My Boring-Ass Life: The Uncomfortably Candid Diary of Kevin Smith
Author: Kevin Smith
Publisher: Titan Books
ISBN:
1845765389
Paperback, 480 pp.
$14.95 US / $19.95 CDN
If you are reading this review at the Comic Book Bin site, there is a good chance that you are already aware of Kevin Smith. He’s that fat kid from New Jersey who made it big by crafting a potty-mouthed independent film about counter jockeys, fittingly titled Clerks (1994), and featuring his alter ego, Silent Bob. Smith has made a lot more raunchy (and hilarious) movies since then, paving a path to success that has endowed him with a home in L.A., a lot of scratch in the bank, and his own set of comic book shops. In the land of nerds, Silent Bob is king.
On top of establishing himself as a filmmaker, Smith has also gained experience as an actor, stand-up comic, and comic book writer. And he can now add ‘New York Times Bestselling Author’ to his resume.
Smith’s My Boring-Ass Life is a collection of blog posts. The long and disturbingly well detailed blog entries that have filled the author’s website have spilled forth into book form, and present a window into his life. When Smith relieves himself in the bathroom, we get to read about it. Watching television in bed? Pages of it. A slew of mundane details make the book’s title a truthful description of the tome, but there is a lot more to know. Smith also fills his book with fascinating entries about creating his sequel to Clerks, aiding his best friend, Jason Mewes, in a fight against drug addiction, and starring in a Hollywood blockbuster.
After reading a couple entries, I asked myself why I was consuming tasty nuggets amongst a pile of self-indulgent claptrap. The answer? Because it’s enjoyable.
The book is a great read thanks to Smith’s breezy writing style. Tedious details of everyday life give way to genuinely beautiful moments shared with his daughter, wife, and friends. When the drama culminates with an account of the uphill battle of Jason Mewes’ heroin addiction, the book cannot be put down.
In describing the production of Clerks II (2006), Smith provides a unique perspective into his filmmaking routine. Readers won’t learn how to craft a film, but all kinds of juicy background details create the supplementary extras that no DVD special features could ever top. Later, when Mr. Smith is watching a cut of the film with a test audience, the tension he feels gives way to relief as the movie collects a pile of laughs. Coupled with a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival, the book’s description of the march to success demonstrates how no one man can do it alone. Smith pens loving tributes to his support network of family, friends, and co-workers.
If anything, My Boring Ass Life forms a portrait of a family man with an extraordinary day job. At times uneventful, but always informative and involving, Smith’s paperback is a must for fans. For the uninitiated, it is a book worth exploring.
