not a straight-up memoir, but the last chapter especially felt like it belonged somewhere else.

    The stories Mr. Gaffigan tells are entertaining. The book revolves around his life as a father, but it opens with a story about travelling to the Grand Canyon while still childless, with a couple who had a newborn. It’s a great start, because it relates Gaffigan to the childless without making him sound patronizing when he later tells his stories involving parenthood. He recognizes the differences in the pre (or no) child life and the parent life.

    From there he moves on to talking about the different ways that having children has affected his life. He has five kids in a two-bedroom NYC apartment, so he clearly has a lot to say on the matter. There are some great one-liners – like his description of a place that isn’t kid friendly: “I always think man, this place must be awesome, let’s get a sitter.” He also takes on sexism and pregnancy, pointing out the absurdity of people acting surprised or bummed when extremely attractive women get pregnant. Like, why wouldn’t they want to have kids?

    I am not having children, so believe me when I say that non-parents and parents alike can enjoy this book. There is some excellent social commentary in there, such as when he delves into why people feel the need to comment on the number of children people have. I’m not an asshole, but it’s still a good reminder of what not to say to people when they tell you they’re having a kid.

    I highly recommend the audio version, because you get to enjoy Gaffigan’s stellar delivery.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Jim Gaffigan has a lot of kids. He's also got a lot of funny stories to tell about those kids. If you're familiar with his stand-up act, you've probably heard a lot of this before. Honestly, it's better when he's saying it, mostly because of the voices he does. In book form, he kind of comes off as whiny...like if you didn't want to deal with having that many kids, maybe you shouldn't have? I don't know. It is pretty funny, though.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a fun look at parenting by a comedian I just love! I watch his show on TV which is about how he and his wife are raising their FIVE children in New York City! It is very good, and while reading the book, I could remember episodes I'd seen on TV. I could also remember how I felt when my son was small, but I only had ONE child to contend with! I really enjoyed this book, and I like that he is a nice, clean comic who kind of seems /acts like a big dumb guy, but is really a good guy who loves his wife and children very much -- which will win me over every time!! ;)
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    If you have kids, especially if you have 4 or more, like me, you need this book for some comic relief, if you can get some time to yourself! You'll be laughing the whole way through, especially when you realize that your life is just as crazy as his.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I didn't get to read the full book, just an excerpt from the publisher.Dad is Fat is a great extension to Gaffigan's stand up. It's definitely his voice, just a bit more serious. In the bits I got to read, he wrote about the friends who started families before he did, what life is like when you consider Central Park your backyard, and a whole chapter on candy.Anyone who enjoys his standup should give Dad is Fat a read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Jim Gaffigan lovingly refers to himself as "The Hot Pocket Guy." However, I know him best as the guy behind "Pale Force".

    Gaffigan has never failed to make me laugh. However, I wasn't sure what to expect from "Dad Is Fat." I figured it was a series of funny observations about dads in general. At the time, I didn't know that Jim has five kids. "Five Kids, Catholic" in fact.

    His take on life with five children is hilarious and at the same time very sweet. He covers it all, birth, living in an apartment with kids, New York, schools, playgrounds, vacations, church, family gatherings, and birthdays.

    Highly recommended for dad's to be or as a father's day gift!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Assorted musings on parenthood by a truly funny man who also happens to be a father of five. I am not a parent, and thus feel like I'm not really the target audience, but I still had some good laughs. I do, however, now want to give this book to every dad I know.A note on the audio: Gaffigan is hilarious as a narrator, but I've heard his books aren't nearly as funny on paper.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Humorous musings and anecdotes from comedian Jim Gaffigan about the experience of raising five young kids in a small apartment in New York City. I never found it laugh-out-loud funny, but it's mildly amusing (even if he does tend to reuse the same basic kind of jokes a little too often) and sometimes cute. I gotta say though, even though it's very clear Gaffigan loves his kids no matter how much chaos they cause in his life, my main reaction to reading the whole thing is a sort of horrified relief at the fact that I've managed to escape living this life by virtue of not having kids. I'm feeling very, very good about that life choice right now.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Pretty good! Not as good as his stand-up, but I suppressed a few chortles. The entire thing is about kids and parenthood, so no surprise there. He's got five kids (wow) and lives in a small New York apartment (...wow).RecommendationThe target demographic is obviously parents -- down-to-earth parents, parents with several children, working parents, etc. But you don't need to be a parent (or even like kids) to get the humor.FeelsPositive, down-to-earth. "Family friendly" in the sense that he doesn't swear, but also in the sense that he the kind of things labeled "family friendly."FavoritesGaffigin is clearly a very involved father, and it's good to hear a man's voice/perspective on parenting. This kind of thing is important to breaking up traditional ideas of gender.Least favoritesEh, some parts can be a little fixated on gender roles -- not enforcing them, as such, but there's still an uncomfortable amount of "women are naturally mothering," and "men parent this way." But even so, most of what he says is specifically about him and his wife, and there's nothing wrong with choosing to fill a gender role; he just slips into traditional ideas of gender more than I'd like. It's more of a language issue than anything.Writing styleVery similar to his stand-up, with great segue between individual stories.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Having been a major fan of Jim Gaffigan for years I was delighted when I found out he was writing a book. I made sure to pre-order this bad boy so I could get the sweet signed book plate, terrifying valentine'd day mask, and other sweet little goodies. Pretty good deal if you ask me!Anyways, I really enjoyed this book. I laughed out loud multiple times and it really reminded me of Bill Cosby's, "Fatherhood." Jim Gaffigan has provided a collection of hilarious essays on parenting and child rearing that will have you howling with laughter. Jim is the proud father of five children, in a two bedroom apartment, in a fifth floor walk up in New York City. Trust me, hilarity ensues. Coming from a large, crazy, Catholic family I really related with a lot of his stories and empathized with him. If you're looking for a quick and funny summer read then this is definitely the book for you!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    My nine year old loved this book. He was laughing like he was a fat dad. Totally relatable!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Jim’s stories about being a dad were so relatable. I couldn’t stop talking about it to my wife.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A perfect bit of humor to listen to here and there to help me unwind. Very relatable.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great easy read and plenty of laughter! I enjoyed it very much
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book was so funny and so accurate on having kids. Anyone who is thinking about having kids needs to listen to this and everyone who has kids needs to listen and feel good that you are not alone in the craziness and wonder that is parenting. I didn't not really know anything about Jim Gaffigan when I started this book but now I am a huge fan!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    funny book, love the advise which I can truly relate to.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    excellent very funny! my whole family loved it I highly recommend it
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is very good story-telling! I will look forward to more books from Jim Gaffigan.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Decently funny. Solid insights on parenting in a humorous way. Would probably have been better to just listen to a bunch of different stand up routines on the subject matter from Gaffigan

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Dad Is Fat is a witty, light, fun read. I found myself laughing out loud on several occasions. As a mom myself, I can relate to the craziness he talks about. If you're not a parent though, this book might be kind of annoying at times.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    We love Jim Gaffigan. I had heard a few of these bits before but not all of them. This book gave me greater insight to his life with his family. I read it during medical procedures, so it was a welcome distraction. I enjoyed it.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    hill-airy-arse
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was a fun, funny audiobook to take along while I walked and ran and dodged ice and snow around the neighborhood. I would recommend listening to it in small doses, though. When I tried listening to it in stretches longer than about forty-five minutes, it seemed less funny. Luckily, I rarely run for longer than a half-hour at a time.One thing that got to me a bit, was Gaffigan's defensiveness about people asking about the size of his family. Sure, I'd bet that some people ask "Are you done yet?" because they're being judgmental of his choices, but I'm pretty sure that some are asking just because families with more than three kids are unusual in many parts of the country today. At least, that's why I've asked friends with four or more children about their family size choices. My spouse and I decided to stop at two kids for a variety of reasons, but I can also see many reasons why I might have wanted to keep growing our family. My parents are both from larger families (eight kids and five kids), and I actually grew up as the oldest of three thinking six would be a nice number of kids to have. I held onto that conviction until I had my first child and my spouse and I came face to face with our financial, energy, and patience limitations as parents. For several years we were pretty sure our daughter be an only child, but we eventually decided to have one more and while I've never regretted that choice and have even thought about growing our family by one or two more children, I'm pretty happy with where we are, kid-wise.So when I ask friends with four or more kids about whether they plan to have more, it's primarily because I'm curious about how someone came to a different decision than I did. I'm also curious about whether they feel the constant sense of being "not enough" as a parent that I feel with just my two children. I admit that "Are you done yet?" is perhaps an uncouth way of asking this, but I'm not sure it warrants the amount of defensiveness that Gaffigan expresses. At the very least, I didn't find the defensiveness funny, which is relevant since this is supposed to be a funny book.Aside from these small complaints, I enjoyed the audiobook and laughed out loud several times while listening to it. My neighbors probably questioned my sanity when they saw me laughing out loud to myself...if they didn't already think I was crazy for jogging at dawn in 10-degree temperatures. I might have only two kids, but I make up for it by being eccentric in other areas of my life.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I listened to the audio version of “Dad is Fat” read by Jim Gaffigan. The book was hilarious, and I think hearing Gaffigan narrate the book made it even funnier. I’ve read comedy memoirs, but the ones I listened to are much more entertaining. Steve Martin’s “Born Standing Up” comes to mind. I listened to this book while doing my daily walking on a treadmill, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve almost fallen off because I was laughing so hard. Gaffigan is known as a “clean” comic, and it’s really too bad because a lot of people may dismiss Gaffigan as some sort of goody two shoes. Believe me, he’s every bit as funny as any blue comic. I enjoy both, so it isn’t like I’m making some sort of statement by enjoying Gaffigan’s humor. Believe me, this is a funny book, and the audio version is hilarious.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Very fun.