Here’s the problem. When comedians write a memoir, they think it’s a chronology of their lives. No. Anything a comedian publishes should be a continuation of their comedic persona in long-form print. That’s what fans like me expect. Why else would I read their book?
I’ve been disappointed by many memoirs from the SNL cast. Except for Colin Jost, whose memoir I always recommend. But the rest are mostly unfunny and boring. Not Nate. He knows what he’s here to do and he tells us right off the bat.
“This book is never trying to say anything even close to important.”
This soothes me and assures me that I can relax.
“But you’re in for a real good time. Real good. Because I have taken everything bad about books and made it the best. So I can personally guarantee that you will love this book. Or at least that it is, in fact, a book. Because that is what I’ve been told.”
This book makes me laugh. So I try to make it last. I read Nate’s book piecemeal, by chapter. Like taking one bite out of my chocolate Easter bunny each night so it can last until it’s replaced by the chocolate flowers on Mother’s Day.
Nate delivers on his promise of a good time with cleverly structured anecdotes and colorful characters. Ever the consummate storyteller, Nate takes me along with him to the moments in his life and makes me feel I was part of them too. Now I want to reread my favorite chapters and gift this book to my friends. That’s my ultimate test of a good book.
I like Nate’s self-effacing unpretentious persona. He acts like The Fool so I can feel smart. And that’s where Nate’s genius lies. I’m ready to laugh at whatever he says because I believe he can’t fool me. His simpleton act tells me that all he does is just in good-natured jest.
Nate’s got me so good that I would still laugh even if he tells an offensive joke. But he doesn’t. He never bashes nor demeans anyone. Because He is the butt of his own jokes.
Nate is the all-American boy from a small Dupont town in Tennessee with Catholic parents who raised him Baptist. “Basically I have all the guilt of the Catholics and the strictness of the Baptists.”
He pokes fun at his eccentricities. His dad being a clown, his accent when he says “boil” like “bowl”, and his childhood belief that the whole world was Christian.
I love how succinct Nate is. When he does his stand up, he doesn’t need to say much because he knows how to be funny with few words. It takes great discipline to cut your work to its essence.
Neither did Nate fall into the memoir trap of attacking his enemies or flexing his success, even though he was the highest grossing stand-up comic in 2024. It’s a rare ego who doesn’t need to grandstand or rant.
Banking on his deadpan delivery, Nate would have us believe that he’s a dumdum. But nobody who can write comedy so concisely could ever be a dud. Tight writing requires a rigorous mind.
“It is very complex to simplify your life,” said Nate— about socks.
— Ivy Lopez @IvyDigest
Ivy is a Jesuit-educated lawyer turned columnist and book reviewer. For the latest books follow @Ivy Digest on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Big Dumb Eyes – Stories from a Simpler Mind
By Nate Bargatze
Hardcover, 227 pages, 2025.
Grand Central Publishing (Hachette)
AMAZON: https://amzn.to/3VvNTNg
I independently review books that I find fun and informative. Visit your library or buy with my Amazon affiliate link and I may earn chocolate money
