Crude? Yep. Crass? Yep. It’s Kevin Smith. What were you expecting? Have you seen Clerks, or Mallrats? Honest? Yep. Emotional and funny and well written. All of the above. And, well, you can’t beat the message. ( )

Having watched multiple times his Q&As and heard some of his podcasts....and read some of his blog posts.....and seen all of his movies I can say that I had already read at least half of the book before I even read the title.

The audiobook is read by Kevin Smith and I really suggest that you try it first instead of another format. I couldn't imagine a better narrator for this book.

I thought I had gotten over Kevin Smith and his pompous cocky attitude but I guess that deep down I'm still a fan whether I want to admit it or not.

I really enjoyed this one. ( )

Kevin Smith’s Tough Sh*t: Life Advice from a Fat, Lazy Slob Who Did Good is a combination memoir and self-help book, with Smith describing his youth, his film career, and the lessons he learned along the way. The structure of the book resembles Smith’s podcasts, with each chapter having a focus though Smith diverges when he has something more to say. The book also moves roughly chronologically through his life, but occasionally he backtracks so that his reader can follow a single narrative rather than introduce it during an unrelated section and hope the reader remembers it later on. Smith’s humor and heart shine through all of it with his characteristic honesty endearing him to his reader.

Discussing the lessons he learned in making Red State, Smith writes, “It costs nothing to encourage an artist, and the potential benefits are staggering” (pg. 135). In these troubling times, this lesson bears repeating as art gives us hope. Further, his feeling about directors and filmmakers who are willing to try something different from the norm echoes my own: “Do something different – stand apart from the rest – and you’ll always have the audience on your side” (pg. 139).

Had he written the work now, Smith almost certainly would have downplayed his praise of Harvey Weinstein, instead discussing Miramax or independent film more broadly. These sections have not aged well, though they do reflect the nature of independent Hollywood at the time and the way powerful men like Weinstein controlled their image and silenced dissent. Smith touches on the latter topic and his eventual disillusion with Weinstein. Despite these sections, the overall work has a great deal to offer and reflects Smith’s openness with his fans. ( )

My review of this book can be found on my Youtube Vlog at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulVWS7dUBA4

Enjoy! ( )

Readable but Smith is a rather unlikeable man who could do with far more self-awareness than he claims to hold.

The book doesn't go anywhere and it's frequently contradictory. He spends a chapter railing against Bruce Willis and he ruined the shoot of Cop Out, then in the next he bemoans critics who dared criticise Cop Out. He makes grand gestures that I'm sure makes him feel very smart but just end up making him look like a jerk, and then he wonders why they tend to blow up in his face.

I'd rather not read about his sex life either, eeeew. ( )