We have been following the career of Nate Bargatze since we stumbled onto his very first Netflix special - for so long that at our house we just call him Nate. ("Nate has a new show on." "Nate got that one right." "Oh, that Nate.") This book is relatable, as someone who grew up in Indiana with relatives in the Deep Southern=Adjacent area of Southern Indiana (IYKYK), there were many stories that were extremely relatable and funny. And if the thought of those areas amuse you - and believe me, they are very amusing, we get it - this book is for you. There are several laugh out loud moments, and many more humorous "I get that" moments. Throughout your time together, you hear Nate's voice and cadence, which makes it an experience. In short, Nate is THAT cousin....you know the one where you won't commit to the holiday until you hear he is coming because he makes the after dinner story time so much more fun. And seeing the photos included with the book? A great enhancement to filling that cousin fantasy..

Comedy is best delivered the way Nate Bargatze does it-onstage. The book is missing the pregnant pauses, facial expressions and audience participation that are part of his presentations, but is nonetheless entertaining. Relating to a book makes me appreciate it = and the chapter on the NBA made me cackle. Sadly, Baptists are much the same everywhere.
As America reads less and watches more, writing a book with so many words and few pictures was brave. Enjoy it, I did. More? Yes, please.

First and foremost, unless you want to read this book, I suspect it would be best as an audiobook read by Bargatze, because I spent most of this book "picturing" how he would speak the stories aloud and missing that. That doesn't mean it's a bad book or that it wasn't a fun read. I just think it is more solid as something you listen to because the beauty of Bargatze's comedy is in the telling and the hearing.

This is not a memoir per se, although there are stories throughout that give a glimpse into who Bargatze is and his rise to fame. The book was definitely more musings and interconnected stories told in Bargatze's comedy style. Some stories link to his comedy shows directly so worth watching probably before you read.

There were some good chuckles throughout the book and I appreciated that it wasn't much longer because I'm not sure that it would have kept me entertained to keep reading this memoir-adjacent book.

If you like Bargatze and find him a hoot, then you should definitely read or listen to this book. If you have never seen any of his sketch comedy or just saw him on Saturday Night Live, I suggest getting more familiar with him through other media before you jump into a book format.

Fun Bargatze humor for all occasions. A summer read, a family book talk, a wine and opine title. Serves all purposes and is fun for all ages.

So, I have to start by saying that I LOVE Nate Bargatze so I was VERY excited to read this book. I normally audiobook non-fiction books by authors I either hold in high regard or have an unexplainable attachment to because of their lives or work...or a distinctive voice. So I really wanted to audiobook this particular book but the opportunity to read this came up and I jumped at it. As I was reading, the sound in my head was Nate's. It had his southern draw, his pauses, and his laugh. But it didn't land like it would have if he had read it himself. The stories were typical small town Tennessee tales that he speaks about on stage. They were his humor and some made me laugh out loud. But I have to be honest, this is one you should 100% buy the audiobook to. I plan to as well. Thank you to Nate Bargatze, Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley for the electronic version of this book.

Let me start by saying that I am a huge Nate Bargatze fan. I have seen all of his specials, his SNL appearances, I have even seen him in concert. So of course I was eager to read his first book, “Big Dumb Eyes: Stories from a Simpler Mind”. And although it was enjoyable, I guess it left me a little underwhelmed. Maybe my expectations were too high, maybe I was expecting all new material, maybe the audiobook would be much better with his voice and cadence. This was amusing, but rarely really funny.

So why was I disappointed? Most of the book is about growing up, from when he was a kid through getting jobs and then deciding that he wanted to be a stand-up comic and the journey to get there. The stories were vaguely interesting, somewhat humorous at times, but nothing that you wouldn’t hear at a party where you meet someone new. His religious upbringing, his first car, working menial jobs (water meter reader), going to the big city to become a comic, getting married (with a thrifty wife), having children (and cutting the umbilical cord). Things that most of us have gone through and could probably tell an amusing anecdote or two, but captured in a book, along with random food thoughts and other observations.

Once again, unlike his stand-up, this did not have the laughs that I was expecting. Some of it was interesting (being in the Chicago area my entire life I appreciate his history living here), some of it expanded on some of his stand-up bits, some was new, but none of it was really funny. Go and watch any of the specials instead.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!

I have run across videos of Nate Bargatze on YouTube and Facebook over the last eighteen months or so. His droll humor can make me laugh. He basically didn't have a chance between being the son of a clown and hitting his head on a rock when he was a kid. His Dad went from clown to magician which upgraded things or who knows what may have happened to him. All I know is there's a bit of magic in the clean, refreshing quips that Nate comes out with. To me, it shows in his book. As a self-confessed non-reader it's a bit of a shock that he has talked a book into being.
I received an advanced reader's copy of the book from Grand Central Publishing through NetGalley. This is my own opinion of the stories from a simpler mind. I really enjoyed this book. It's a collection of stories that reflect on Nate's life, his family, which he clearly loves and his career. I didn't expect it to be one haha every minute, he reflects on life. It is told in a way that I can almost hear his voice and visualize the stroll around a stage that he has in his acts. When a solemn punchline comes, he looks up at the audience and there's a small glimmer in those "big dumb eyes". I laughed out loud at times because I 'get' his kind of humor. I appreciate it. I have a feel for his love of the family he grew up with and the memories he has. I love that he describes his daughter as his best friend. I think his wife must be just short of awesome for way she keeps him alive (and arguing).
Thanks, Nate Bargatze, for being you.
I give this book a 4.6. It's rounds up to 5 Nate, because, you know, elementary math.

Love you too m as a comedian and I am guessing it is his delivery. Interesting book for his fans. I think audio by Nate to be 1oo%
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this advanced read copy.

I just adore Nate. I've listened to and watched all of his comedy skits/shows. So, of course, I was super excited for this book. And it did not disappoint. I as laughing out loud in the prologue and it only got better from there. If you need a good laugh, serotonin, comfort, this book will deliver. It's light hearted fun with a comforting family setting and so freaking funny. Plus, it's easy to read. So, even non-readers will enjoy it.

5⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advanced copy of Big Dumb Eyes.

I am a huge Nate Bargatze fan and this book was so funny. You could just picture him telling you this story. I really enjoyed hearing about his life and how he got to where he is today!

If you don’t read every word in this book in Nate Bargatze’s voice, I can’t relate.
I’m not one to read comedians biographies, but when I saw Nate B. came out with a book, it immediately held a top spot on my TBR list. As one of my favorite comedians, I was curious to learn more about his history and personal life. His book only cemented the fact that who he is on stage is 100% authentic.
This book made me laugh out loud numerous times, and read just like one of his stand-up routines. If you’re anything like me, you’re always eager for more Nate Bargatze material, and Big Dumb Eyes will definitely scratch that itch!

This was fun, but not interesting. I am familiar with Bargatze as a stand-up but I'm not sure these stories really translated well into a whole book. It was loosely organized chronologically with plenty of callbacks within the chapters but only some of these stories were actually funny and others just seemed like a thing that happened that we're supposed to find charming? It's possible this would have worked better as an audiobook but as it was, I wasn't as drawn in as I would hope to be by a comedian's memoir. It was fine, but not engaging enough to recommend.

Nate is one of the most entertaining comedians of our time. He is clean, so no worries where you listen to his sets, but shows us the entertaining side of our daily lives. I highly recommend you read his book. It's fun and an easy read. It's full of words, which Nate hates, but he does have pictures to help your brain!

If you're a fan of Nate's comedy, you'll definitely like this book. There were so many parts I could picture him saying as I was reading them. It felt more like a collection of random stories than anything but I enjoyed it. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review - it's out now!

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions below are my own.

I love Nate Bargatze's stand up. He's so relatable. This book is very much written in his voice. It's a bunch of little vignettes about his life that don't necessarily go together. I was hoping for a Sedaris like set of quirky, laugh out loud stories but these felt a bit more like rejected stand up bits that just didn't have the punch to make it on stage. About halfway through, I switched to the audio hoping that hearing it in his voice would punch up the humor a bit but alas I still feel like this was a little flat. I wouldn't want anyone I was trying to turn on to Bargatze's humor to start here.

Dry humor and wit at their finest. Nate has a way of sharing stories that are entertaining, no matter how many times you hear/read them!

As a huge Nate Bargatze fan, I was so excited when I heard he wrote a book—and Big Dumb Eyes did not disappoint! It’s full of the same clean, clever humor that makes his stand-up so great. His timing and tone are half the magic, so I am also eager to hear the audiobook.

The stories are fun and new (not just bits from his specials), and while it didn’t have me laughing out loud nonstop, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It feels like sitting down with Nate for a Diet Coke and a conversation—laid-back, funny, and totally him. Highly recommend for fans!

Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I am a huge fan of Nate Bargatze! His comedy is genius & hilarious while being so clean and appropriate and for me it's just the timing of his humor and the slow drawl that he presents it with, so when I found out he wrote a book I was beyond excited! This book was fun to read & get some more stories about him that we haven't heard before & while it wasn't laugh out loud funny, I really enjoyed it so much. For anyone who likes his humor & wouldn't mind just grabbing a Diet Coke with him & chatting for a while, this book is for you. Highly recommended & he also narrates it himself so definitely check out the audio too!

Big Dumb Eyes is funny and an easy read. Wish there was a bit more substance to it though, it didn't feel like a book that took two. years to write.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

Not my favorite memoir but one of my favorite comedians! It was a little to self deprecating for my taste. Some really funny parts.