There are a couple of things I need to confess before starting this review: First - I loathe memoirs; second - I adore Dave Barry’s books. So I approached this book with trepidation. I was truly worried it would be the first Dave Barry work that I’d read and hate. Fortunately, that was not the case.
Turns out this book lacks the thing I dislike most about memoirs - pretentious navel gazing. Barry has never taken himself too seriously in any previous books and he didn’t take himself too seriously in this one. And it was loaded with the things I’ve always enjoyed in a Barry book - it’s mostly very funny and occasionally, out of the blue, poignant and wise.
Warning for people who DO like memoirs. Dave Barry is and has always been fairly private about his private life, so this memoir is more about his working life than his personal life. Which was fine with me. But if you’re looking for weepy shirt-rending, you won’t find it here.

Simon and Schuster provided an early galley for review.

In the 90's, I was drawn into Dave Barry's world by the aptly titled Dave's World sitcom which starred Harry Anderson. I recall reading a few of his humor books (often collections of his columns) around that period as well. I found both entertaining, and that's what inspired me to pick his upcoming memoir for a read. That along with the fact that as a life-long inspiring writer, I am fascinated by the things professional writers have to say and how they got where they came to be.

Though we grew up two decades apart, I could very much relate to Barry's youth years. I found it interesting to hear about his parents and family, along with his collegiate pursuits. This is told very much in a standard autobiography manner.

Where the style changes up is when he starts working as a journalist and then columnist. From this point, several moments are told with an event or person touchstone followed by excerpts from published writing of his related to those points. It is like a "greatest hits" retrospective. Fans of his writing will certainly enjoy it; I did find it a bit disjointed and dulling my interest in spots. I did appreciate those sections, though, where the true Dave Barry shone through.

I remember reading Dave Barry’s columns when I was in high school so when I heard about his memoir, I knew I would love reading it. Dave did not disappoint. I enjoyed his stories about his parents and figuring out what he wanted to do in life. I was shaking with laughter at points re-reading the excerpts from his columns. This was such a great memoir with some wonderful stories and great insights.

As a fan of Dave Barry, this was an enjoyable read in many respects. while not the most scintillating memoir. Fans of his comedy writing and/or the memoirs of humorous Boomers will be pleased.

A long time fan of Dave Barry's weekly humor column, and having read most of his books, I found his memoir to be kind of a book length version of one of his humor columns. Which is not at all a bad thing. His columns were always hilarious and so is this memoir. Starting with an overview of his childhood and a good bit about his parents, the remainder of the book focuses entirely on his professional life. Other than a brief mention that he has been married three times, and a couple of references to his son, there is nothing here about his personal adult life. The book is organized by topic and includes numerous excerpts from his columns, which comes across almost as a greatest hits of his humor. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it, especially to Dave Barry fans.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced reader copy.

I really enjoyed the way Dave Barry wrote this memoir, it had that element that I was hoping for and enjoyed in this type of book. I was engaged with the stories being told and had that humor that I was looking for.

I've been a fan of Dave Berry since reading Swamp Story. This memoir is a nice addition to this backlist of essays and news columns. If you have read most of them, most of the information in this book won't be new, but it was nice to have a timeline on when the stories and ideas came from and when they happened. There were also some fun anecdotes and deeper elections, all told in Dave Berry style.

A fun, easy spring read

This. Book. Was. Hilarious.

Having been a Dave Barry fan for years, I sometimes wondered what he'd done in the years before his big success as a humor writer. In this new book, Barry tells fascinating tales about his incredible experiences..

The chapter about his experiences on the road covering political campaigns is hilarious as well as awesome. His Florida stories, especially about the Miami-Orlando feud, are great. His comments about the medical tribulations of an older person are spot-on.

I enjoyed the chapter that described how he got into writing fiction, but my absolute favorite chapter was the appendix and its self-deprecating humor.

...and now I will be going upstairs to reread my Dave Barry collection--

Rating: 5/5

Dave Barry has always felt like a funny uncle who shows up, tells a bunch of jokes that make you wheeze-laugh, and then suddenly says something poignant that hits you right in the sternum. Class Clown is exactly that—it’s hilarious, yes, but also reflective, grounded, and tender in a way that surprised me more than once.

I’ve been reading Dave Barry since I was 11, growing up in a little rural town where his books felt like a lifeline—this strange mix of absurdity, wit, and emotional intelligence that made me feel like someone out there saw the world the way I did. In many ways, he’s felt like he’s been with me ever since.

This book is full of classic Barry lines, Florida weirdness, and laugh-out-loud moments, but it also holds something deeper. You can feel the wisdom and the years behind the humor. He’s not just telling jokes—he’s sharing himself, and that’s what makes this so special.

Would I recommend it?

**Absolutely and unequivocally** —especially if you’ve ever loved him before, or if you just need to laugh and feel a little more human.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the privilege of reading and reviewing this ARC.

As a long time fan of Dave Barry, I was very excited over the chance to read his memoir. He is one of the few comedy writers who repeatedly make me laugh out loud and look for someone to share him with. It was just as funny and clever as I expected. Dave did a retrospective look at his career using many portions of columns and stories about their origins to illustrate his career path and life. There was just enough personal information to give you a sense of him while protecting his family from scrutiny. He talked about his start in writing and how he parlayed a job as a newspaper reporter into his career as a comedy columnist. Then we got to hear lots of stories about where that led him, and some of the crazy experiences it led him into. It is written with a great sense for the absurd and genuine affection for his readers, his fans, and all the members of the public who provided him with such rich material. Since he retired from his regular column, we have to get our Barry fix from his “Year in review” columns and his novels, so it was a real treat to read this. Highly recommended - if you don’t get a lot of chuckles and even more smiles out of this book you need a funny bone implant.

Thanks to Netballey and Simon and Shuster for an ARC in exchange for a fair review.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC.
Great read, I really enjoyed it. From the beginning about his childhood and the loving tributes to his parents as well as his hilarious musings and antics, I absolutely loved it all and highly recommend this book, We need books like this in these strange times ... we want to be uplifted!

Before this book, my knowledge of Dave Barry was pretty much limited to the last 20 years. So, diving into this was both refreshing and eye-opening—getting a glimpse at the not-always-funny moments that shaped the humorist we know today. From his childhood to his various (and sometimes unexpected) jobs, every step contributed to the wit and wisdom he brings to the world. What really stood out was how he’s managed to keep such a positive outlook—and helped so many readers do the same.

I especially enjoyed the early excerpts from his work and the collection of photos sprinkled throughout. And how did I miss the whole Rollerblade Barbie fiasco? Barry’s take on the highs and lows of his life made for a fascinating and entertaining read! And, I don't for one minute believe he gets his ideas at Costco! - 4.5 Stars

I loved Dave Barry when I was a kid, probably because my dad did. I read books about Barry turning 40 before I reached middle school. I enjoyed this look at the many aspects of his interesting life, from the celebrities he accidentally befriended, to the political candidates he awkwardly encountered.

As an extroverted introvert myself, I relate to him, and I feel a bit nostalgic whenever I read something of his. I like his dorky, gentle humor. I hope my dad will read this too.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I will purchase and share widely.

This was another quick and entertaining read from Dave Barry! I haven't read a lot of his nonfiction or biographies recently and had been sticking more to his fiction and mystery stories, so it was a refreshing change to get a real behind the scenes look into his lifetime. I didn't realize all of the cool experiences he has had! Like everything else he has written, this book kept me laughing and was an easy page-turner and an insight into Dave Barry's life and experiences. Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass—How I Went 77 Years Without Growing Up by Dave Barry was received directly from the publisher and I chose to review it. I have been reading Dave Barry for my entire adult life, starting when I was in the US military during the Cold War in Asia and Europe in the Stars and Stripes newspapers. This is Daves autobiography. It is not boring or stale, it is written in Daves trademark brand of humor and I read the entire opus in one sitting on a cold rainy day. If you like Daves brand of humor, or have never heard of Dave because you had never read the Stars and Stripes, or if you like humuorous clean writing, give this, and all of Daves books a read.

5 Stars

I've been following Dave Barry since the late Eighties when his column would appear in the Detroit Free Press Sunday Magazine. I've read most of his books. He is at his best when he is writing normally and just injecting humor. I don't always enjoy when he just totally goes off the wall. Class Clown is more of the former and it was enjoyable to get a look back into his life. And yes, his column on colonoscopy prep is truly one of the funniest things ever written!

Class Clown
By Dave Barry

This is the story of Dave's illustrious (???!!) career in his own words. If you are not familiar with his often bizarre but frequently funny wit and wisdom, welcome to Dave's world.

The book's title is well earned starting at a young age. Dave recounts many episodes throughout his childhood which earned him that title. As an adult – more or less – Dave has taken a meandering career path. He was a journalist of sorts; a teacher of effective business communications; a more or less freelance reporter on a wide variety of subjects; a humor columnist; a musician in a band; a screenplay writer; and a collaborator on several books – just to name a few of the fun jobs he has had throughout his life.

Now as he approaches 80 years old, he has written this memoir to pass on nuggets of wisdom he has amassed. While the book is entertaining and humorous, there are pearls of lessons learned to be found throughout. Take the time to consider them when you stop laughing.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

Another laugh out loud book from Dave Barry. Totally enjoyable. Recommended reading!

I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

What can I say? Dave Barry is one of my all time favorite writers and this book gives insight into how he grew into such a delight!
It begins in his childhood and talks about his early years and his family. Always fun.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Dave Barry’s always entertaining style is fully on display in this excellent memoir. You will thoroughly enjoy it.