Search - Ira Glass :: This American Life: Lies Sissies & Fiascoes

A Wonderful Collection of Awesome Storytelling

Bryan Bickford | 04/17/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Even though I had heard most of these stories already on This American Life, I never questioned whether or not to buy this double CD set. These uniquely American tales are timeless and universal in appeal. Even the more esoteric selections -- Scott Carrier's The Test or Dishwasher Pete's Letterman! Cookies! -- are enthralling and entertaining. It's the kind of collection about which one might honestly be able to say that the David Sedaris story is not the best piece, and this is from a person who has laughed outloud in the work bathroom while reading Sedaris' stories. Like many other reviewers, I've found special joy in sharing this CD with my friends and family. I've given it to co-workers as goingaway presents, loaned it to family members who've set out on long drives, played it for in-laws huddled around the fire on Christmas Eve, and recommended it to friends who faced the prospect of hours sitting and waiting to be picked from jury pools. One of the best things to come from this CD is the reminder of just how special the radio show This American Life is, and how lucky we are to be able to listen to the stories that Ira Glass and his staff cull from everyday life and present to us so entertainingly every week. This set is but a taste of the kinds of stories one can listen to every week on NPR. By the way, my favorite stories are Ira's Get Over It! and Jack Hitt's Peter Pan. The first for personal reasons, which I suppose a lot of guys can relate to, and the second because it's just damn funny. Listening to this collection is a little like living small parts of real lives -- every story is so rich, so real. It is This American Life and worth reliving again and again."

WORTH A LISTEN

MOVIE MAVEN | New York, NY USA | 03/12/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you have never heard THIS AMERICAN LIFE on N.P.R., this is your easy way to become addicted. The subtitle of this collection of eleven "self-relevatory radio monologues" is "an assortment of favorites, both grotesque & dainty."What is THIS AMERICAN LIFE? In a nutshell, it is a weekly, hour-long radio show with a different overall theme each week. The hour is divided into acts---each act presenting one main speaker/writer whose subject is somehow connected to this week's theme. The themes? How about "Family Ties," or "Amateurs vs. Professionals," or "Holiday Treasures." You name it...you can be sure THIS AMERICAN LIFE has aired it or will air it soon.Host Ira Glass has one of the most singular voices ever to narrate a radio show. At the top of the second CD, Glass talks about getting over (NOT getting over?) a doomed love affair. Perfect. You'll find yourself yelling at the radio (or CD) "Stop it. Let her go. Don't be a patsy." It's happened to all of us. And that is the key to THIS AMERICAN LIFE. Every one of the 60 minutes, every week, has happened somehow, some way to ALL of us. And yet, because of the originality and talents of the various writers, it all seems new and incredibly entertaining. "Christmas Freud" where the narrator (David Rakoff) actually sat in a chic clothing story window pretending to be Sigmund Freud for extra holiday money and David Sedaris' "Drama Bug" are two of my favorites. But then, all eleven are worth a listen. Better yet, tune in weekly.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED."

Mostly good stories from NPR's radio show

E A Glaser | Delft, The Netherlands | 01/29/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"As a fan of NPR who no longer lives in the US, I jumped all over the chance to buy a best-of compilation of "This American Life". The 2-CD set is split into funny stories on the first disc and serious ones on the second, although I thought both "Hands on a Hard Body" and "Christmas Freud" had some nice funny bits. Also on the second disc are the very chilling pieces "Test" and "Apology Line".The only segments I did not like in this set, in fact, are the first one on each disc; these happen to be the ones that feature the show's host Ira Glass. I found "Peter Pan" (a piece about a small town drama production that goes awry) to be patronizing and overly long; the remainder of the first disc was very funny. Opening the second disc is "Get Over It!", a segment in which Mr. Glass explores an awkward weekend with an ex-girlfriend for whom he still has feelings. Although it has a good ending, I thought that he was just begging for sympathy with this story, and I felt manipulated. It's admirable in a way that Mr. Glass is willing to showcase his private pain for our entertainment, but not if he's going to make it a pity party.But otherwise I think the compilation is great and I thank him for creating and hosting the show. I recommend it for anybody who's been a fan of the show (and most of you will probably enjoy Mr. Glass's pieces more than I did)."