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.

I think Nate Bargatze is hilarious, so I was super excited for this book. I will note one hot tip for listeners: I typically listen to audiobooks at 1.25 speed, but because Nate's comedic timing is so on point, I think it's important to listen to this one at 1.0. This book is full of funny stories and insights - I loved the chapter about Vandy - I believe Nate Bargatze fans will enjoy it!

I first came across Nate Bargatze in 2022 when I was home sick with covid. I watched one of specials, and then another. I liked that he was different than alot of comics and didn't have to use vulgarity. He has a boyish charm about him. I couldn't believe, much to my chagrin, when I saw him in my hotel when I was in Las Vegas a few weeks later. I didn't stop him, and little did I know, his stint a year later on SNL would make him a bonafide star.

This audiobook felt like you were at one of his shows. I enjoyed his stories about growing up in Tenneesse and when he moved to Chicago. My favorite part in the book was when him and his friend helped hunt down a burgler. In the audiobook version, I did enjoy the added enhancements, like when he was "on the phone" with his friend and his wife.

I am excited to see what the future holds for Nate Bargatze.

Thank you Netgalley for this audio edition of Big Dumb Eyes by Nate Bargatze.

I'm a huge Bargatze fan, how can you not love him? He's so subtle and self-deprecating, his punchlines often sneak up on you. I was so excited to get my hands on his first book. They aren't quite like the short form humor that you're used to seeing on stage. Instead he tells short stories about his life. Some of them are sweet, some are hard, some are funny, laced with pain. But all of them have his southern charm and deep devotion to his life and loved ones. I really enjoyed it.

Great fun! This audio edition is read by Nate Bargatze and he does a wonderful job. Not all authors and not all comedians can do such a fabulous job. Just like his stand-up it had me laughing out loud. over and over. A wonderful escape! Thank you, Nate! I will be handing this one to everyone I meet!

I’m a big fan of Nate Bargatze’s standup specials and his appearances on SNL. I’ve also seen him live. So I was always going to read his book (or, in this case, listen to the audiobook which he narrates). It did not disappoint. His dry humor shines through and you get a good sense of his background and how he ended up where he is today. It was laugh out loud in some parts and I chuckled at others.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing/Hatchette Audio for the ARC!

Nate Bargatze’s "Big Dumb Eyes: Stories from a Simpler Mind" is a low-impact read that coasts on its author’s affability—it’s warmed-over comfort food, but sometimes that’s all you want.

Bargatze would be the first to tell you to lower your expectations before opening "Big Dumb Eyes." In fact, he is the first to tell you that. The introduction reminds readers that the author doesn’t like to read, and he doesn’t really have any literary ambitions or goals here. If Bargatze weren’t so charming, it would sound like an excuse for writing a bad book.

But "Big Dumb Eyes" is far from bad.

If you’re a fan of the author’s stand-up, you’ll likely enjoy the many stories throughout the collection, most of which are stage-to-page reworks with a little more breathing room. Bargatze’s voice translates well to the written word, and hearing it outside his usual medium highlights what a careful comedian he actually is. His off-the-cuff, homespun, country boy musings are artfully and intentionally crafted, and I finished the book with a greater admiration for his work.

That said, the people who are most likely to enjoy the book are the least likely to benefit from it. If you’ve seen Bargatze perform, even in YouTube clips or SNL sketches, you’ll recognize most of what’s on offer here, and the aforementioned “breathing room” can sometimes feel like flab. If readers are unfamiliar with the author, I don’t think the writing will be enough to catch their interest.

Ultimately, I really enjoyed my time with the audiobook version of "Big Dumb Eyes," but I probably won’t remember it. The book is a breezy, upbeat listen, and Nate Bargatze’s anecdotes can leave one feeling absolutely buoyant—just maybe not for too long.