Jim Gaffigan - Food: A Love Story

Jim Gaffigan's Food: A Love Story is not your typical run-of-the-mill novel; rather it's the author sharing his views on a wide variety of foods located in large range of locations. The goal in sharing these opinions, of course, is to get the reader to think about what they are eating in a new light … as well as allowing the reader to laugh at him/herself, the world at large, and Gaffigan, a stand up comedian.

When I first ordered this book, I knew it would be different, but I wasn't certain how different. Reviews online were mixed with some people claiming Dad is Fat is funnier (and thus Food: A Love Story wasn't worth reading) and others claiming the book was captivating, engaging, distracting, AND funny. Having never read Dad is Fat but loving the idea of reading a funny book, I ordered it. Unfortunately, I found myself disappointed.

Here is what it came down to:

1. I'm not a huge fan of stand up comedy. I think you need to be to read this book.

2. I like stories that have a beginning, middle, and end that are cohesive. This book is not; it feels like it was written in short spurts of energy with nothing holding it together more than the author's name and the generic subject.

Overall, I found Food: A Love Story to be funny, but not engaging. It's that book you pick up at the doctor's office or the library, glance through and put back. Maybe if each of the short stories was featured in a coffee table book it might be fun? Or perhaps if it was written as a food encyclopedia, that would work too? Point being: if you are a fan of Gaffigan, you will probably like this book. It is his stand up comedy printed in book form. If you are looking for an engaging book to read, that will require actual thought and analysis, I recommend looking elsewhere.

Buy the book from Amazon here or check out Jim Gaffigan's website to learn more.

* I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for sharing my opinion. All opinions shared in this review are my own.