Howard's back for more of the same?
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It would be far too easy to dismiss this book as "just more of the same from the author of Private Parts" because by and large it is just that. But if you do write off (no pun intended) Howard's second novel, then you will truly miss out on discovering the real Howard Stern. What Howard does in Miss America that he did not in Private Parts, is take his time to think. In his second novel he does not seem in such a mad rush to blurt out every intimate detail of his existence and of those around him. This time we discover a slightly older and more thoughtful Howard Stern. Don't get me wrong he has not seen any error in his ways, nor does he intend to change them. But he does stop to consider why and it makes the whole reading experience far more enjoyable. Howard has still not lost his rapier wit and it is still delivered with a sledgehammer. Nor has he lost his love of naked females and that is sort of reassuring, for if he were to change at this point, we would know he was a phoney. In Miss America Howard does go back over some old territory, but this time gives us another perspective. For Example we see the World of Howard, from Robin's eyes and it is an eye opener. Howard also has fun exploring and analysing his friendship with Fred Norris and this all makes for great reading. But the fun really begins when he gives us full chapter and verse on how he totally destroys a rival DJ and it is then that book becomes (to use a cliché) a real page turner. Miss America is not as funny as Private parts, but a more thoughtful and enjoyable read as once again we are get another look at the world through Howard's small and very dark glasses.
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American Psycho
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Man, I've been reading this thing over and over and over again for a solid 7 years now. It never gets old. It's always as blazingly hilarious as the first time. Stand-out moments include surfing for cybersex, Michael Jackson, Stern's 2nd family (the part on Baba Booey is pure gold), prank calls, Stuttering John's highlights, Stern's appearance on Hollywood Squares (a brief but hilarious little segment), and of course, the DJ war. That's just a FEW of the funniest things about this book. Bottom line, if a book can keep me coming back for more after 7 years, you know it's brilliant. Funniest book ever. Period.
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Not Very Impressive For The King Of All Media
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First off, I would like to state that I never read Private Parts by Stern, which I was told was a better book. I personally was disappointed in this book. After reading this book, I felt like he was just writing another book because Private Parts did so well. It had some parts that were funny, but for the most part, I felt like it was a book for Stern to insult everyone that he could in a book. I believe that Stern is one of the smartest men in radio, and that he does what he does very well. I am not part of that audience, and perhaps that is why this book did not appeal to me very much. After having read this book, I felt like I had gained nothing by reading it. It left me with no good feeling, and I really wasn't any more educated because of it. I was quite disappointed to say the least.
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Better than Private Parts. Howard is hysterical in this book. I especially love it when he goofs on the Kennedy family, celebrities (Michael Jackson riff is great), and his own radio crew. No one is safe from his tirades. If you're a fan (and really, who isn't?), get this!
Also recommended, a funny little gem I found on amazon entitled "No One's Even Bleeding".
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Not as good as Private Parts, but still hillarious
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The dreaded sequel syndrome - Howard succumbs to it in this book, and he even notes this toward the beginning of the book by saying, "The first celebrity book will sell on curiosity alone, the second one needs a great revelation." Then he launches into a series of scenarios, some foul, that he wishes he had gone through as a child so that he would have something saucy to write about. There are two great revelations in this book, however: 1, that he is in fact the King of All Mental Illness and suffered from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder for many years of his life; 2, that he was asked by Michael Jackson's representatives to aid in organizing a parade to declare Jackson's innocence regarding his sexual abuse allegations. Howard eventually meets with Michael Jackson, and the description in this book is hilarious; it is one of the funniest things I have ever read. Also memorable in this book is the chronicle of Howard's bid for the job of governor of New York. Apparently, it was a real bid that he backed out of only for fear of the mandatory financial disclosure. And there is also a chapter on phony phone callers that I found funny. This is a good book, very good, but it was inevitable that it would not be as good as Private Parts. And Howard knew that.
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