Such a lighthearted, fun audiobook into Nate Bargatze's life. I enjoy his stand-up so I was excited when I saw he had a book coming out. I love when the author reads his own autobiography; the tone of voice and emotions are truly captured this way. Well written, silly, fun.

Really hilarious memoir, especially as an audiobook. Made me laugh out loud many times.

Bargatze's comedy is so down to earth and relatable. He reads the audiobook himself so he infuses the narration with the same dry humor he has during his live performances. Every time he mentions being "born in the 1900s" it truly makes me burst out laughing. He is close to the same age as I am so many of his childhood recollections are similar to mine, which made it more funny.

If you're already a fan of Nate Bargatze's humor, this book will hit the spot, and if you're not you should definitely give it a try. The audiobook is definitely the way to go here.

🎧 Audiobook Review 🎧
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and Hachette Audio for this ARC.

I’m not an audio book person. I tend to zone out, then completely miss half the story. That said, I do try to listen to audiobooks when read by the author as they seem more meaningful. Nate Bargatze did not disappoint.

I felt like I was sitting across from Nate listening to his big ol’ southern accent tell me stories about his life. Some funny moments of how he and his family lost his sister…twice. Did you know he also flunked bowling in college? I’d say that’s a skill in and of itself.

Throughout the audio book, he mentions pictures in the PDF. I’m disappointed I missed those. Should you listen to the audiobook or grab a physical copy? That’s up to you. In my opinion, it was great to hear the stories.

See you in August in Boston Nate!

If you are already a fan of Nate's comedy, this book will definitely be a hit with you as it is full of his wit, charm and humour. If you haven't found Nate yet, this book will for sure make you a fan. This book is filled with funny stories from his life but with more context than he is usually able to give in his stand up. There are also some stories that will touch your heart and even make you cry. His father's experience with his mother definitely had me in tears. I do kinda wish there had been some better handling of the more serious topics like abuse though.

I would highly recommend the audio book version as hearing all of these stories in his signature voice really brings it home for me.

I received a copy of the audiobook through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Really enjoyed this book and the author narrating it. It was a fun and funny collection of stories. My mom is a big fan and I can't wait to share it with her.

As a fan of Nate Bargatze, I was so excited to listen to his memoir as he’s the narrator! He has a way of comedic relief that is very refreshing. His memoir is a mix of story telling, opinions, and fun facts making it for a really entertaining listen.

I absolutely love how funny Nate is. I loved listening to this book, instead of it being a stand up, it was more like talking to friend and swapping stories. I just wish this book was longer.

I enjoyed this book and I laughed a few times but after reading it, I felt a little unsettled. Nate Bergatze made more money touring than any other comedian last year, including his hero Jerry Seinfeld 🤮. It’s obvious people love the “I’m just a big dummy” act and it is an act because this man is clearly smart. I just can’t help think about how much vitriol directed toward women who also act dumb. That’s definitely something that needs to be unpacked.

The other thing that felt really unsettling was the references he made. Joe Rogan, Harry Potter, and Jerry Seinfeld. It was like the dog whistle Olympics. This wouldn’t have been bad on its own but after I read the book I stumbled across a video from Nate’s podcast from December 2023 where he talks about planning a trip to Israel. Less than 2 months after Oct 7. All of that combined gave me very big ick. I’m sure the vast majority of his fans will not care about that at all but I do. So. There’s that.

This book is perfect for fans of Nate, comedy, and light reads. It may not be for those who view every book under an intersectional feminist and/or liberation lens.

Big Dumb Eyes is an absolute joy; I loved listening to the audiobook ARC from NetGalley, and I finished the listen in less than a day!

Nate Bargatze has been my absolute favorite comedian for several years now. I saw him live a couple of years ago and thoroughly enjoyed the show. I met his dad, who he speaks of often and fondly in the book, and he was also a delight!

Listening to the audiobook is very similar to watching him live or on TV. His stories are hysterical, and clean, which is difficult to pull off, and Mr. Bargatze nails it every time.

Highly recommend this audiobook!

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.

Big, Dumb Eyes
By Nate Bargatze
Audio : by the hysterical, dry delivery of the author. The production value, the "phone calls," the giggling by the author all made for an extremely enjoyable experience. Great job, Hatchett Audio!

If you are a fan of Nate Bargatze, please raise your right hand and promise to listen to one to two chapters each day in order to secure smiles, grins and giggles. This book won’t change your life but it will make you happy.

I think I’ve seen all of Nate’s online shows — and I saw him live last year. In this entire book, only 2 stories are repeats. I found this amazing — I mean, how many regular every-day moments can be funny? Well — according to Seinfeld (a Bargatze inspiration) — ALL OF THEM.

My favorite part? His chuckle every once in awhile. Also, that you get a break from “all the words” with (either blank pages in the real book or) a musical interlude. You know, because his self-deprecating humor assumes you might need an intermission.

Enjoy!
4.25 stars because I am a fan!

This was quite pleasant and just sorta fun. I chuckled several times. I got tired of the "I'm so dumb" shtick, though.
I would recommend this to lots of patrons, though!

I loved this! I’m a huge Nate Bargatze fan and have watched many of his stand up routines. I loved hearing stories from other parts of his life and still getting glimpses of that Nate humor sprinkled in. I really enjoyed this!

I enjoy the audiobook memoirs as you get to listen to the person share their stories with you and it feels personal. I was excited to get approved for this book since I have tickets to his show in two months!! This book was written in his writing style and you can tell by the way it’s written he isn’t a reader and doesn’t really want you to sit there and read this book in one sitting. He even shares you can jump around and read chapters in different orders. I don’t think this book is really supposed to be super engaging or exciting. It just there to share more stories about his life before he became a comedian/stories outside of how he got there and real life situations.

This book didn’t keep my interest like other comedian memoirs did which was disappointing. As I have read the memoirs from Tina fey, Amy Poehler, and Kevin Hart.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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.

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

TW/CW: alcoholism, toxic parent relationships, abusive parents, child abuse, death by suicide attempt

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Nate Bargatze used to be a genius. That is, until the summer after seventh grade when he slipped, fell off a cliff, hit his head on a rock, and “my brain got, like, dented or something.” Before this accident, he dreamed of being “an electric engineer, or a brain doctor, or maybe a math person who does like, math things for a living.” Afterwards, a voice in his head told him, “It’s okay. You’re dumb now. All you got is standup.”* But the “math things’ industry’s loss is our gain because Nate went on to become one of today’s top-grossing comedians who breaks both attendance and streaming records.
Release Date: May 6th, 2025
Genre: Memoir
Pages: 24
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
1. Some of the stories were interesting
2. Author narrates audiobook

What I Didn't Like:
1. Pretty dull and flat
2. Not funny
3. Random stories about outside characters

Final Thoughts:
Omg omg omg I also drive with two feet too!

I struggled to understand why this book was even written. It was so flat and unfunny. Such a shame because I was excited to get a funny bunch of stories that shaped Nate, but a lot of the stores left me bored and not even a chuckle.

I dnfed because life is too short to be so bored and uninspired by a book.

IG | Blog

Thanks toGrand Central Publishing and Netgalley for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I think one of my favorite things about this book was being able to listen to Nate read it himself. He has such a great voice and accent which makes the listen delightful. He had so many great stories that were funny and also biographical. I have watched some of his comedy specials and was impressed that this book wasn’t just a regurgitation of previously used material. If you enjoy family friendly comedy, this book is for you.

For some reason I thought that this book was going to be more about the Nate Bargatze story, like a memoir. It was about him but it’s not liner, it’s more stories about him that are humorous. I’m honestly glad for any Nate Bargatze content because I’m a big fan. I appreciate that he kept true to himself, not a big reader, and made it a book that was more him than what other people want him to do. He’s a funny guy!

I have loved Nate Bergatze’s comedy for a long time, and this book did not disappoint. I enjoyed the cohesive storytelling with humor woven throughout and was consistently laughing out loud.

ALC REVIEW:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

There is no one funnier than the Reigning King of Comedy, Nate Bargatze!!!

Nate is known for finding the funny in everyday life and delivering it in a unique format. As a southern gentleman, he prides himself on making others laugh without compromising their values. Audiences can count on him to not only be entertaining, but clean (suitable for every age).

Currently at the height of his career he has sold out arenas, been featured on late night shows, and even hosted SNL twice. However, success didn’t come to him overnight. He has spent the last two decades perfecting his craft.

As a fan I have been following his career for quite some time. I am up to date on all of his comedy specials, podcasts (Nateland podcast) and television appearances. So when I was approved to listen to his audiobook, I was ecstatic.

Big Dumb Eyes: Stories from a Simpler Mind is Nate Bargatze’s segue into the world of literature. This is so much more than an autobiography; it is a glimpse into the trials and tribulations that molded this generations top comedian into the phenomenon he is today. With roughly all new content, this book will please his devoted fans as well as win over new ones.

Hachette Audio and imprint of Grand Central Publishing, produced an immersive experience by allowing Nate to narrate his own story. There is no substitute for his signature twang, peculiar inflections, and particular vernacular. While I rarely recommend a specific format for consuming a book, I strongly believe this story is one that needs to be listened to on audiobook.

Special thanks to Netgalley, Hachette Audio, Grand Central Publishing, and Nate Bargatze for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.