I’ll be honest: I picked this up expecting a few chuckles, maybe a snort, and the kind of reading experience you get from your uncle’s Facebook statuses—but somehow, Big Dumb Eyes is way funnier, way dumber (in a smart way?), and weirdly full of heart. Nate Bargatze proves that sometimes a bonk to the brain is just what the comedy gods ordered.

This book is basically a series of stand-up bits disguised as personal essays, which is perfect for those of us whose attention span died in 2012. You’ll get tales about Old Blue (his first car that somehow ran on prayers and tennis balls), his Southern roots (no, he doesn’t think dinosaurs are liberal propaganda), and his very patient wife, who seems to function as a life GPS with a “recalculating” feature permanently turned on.

Bargatze meanders through memories like a dad wandering Home Depot—slow, confused, but somehow always finding something oddly profound in the plumbing aisle. His takes are exactly what you’d expect from someone who admits he went from child prodigy to “concussed class clown” in one unfortunate head bump: slightly unhinged, weirdly relatable, and delivered with the confident confusion of a man who still doesn’t quite understand how sushi works.

Bottom line: If you like your humor wholesome, a little self-deprecating, and with just enough brain damage to keep things interesting, Big Dumb Eyes will absolutely deliver. It’s like getting life advice from your funniest cousin—if your cousin couldn’t spell “author” but did somehow sell out Madison Square Garden.

Recommended for: fans of comedy, people who’ve ever named their car, and anyone who thinks “math person” is a legitimate career path.

Fans on Nate will be interested in this. His style of humor works a little better in standup than on the page, in my opinion, but it was interesting to learn more about his past, especially the story of his father's background.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this uncorrected advance copy of 'Big Dumb Eyes' by Nate Bargatze - expected release date of 05/06/2025

ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A biography from one of my favorite comedians, um, yes, please! I love Nate's stand-ups because his skits are so relatable which cracks me up and he always does so using clean language. This book was less stand-up, more background, which was explained in the summary. It was such an easy read, and you can definitely tell he wrote it, not a ghostwriter, which I appreciated. It mentioned a few stories from his skits, but mostly, he offered a look into his personal life. There wasn't a definitive beginning, middle or end, this could've been read in any order of chapters and still worked. Not bad work for a self proclaimed, simple-minded guy. And he kept it short and didn't try to fill it with mumbo-jumbo nonsense, just to fill pages. Fun read, thank you for the ARC!

The whole time I was reading this, I could just about hear his voice speaking it out loud to me! I love a comedian essay collection, and this is a great new addition to the club!


Thanks so much to Grand Central and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you, NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for allowing me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.

This is an autobiography from Nate Bargatze, and it was narrated by Nate. It was such a great read, and I suggest you listen to the audiobook if you have the opportunity. I always prefer the audiobook when it’s narrated by the author because then the listener gets to hear it exactly how it was intended.

This was such a joy to listen to. I am a fan of Nate’s comedy and this had a lot of the same humor, but it also gave some backstory, which I really enjoyed. He did touch on being raised as a southern Christian, but it did not force religion on the reader; rather explained how he was raised. He spoke much about his family, and the book had more heart than I anticipated. It’s formatted into many short stories that can be read separately, but they do tie in together, so I’d recommend you read them all. I highly recommend this book!

A lighthearted and genuinely funny read by Nate Bargatze. His reflections on childhood offer a glimpse into the roots of his humor, making it easy to see how a comedian was born. I laughed out loud multiple times!

Nate Bargatze is a favorite comedian in our home so I naturally was going to read his memoir! The audio version was especially enjoyable since Nate reads it himself with his trademark deadpan tone and expressions. I also liked having the actual hard copy to enjoy the many photos he inserted of the life events he discusses. If you're not as familiar with Nate, start here to learn a little background and immediately dive into his routines on Netflix, Youtube and many other places. You'll soon learn he is family-friendly and how he came to be a highly-sought-after comedian.
I look forward to seeing his career progress and eventually maybe another book!
Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this ARC. All opinions are mine.

Despite what he might think about books, Nate Bargatze's humor translates well to the page. This is a lot of fun to read. Since I'm not super familiar with the author's stand up, I can't speak to how much is repeated storytelling from his shows, but casual fans of comedy and humor writing can definitely enjoy this.

I was provided an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

Nate Bargatze is one of my favorite comics. I love that he practices clean comedy, and his almost deadpan delivery style really speaks to me. I also find him really relatable in the way he tells stories about his life and family. His George Washington skit on SNL about the weights and measures is one of the funniest things I've ever seen, no matter how many times my husband and I watch it we are in tears laughing.

I've never had the pleasure of seeing him live, so this is probably the closest I'll get in the near future but this book had me cracking up. I've seen several of his specials and this brings alot of material I've not heard before or expands on material he's used in shows. I'm a big audiobook listener so this wasn't the most words, and I was able to listen to it in a day while doing chores around the house this weekend. I loved getting to know Nate and his family just like I would in one of his specials but in an expanded way. If you are a fan of his comedic style this biography is filled with his comedic delivery with tales of his community, parents, siblings, friends and wife that you wouldn't normally hear in one of his shows.

I really enjoyed this and look forward to the day I can see Nate live in person. The pictures included are a nice touch to see into Nate's life and the situations he is describing. I highly recommend this if you enjoy his style of comedy and want to get to know the man behind the mic a little better.

I've been a fan of Nate Bargatze since his first special, The Tennessee Kid, premiered in 2019. I've followed his career since, and hearing he was writing a book felt like my 2 worlds were colliding (I used to work in comedy).

Unfortunately, this didn't live up to my expectations at all. The only thing I took from his novel that I hadn't either heard previously or gotten bored by was the story behind his head injury—which I still can't decide how I feel about. Let me clarify, I'm not ambiguous about the injury itself. That was no good. But to have built a persona around being...well, kinda dumb, when some could be due to a head injury? It feels like a deranged form of false advertising lol.

For someone who isn't yet familiar with Nate may enjoy this... But if you aren't familiar, you might as well watch one of his specials instead.
If you're adamant about reading, you MUST go w audio (assuming you're able, of course)—Nate's voice and cadence are pretty funny even if/when the material may not be. It's very clear he knows his way around a mic and public speaks for a living. Reading in print/ebook robs you of that experience.

Thank you bunches to Hachette Audio, Grand Central Publishing, Nate Bargatze and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

You have to read it in his voice or it won’t sound as funny/endearing since it’s so conversational. Audiobook better be coming because I wouldn’t recommend to someone who’s not a fan because you can take the humor wrong as a casual Southern stereotype of being dumb (hence the name). Even so, I greatly prefer him on specials and live shows and podcasts.

The Tennessee comedian has chs more like separate passages so you don’t have to read in order which is nice and the dedication to reminding you of context. Much of the humor is in repetition and simplicity in general.

I’d skip the first ch cuz it’s boring about driving/playing in mud though tiny. An opening about his dad being a professional clown/magician is def more eye-catching. Especially when it’s about his face getting ripped off by a dog.

I was so excited to hear Nate Bargatze was writing a book but then I got nervous. What if it wasn’t good? What if it wasn’t funny? What if it was all stories I’d already heard before?

Let me tell you the worrying was for nothing! So many laugh out loud moments, little chuckles, heartwarming moments and more. You can really “hear” Nate in this book which makes the read all the more fun.

Highly recommend if you enjoy Nate’s comedy or even if you don’t. Just be ready to laugh

I am a big fan of Nate Bargatze's comedy, so I was eager for the opportunity to read his memoir. His stand up comedy has always displayed his hilarious storytelling ability, and so I was interested to see how this would be relayed into paperback format. Now, to be totally honest, I listened to the audiobook format of Big Dumb Eyes. And I think that is an important detail because if I were to review the book content itself, I'd likely give it three stars. I feel like you have to hear it told in Nate's style and voice to really appreciate the stories. There is something about his pronunciation and syncopation (which he himself acknowledges in the book) that really brings the stories to life. I imagine the stories would otherwise be quite flat in the paperback formatting.

So, the book itself is fine. It was interesting to hear some stories about his family growing up and what life was like for Nate. But if you are interested in Big Dumb Eyes, I think the key is to go at the audiobook. Is it on par with his stand up? No. No, not even close. But if you do appreciate his comedy already, then you will connect with his humor and storytelling regardless. The book, too, is complete with pictures connected to the story, which I also appreciate. I know for comedians there is always some embellishment, but Nate's stories are clearly personal and authentic. The provided pictures not only give a fun behind-the-scenes look into the comedian's life but corroborates each stories' authenticity, as well. For this reason, I gave the audiobook an extra star.

A big thank you to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and Hachette Audio for the opportunity to read through this advanced reader’s copy in exchanged for my honest review and opinion.

Accessible, fun book by one of the best comedians out there today. I love that the author makes the book accessible to those who read in smaller bits, it is a kind and lovely way he shows his personality and empathy for those who aren’t big into devouring books in one sitting.

Big Dumb Eyes is an easy, enjoyable read that captures Nate Bargatze’s laid-back, relatable humor. It walks the line between being a more touching, revealing memoir and a genuinely funny collection of stories. While there were definitely some laugh-out-loud moments, there weren’t quite as many as I expected — and a few of the funniest bits were things I recognized from his specials.

Still, Nate’s charm and sincerity come through on every page, and even if it didn’t completely blow me away, I had a great time reading it. Fans of his comedy will appreciate getting a closer look at the man behind the jokes, and it’s a solid addition to his body of work.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I never get tired of hearing Nate Bargatze's stories!. The memoir Big Dumb Eyes was a quick enjoyable read. Some stories hit harder than others. The Chicago apartment rat and the amusement park stories were my favorites. Nate's self-deprecating comedy style was funny but also heartwarming as well. If you like Nate Bargatze's stand up, you'll enjoy this book! Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this eARC.

Nate Bargatze is one of my all time favorite comedians so I was so excited to see he wrote a book! This was SO FUNNY! I highly recommend the audio cause it really just felt like a 4 hour long comedy special and I was cracking up through the whole thing!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette audio for the ALC and ARC!

I really enjoyed Big Dumb Eyes by Nate Bargatze. I have an almost identical sibling gender/age gap dynamic, so the stories about his siblings made me nostalgic for my own childhood. I laughed so hard at the part about him hitting his sister with a pillow. I also have the exact same two orders from McDonalds, so I related to that chapter.

I received an ARC and ALC from Grand Central Publishing and Hachette Audio | Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4 🌟

Big Dumb Eyes by Nate Bargatze is a collection of his memories, stories, and opinions.

I really like Nate Bargatze's stand up and was excited to see this book available. It's rather meandering and nonlinear, and much of it feels like it's something he thought of last minute to talk about. That said, I still enjoyed his humor injected into the stories and hearing about his past. I honestly think this works best as an audiobook as opposed to a physical book.

Recommended for big fans of Nate Bargatze.

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC.

I have only recently known about Nate Bargatze. I have seen a couple of Netflix specials and I did see him in person. I find him very entertaining and his stories about himself and his family are pretty funny. This book is very funny, but only about 1/2 of it was completely new to me. I read it fairly quickly and was very happy to do so but it is not and never claims to be “deep”.
Thank you Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the digital ARC