Openly Bob

No matter what, no matter when, no matter how often I read this book, I laugh every time. I've read each book from Bob Smith at least 5 times, and I am enlightened, humored and tickled every time I (re)read them. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes reading autobiographical humor, especially if you've ever thought your life was funny enough to publish.

I'd Give it six Stars if I could, but five stars is the highest rating. At any rate, this is the funniest and most touching book written by and about a gay man. At the risk of sounding trite, it IS a must read and it's enjoyable for anyone, not just gay men. Whenever I need a really good laugh, I turn to the chapter entitled, "Hurricane Bob". If you are looking for a really good book and can't make a decision, then get this one. You just can't miss.

This is one of the funniest and most deeply moving books I have ever read by a gay male author. The writing is superbly droll, but never at the expense of the emotion or the story. The last essay, concerning the death of Bob's alcoholic father is very touching. I called my dad immediately after reading it and thanked him for his sobriety.

I hate to make broad generalizations about people, but as a gay man, I've noticed that we are a very competitive breed. I like to imagine that, throughout the ages, gay (or alledgedly gay) male artists have always maintained an "I could have done that better" attitude with their peers. For example: Michaelangelo to daVinci: You know, Leo, Mona's hair is just WRONG! I would have put her in an up-do! Liberace about Van Cliburn: Oh sure, she can play well, but where's the presentation? Edward Albee to Tennesee Williams: Sexually oppresed Southern women......yawn. Spousal verbal abuse during a dinner party makes for a much more interesting plot. With this in mind, you have to understand my eagerness in reading Bob Smith's new book, OPENLY BOB. As a fellow gay comic and friend, Bob and I have shared many venues together and have laughed at each other's jokes. On more than one occassion, Bob has blurted out one of those lines that makes me think, "I wish I'd written that!" We both find humor and material in our own childhoods and idiosyncractic families. I, too, have a desire to pen my own book someday, perhaps about growing up in the Southern Baptist Church in Texas. Nonetheless, I felt certain that, while I would enjoy Bob's book, I would be finding ways that I could have written a better tome. I was wrong. Whether you know him as a part of the groundbreaking Funny Gay Males; as the first and only openly gay male comic to appear on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno; from his very own HBO special; or as co-author of the book, GROWING UP GAY, Bob Smith is no stranger to gay and lesbian audiences. Say what you will about Bob's dry, monotone delivery onstage, but the man's got a gift with words that is virtually unparalleled among authors, gay OR straight. OPENLY BOB is a collection of essays on a variety of life experiences which flow from Bob's mind like paint to a canvas. He's not so much of an author as he is a "word painter". My favorite line in the whole book is in Bob's essay on auditioning for roles in L.A. After one of these many auditions, Bob recounts trying to figure out if the casting director liked what he had done. "Her smile was like a Samuel Beckett play--easy to read but difficult to interpret." His mere description of the woman and her office is a perfect example of Bob's ability to create a mental image that's both vivid and clever. "(She) was a woman.......who wore a pair of thick black eyeglasses that were so stylish they affected my vision more than hers. Her desk groaned under the piles of headshots and resumes, which was understandable---I'd complain too if I had to support that many lies." Interestingly enough, the essays (chapters) in the book are so diverse, that each reader will identify with different parts of the book. As I have been single for many years, and Bob and his partner, Tom, have been together for many years now, I didn't get as much out of the essay on couples counseling as some of my "marr

When you feel like your small life is full of bland and redundant routines and your relationship has become stale, read this book! Bob Smith takes you through the life of an ordinary gay man, his career, his lovelife, his family and his therapists. If you're missing the laughter in your life, and you think that only your life or family qualifies as dysfunctional, Openly Bob can change all that. My boyfriend read this bood and suggested I read it to better understand gay couples and the humor that can be found in all situations.