The first and most important thing I’m going to say about the new memoir by comedian Leslie Jones is this: Do not buy the book. But hear me out … Download the audio from your nearest library or audiobook retailer. Load that sucker into your phone, and then buckle up for one of the funniest listening experiences you will ever have.
The title of the memoir includes a word I can’t say on public radio. Let’s just say it rhymes with “trucking” — and it also serves as a warning to any sensitive or easily offended readers out there. This book is raw and unapologetic. A stand-up comic and former “Saturday Night Live” cast member, Jones does not hold back the F-bombs as she shares the story of her life and career.
The book itself is only about 280 pages, but the audiobook is 16 ½ hours long. Audiophiles will know that math doesn’t compute, and it means Jones must have used the print version as a rough outline for the audiobook. She riffs on her life — laughing a lot, getting emotional at times, and analyzing her creative process and everything it took to get where she is.
The audio version feels like having Leslie Jones in your passenger seat on a cross-country road trip. She has no filter and takes no prisoners, and among the plentiful comedic moments, Jones imparts a lot of wisdom: Hug your parents, talk to your kids, get a job, believe in yourself. And most of all, laugh. A lot.
Jones talks about vicious online harassment she endured for her role in the widely panned 2016 ‘Ghostbusters’ remake. And toward the end of the book, she shares behind-the-scenes scoop about the SNL audition process and her impressions of various hosts and musical guests.
When it comes to celebrity memoirs, Leslie Jones has reinvented the genre. And it’s a ride worth taking.
