Dave Barry is one of funniest writers out there. This book was funny but with stories I have read before. Having said that Dave Barrys new book is still very funny and entertaining. Must read for his many fans. Thanks to netgalley and publisher for digital arc of this book mill

Full disclosure: I believe I am semi-intimately related to Mr. Dave Barry even though we've never met or enjoyed carnal knowledge. At only 9% into an advance e-copy of Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass—How I Went 77 Years without Growing Up (pub. date, May 13, 2025), I was so delighted, entertained, and aroused that I prematurely ejaculated on Facebook:

Dave grew up in the 1950s in Armonk … just a hop, skip and a jump from where I was growing up in Briarcliff Manor.

His parents were married the same date as mine were. They were both smart and funny like mine. His father became an alcoholic but recovered. Mine didn't. And on and on and on.

I don't know whether to be jealous or in awe that I'm seeing a kind of parallel life in an alternate reality if only my family had been sane, nonviolent, and Presbyterian.

But it turns out that's where our parallel existences diverged.

Although Barry claimed to have been aimless after leaving college, flitting from bookkeeping to a local paper to misery at the Associated Press to teaching writing to business people, from my point of view as a writer who's slogged through publishing mud for more than 40 years, he was a goddam bird dog—zeroing in on Gene Weingarten (another writer who makes me guffaw) at the Miami Herald's Sunday magazine, Tropic … which is where this book became my personal hilarious writer's tutorial.

Lessons from Dave Barry: To do a successful humor column, it is critical to care nothing about the truth of your subject, what your subject is, or basically anything. Sometimes the stupider the questions, the more entertaining the column. Hence, my imagined interview with Dave Barry about his new memoir:

BETSY: Why class clown? For goodness sake, you were only in school for 12 of your 77 years (well maybe 16 if you count college, but by then you seemed to have outgrown clowning for clowning's sake). So isn't it kind of disingenuous to qualify your life by 1/6.416666666 of its duration? Speaking of which, what do you think of clowns? In my experience, they are often sad and depressed and they make lousy dates.

DAVE: Aw gee, I never dated a clown, Betsy. I'm sorry you had such traumatic experiences. We only picked that title because everybody in the focus group voted for the cover with six-year-old me in a party hat. I do look pretty cute, despite the buzz cut my father insisted on giving me, but he was probably drunk when he did it, or in the middle of writing a sermon—did you like the parts about my dad?

BETSY: Very much, Dave. Your dad seems like a swell guy, the way he helped so many people and took you, with his camp group, to the march in Washington, DC, to hear Martin Luther King, Jr. speak. (BTW, nice historical significance, giving the memoir the obligatory gravitas required for a Pulitzer. Smart move.*) Speaking of which, you said you didn't realize at the time that you were witnessing history. What were you doing standing there in the crowd in front of the Lincoln Memorial?

DAVE: To be honest, Betsy, my mom had insisted I wear laced shoes, and one of the staffers in my Camp Sharparoon inner city kids group thought it'd be a great joke to tie them together. So I spent a lot of the speech trying not to faint from the heat or fall down because we were packed so tight I couldn't bend over to untie them. But I've heard the speech on video many times—thank goodness for YouTube—and, like I said, it's mind-expanding.

BETSY: Speaking of almost dying, (I know we weren't but you seem okay with leaps of nonlogic), one of my favorite of your millions of quoted parts in the book (Great recycling! More leisure time to practice your broom and lawnmower marching skills and think about what to eat for dinner!) was your interview with Bob Graham, the then governor of Florida. And speaking of almost drowning in a harmonica accident (readers, you'll have to buy and maybe read the book to understand that—You're welcome, Dave!), have you ever played harmonica? I know you spent and spend a lot of time in a band—currently with a lot of famous writers—but how do you feel about blowing into a small box?

DAVE: Wow, what a creative question. Well, honestly, Betsy, I long ago stopped blowing into anything because it makes me hyperventilate, and particularly if I were to do so while standing next to a pool. I really valued Bob Graham's warning and establishment of the Harmonica Safety Day (Read the book!). Who knows how many lives besides mine have been spared. Full disclosure: I still do have impulses to blow into small containers, particularly if they make funny noises.

BETSY: What's a mutilated verb? I've heard of mutilated body parts and your description of your colonoscopy made me laugh so hard I may have fractured one of mine. But until your book, I never heard of "mutilated verbs."

DAVE: Wow, you're a real word person, aren't you? Try this:

It is my conclusion that the explosion in your head at the mention of this mutilation is due to the failure of the relief valve in your ears and may in the future result in sentences that are just too long for their own good.

See what I did? Lots of verb ideas have been mutilated into nouns: "conclusion," "explosion," "failure" and maybe some other ones that you added to this totally unauthorized revision of my book. Thus you pressed some really dull verbs into service. An unmutilated way to write it is:

"I conclude that your head exploded because your ears are blocked."

BETSY: Okay … So how about farts? You talk a lot about body emissions. Any final toots?

DAVE: Speaking of "toots," how come they don't rhyme with "foots" which brings me to footnotes. Did you like them?

BETSY: About footnotes**

_____________

*I'm not being cheeky. Dave has a whole section where he makes fun of newspaper writers' obsession with winning Pulitzers, so this sentence is a bit of an homage. BTW, Dave did win a Pulitzer—I'm not making that up—so I'm sure he won't take offense if he ends up reading this after all his book tour interviews, signing autographs, and setting fire to many pairs of perfectly good underpants (Read the book!).

**There are lots of footnotes in this book and, in the digital edition, the way they pop up when you tap the footnote number makes the jokes on top of jokes even funnier. Way to go, Dave!

_____________

DAVE: Thanks, Betsy.

BETSY: My pleasure, Dave. And thanks for the free book in exchange for an honest review … which I guess this really isn't. Whoops. Well, thanks anyway, and I'll think of you whenever I have nothing else to think about.

As a past fan of Dave Barry’s humor columns, I was pleased to see that he was at long last coming out with a memoir. This book is a retrospective of various periods of his life (childhood, schooling, early work days, etc.), and while he uses some of his past material (some of it particularly memorable in that it was widely publicized at the time it first came out) in the course of describing his experiences, the quotes are never overdone and his reflections on them are new. The politics chapter, though it purposely doesn’t encompass more recent times because Barry was no longer actively covering things for his column, feels most outdated even as he recognizes that it is. Much of the rest, to any past fan of Barry’s, will be like reconnecting at least briefly with an old friend. One ends the book hoping that even though he is 77 now, he’ll live many years more to do at least one more volume.

I had trouble reading this book because I was laughing so hard. Leave it to Dave Barry to revive our memories, and shed light on how ridiculous our history has been. He provides insight in to how reporting has changed over over the years. He definitely worked during the golden age of journalism., when a newspaper was a fountain of valued information. This is one memoir you don't want to miss.

When Sunday newspapers were the thing to have back when I was growing up (90s), Dave Barry's column and the comics were my sections of choice. I was always entertained by his humor even if I sometimes didn't get it.

I enjoyed the book as the mix of humor and seriousness that created his brilliance proved as enjoyable as those sunday morning newspapers.

While much of it was before my time, the column excerpts were still enjoyable with the background context of the book. Fans and non fans alike should enjoy the memoir.

I've enjoyed Dave Barry's work since I was a kid in the 80s. This is an excellent memoir - he's still just as funny as ever. I started reading this as soon as I was approved and read it whenever I had downtime, so it only took a couple days when it normally takes me WEEKS to finish a book. He includes clippings from old columns for context, but this isn't just a collection of previously published stuff. He keeps the serious topics to a minimum.

What can anyone say that hasn’t been said already about Dave Barry? How many reviews of his memoir, “Class Clown,” will contain the line “I am not making this up?” Having been one of his most ardent alert readers for many years now, I predict there will probably be a lot of them. And that’s okay, because no one could really make up the life Dave Barry has led. In this book he takes us through it, including the very sad story of his mother’s suicide, his childhood spent in Armonk, NY, and his ending up at Haverford College in suburban Philadelphia. His path to becoming a humor writer wasn’t at all linear, predictable, or even sensible, but thankfully it happened. I’m sure there are people (some of whom he describes in the book) who think his writing is unfunny, juvenile, and shockingly non factual. Only the last two might be a teeny bit applicable once in a while. He still has the ability to make me laugh hysterically, sometimes causing my husband to have to leave the room. Just one example is the story of his first date, for which his mom was the transportation. He understood that she realized how uncomfortable that made both him and his date, and “if it had been legal, I think she would have got out and sprinted alongside the car, steering through the window.”

Dave Barry understands what a (mostly) charmed life he’s been given, and acknowledges that in various non-sappy ways throughout the book. But come on, playing with Bruce Springsteen? Being invited to the Oscars by Steve Martin? Winning a Pulitzer? I’d be ridiculously sappy in the recounting if it were my life. I’m just happy we’ve all been given the chance to, as George Costanza once memorably said about himself, have access to his dementia. It’s been a lot of fun.

An excellent read from start to finish! Felt like stepping into a simpler (and very funny) time. Five stars and at least as many flaming Rollerblade Barbies.

My dad introduced me to Dave Barry when I was a teenager, and I’ve been gobbling up Dave’s books ever since. I enjoyed his memoir, but to be honest I prefer his columns and other nonfiction books. I highly recommend this book to anyone with a good sense of humor!

This is not another boring boomer bio.
Prolific author and beloved humorist Dave Barry has crafted a thoughtful and entertaining review of his life and career, all the while displaying his usual droll humor and playful spirit.
He includes poignant family remembrances, including a portrait of his mother whom he credits with his sense of humor. “Don’t take anything too seriously” is valuable advice he took to heart.
The reader will enjoy Barry's boyish delight in lampooning the absurdity, hypocrisy and stupidity in the world. This is, of course, an endless task, but thankfully he is an accomplished journalist with a Midwestern work ethic and a long lasting, authentic connection with his ginormous audience.
Like a master balloon animal artist, he takes facts (remember those?) and with clever twists and adept turns, adds common sense and truth – then with an ingenious sleight of hand, swiftly delivers - hilarious commentary on just about everything.
Ingenious, good-hearted humor, without the vitriol.
This is what a wonderful career and meaningful life looks like.
What ultimately matters? Family, the people you love, the legacy of laughter.
Class Clown is a treasure, as is Dave Barry.
Even the Appendix is funny.

Dave Barry’s new book class clown is exactly what you would expect. It is at once a funny outrageous and yet very compelling. I don’t think I have laughed this loud in quite a bit reading a book. I do remember many of his funny bits and bits and pieces from previous books but this one kind of brings them all together and makes for wonderful reading. I hope everyone has the opportunity to get this book and read it or listen to it. I would like to thank the publisher and the author for allowing me to have an early look at the book.
Someday I too may be able to have a lift station named after myself. I guess that’s very aspirational, but nonetheless it too would be funny.
Thanks Dave

Loved it

I hadn't read anything by Dave Barry for several years and this autobiography, which includes excerpts from some of his writing, made me want to go back and dust off his work from long ago (and I did order another that I didn't know existed). He is funny and positive. His humor doesn't make you feel bad about yourself, but he is not above the more than occasional poop joke. This book gave me insight into some things I was unaware of in the publishing industry (like what it takes to be a best seller). It was sad to see the death of the newspaper industry acknowledged, but other than that this really is a funny, feel-good book. Mr. Barry sure seems like someone that would be great to be friends with, which he admits is not always the best impression to give with today's no-border audiences.

I highly recommend this. If you haven't read his other work, you will definitely want to order some after you get a sample of his mostly family-friendly humor.

This is self proclaimed "wiseass" Dave Barry’s memoir. For those not fortunate to be familiar with some of his work, this Pulitzer Prize winner is most known for his syndicated newspaper humor columns through the years. Growing up in the 50s and 60s, he recounts memories of those times, his family, his early career, his foray into following politics as a journalist, being involved in the film industry, a member of a rock band, and other experiences. And, yes, he was voted “class clown” in high school.

Reading this, I was laughing out loud by page 2. It is entertaining, witty, intelligent, irreverent, poignant as he shares his autobiography sprinkled with snippets from his columns. Boomers will particularly enjoy his reminiscences through the years and his take on the aging process.

In these dark days, we all need something light and humorous to raise our spirits. I particularly liked his reassuring message to readers at the end of the book. It is worth reading for that alone….

I read an ARC copy, thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster.

I grew up with a daily newspaper that I usually devoured, especially the Sports Section. Although I didn’t regularly read Dave Barry’s weekly, I did read it and enjoyed his humor. I remember growing up, Mr. Barry was considered a top humorist. Cutting edge. Enjoyable. Thought provoking.

As one of Dave Barry’s legions of “Alert Readers” (I still have my postcard somewhere) I endorse this autobiography.

Especially the part where he writes (spoiler) at age 77: “It’s gonna be OK.”

I thoroughly enjoyed learning about his younger years, and how his columns led to invitations to the inevitably chaotic events. I’m glad he had the guts to step away from it all at the peak of his craft, but of course I’m going to continue to read his annual Years In Review and any Gift Guides he cares to write.

Dave Barry's memoir, Class Clown, is such a fun read! It was good to know about his boyhood, his multifaceted career, and his decision to retire. I have read some of his books, but never had the opportunity to read his humor columns, and thankfully, he included some funny excerpts of those in the book. I read this memoir in record time and enjoyed just about every second of it!

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Class Clown!

Dave Barry is a national treasure. I’ve been reading his work, both fiction and nonfiction, for longer than I care to admit and the man never fails to make me laugh. Heck, I be willing to bet he could rewrite the phonebook and it would be amusing. (Dang, I mentioned the phonebook, I guess that hints at my age, lol) Now finally after all this time he has delivered an autobiography of sorts. And it has definitely been worth the wait. Sharing stories (in his own particular style) Dave takes us through his childhood to his start in the newspaper business, and into this great success. And while it’s true the book is packed with plenty of amusing tales, he’s also shares some touching and brutally honest looks at his life, especially in terms of regrets around his mother. I for one am glad Dave never grew up…and hope he never does!. I’d like to thank Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Class Clown.

Reading a book written by Dave Barry is always an enjoyable experience. This book not only was enjoyable; but, also, gave us the opportunity to gain an incite into his life and career. While reading the book, my wife was always saying to me—what are you laughing at? The passages about the colonoscopy are undoubtedly the funniest thing I have ever read. I can wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys laughing and reading. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication.

It was interesting to learn more about Barry's life in this context and, as always, this was well written. The stories are warm and there's a hint of his signature humor. I expected it to be funnier (for reasons) but there's also some serious in here.

Great memoir by Dave Barry. It's always interesting to read of someone's life, especially America's favorite humorist. I laughed so hard during some parts of this book, I was crying. It has the typical over the top humor and great writing that Dave Barry is known for. It was interesting to learn of how his career came to be and how it progressed. I've lived in Florida for over 40 years, very familiar with his column and even saw Dave Barry perform in Ft. Myers. He is simply the best. Highly recommend this book.